Articles by Zhanna Shayakhmetova

ASTANA – The Kazakh Senate recently adopted a law to consolidate energy transmission companies to increase their reliability, according to the press service of the Ministry of Energy. “The law provides for the consolidation of regional power transmission companies. As a result of the reforms, liberalisation of the electricity market, including the past privatisation processes…

ASTANA – EXPO 2017 received its one millionth visitor July 11. Approximately 1.8 million tickets have been sold and 921,293 people visited the exhibition in the first month, said Astana EXPO 2017 National Company Executive Director Beibut Karymsakov at a July 10 press conference. Nur Alem, the Kazakh national pavilion, as well as the South…

ASTANA – What are the prospects of using blockchain? How can genetic profiling transform lives? Why are robotics classes popular in the country? To learn about the top digital trends and their advantages, The Astana Times interviewed Nazarbayev University Science and Technology School robotics instructor Artur Saudabayev. He was invited to speak about blockchain this…

ASTANA – Tamikrest gave a concert featuring incredible guitar mastery as part of their world tour June 24 during the Spirit of Astana, an ethnic music festival held in the capital. The Mali-based musicians became famous synthesising traditional African music with western rock and pop styles. They performed on electric guitars, bass guitar, djembe and…

ASTANA – An interactive crime map on the basis of Krisha.kz, an online home search service, was launched June 20 with the participation of Legal Statistics and Special Records Committee of the Prosecutor General’s Office. A detailed map of the cities of Kazakhstan is provided by 2GIS, an international cartographic company, according to the office’s…

ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced plans to promote its economic inclusion strategy by signing a new investment project in the capital June 22 providing a $140 million loan to Bakyrchik Mining Venture. “We are deeply committed to the economic development of Kazakhstan’s remote regions. The Kyzyl project will bring…

ASTANA – More than 300,000 people have visited EXPO 2017 since its opening, said Astana EXPO 2017 National Company Chairperson Akhmetzhan Yessimov at a June 23 media forum. “The exhibition is of great interest. The number of entrances to the expo facilities [including the same visitors] exceeded two million people. We will easily achieve the…

ASTANA – More than 600 delegates from 60 countries gathered June 22-24 near the site of EXPO 2017 for the 14th Eurasian Media Forum (EAMF) to discuss the media’s role in a turbulent world. “When the world undergoes dramatic changes, the demand for dialogue platforms inevitably increases. The media should become the leaders of this…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said during a June 16 plenary session of the 10th Astana Economic Forum that the forum is being held at a historically crucial moment for the Eurasian space. “A new global player with a market capacity of 3 billion people was created with India and Pakistan’s joining the Shanghai…

ASTANA – The imperfection of the legislative base contributes to the growth of corruption in quasi-public sector procurement, said Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption Agency Deputy Chairperson Alik Shpekbayev at a June 12 roundtable on legislative regulation of quasi-public sector procurement. The number of corruption offenses in public procurement in quasi-public sector companies has increased…

ASTANA – Twenty-five U.S. companies and representatives of Kazakh state bodies, national companies and local business representatives gathered in Astana June 14 for the U.S. – Kazakhstan business forum. The event aimed to attract U.S. companies to priority sectors, including car assembly industry, health, construction, agriculture and light industry. About 500 companies in various sectors…

ASTANA – Among the announcements at the June 11 Meeting the Challenge of Sustainable Energy Ministerial Conference in Astana was an official declaration to build a UN-backed sustainable energy centre at Astana’s EXPO 2017 site and a nearly $45 million investment in solar power in Kazakhstan. The Future Energy international centre for the development of…

ASTANA – Religious leaders for a safe world will be the key topic at the 6th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions Oct. 10-11, 2018. “This theme symbolises the commitment of religious leaders to a safe, conflict-free world where harmony, justice and compassion reign. There is a need to prompt societies and countries…

ASTANA – How should countries operate in an era of growing multipolarity? Is there any chance of eradicating terrorism? What contributes to strengthening the role of Asia? What is the secret of the Asian economic miracle? Is it possible to disconnect from the information flow? What does life look like in the simplified world? These…

ASTANA – The British Council will present the Future Creative programme to bring U.K. contemporary culture to Kazakhstan and to promote cooperation between cultural leaders of Kazakhstan and the U.K. as part of the EXPO 2017. The programme will focus on the U.K.’s economy and feature a package of innovative projects in music, theatre and…

ASTANA – A new digital office featuring Kazpost services such as hybrid ATMs, an electronic cashier, post office and parcel supermarket, drones and post.kz capabilities was opened in the capital May 30 as part of the Green Quarter construction complex presentation. Self-service offices will work in the future in round-the-clock mode. They will be located…

ASTANA – Atlassolar.kz, an interactive solar resources atlas providing free access to information to implement solar power ideas in Kazakhstan, was launched in late May in the capital, according to the joint statement released by the Ministry of Energy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The web-based resource contains open data of solar resources…

ASTANA – Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece “Aida” will be staged under the open sky near the Palace of Peace and Harmony, Astana’s famous pyramid as part of the EXPO 2017 cultural events June 15. The opera will be performed by the Astana Opera House soloists with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports and…

ASTANA – A model of a regional zone of peace, security and cooperation can be developed on the basis of a harmonious combination of the interests of all involved Central Asian countries, said Mazhilis (lower chamber of Parliament) Chairperson Nurlan Nigmatulin. He spoke on the role of parliaments in legislative support for cooperation and regional…

ASTANA – SAP announced plans to open the first Next-Gen Lab in Kazakhstan in cooperation with Nazarbayev University and the International University of Information Technologies at the May 24 SAP Forum. The labs will be created within both of those universities, and in them, students, under the guidance of SAP experts and using SAP technologies,…

ASTANA – The Uralsk-based Shanyrak social enterprise supports orphanage graduates in career guidance, education and employment. The profitable organisation has trained 92 graduates and provided jobs for 39 of them though its recruitment company, 38 attended the vocational training school, seven became individual entrepreneurs and 13 are involved in careers at the enterprise. Shanyrak founder…

ASTANA – The Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy (NU GSPP) has announced plans to hold “The Good Governance and Economic Diversification in Resource Rich Economies” conference Aug. 17-19 in the capital, according to the school’s press release.   The event with several panel sessions and notable speakers is expected to attract about 50…

ASTANA – Twenty foreign and five Kazakh participants representing leaders of world and traditional religions and international organisations dealing with issues in the field will get together in the Kazakh capital May 18 for the 16th session of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. The Astana Times interviewed International…

ASTANA – An electronic labour exchange, a free unified database providing labour market information, will be launched in September, said Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection Birzhan Nurymbetov at an April 21 Central Communications Service briefing. The exchange will be designed on the basis of Enbek.kz, a currently-functioning portal, he said. Human Resources Development…

ASTANA – State bodies and civil society institutions should strengthen efforts to modernise public awareness with an emphasis on zero tolerance for any activities related to radical manifestations, especially in the sphere of religious relations, said Kazakh State Secretary Gulshara Abdykalikova. She made the comments at the conference on the role of women’s organisations in…