Kazakh designers demonstrate collections at London’s Silk Road Fashion Show
ASTANA – Young Kazakh designers Zhanar Kainarbayeva and Aizhan Salimbayeva presented their works in London at last month’s Silk Road Fashion Show. The event introduced modern Central Asian elegance to the British audience. “Kazakh designers make their special contribution to fashion, as they have unique style and bring something quite unfamiliar to the local audience.…
AIFC Expat Centre offers English-language relocation assistance, hopes to attract foreign workers
ASTANA – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Expat Centre provides English-language services, including visa and work permits, tax payments, consultations on healthcare, education, transport and accommodations to expats and their families. “The centre’s activities are intended to contribute to the overall development of the AIFC. We believe that access to state and social services for…
Brazilian businesses seek stronger Kazakh ties in mining, construction, technology
ASTANA – A delegation of business people from Brazil, including top management from the Optimal Capital Partners company, met with Kazakh officials and entrepreneurs to promote increased trade between the countries and find investment opportunities in mining, refinery building, blockchain technology and digital cities. “I believe we are the first Brazilian company to visit and…
Haileybury Astana launches International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
ASTANA – Haileybury Astana introduced the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme March 1 designed to incorporate a more holistic approach to students’ academic and personal development and prepare them to study at the world’s top universities. “Top universities in the U.K., for example, prefer IB qualification to others since it focuses not only on the…
Seven milk farms to be built in North Kazakhstan region
ASTANA – Seven milk farms capable of producing 10,000 tonnes of product will be constructed in different districts of the North Kazakhstan region to provide job opportunities, satisfy local demand and boost exports. “Milk production in the region in 2017 reached 546,100 tonnes, increasing by 3.9 percent compared to 2016. The plan for 2018 is…
EBRD supported 177 SMEs and 62 female entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan in 2017
ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Kazakh government provided subsidies for management consulting services last year to 177 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Special efforts were also made to promote female entrepreneurs, as 62 entities obtained consulting and financial aid within the EBRD’s “Women in Business” programme. Additional support will…
Venerable Kazakh confectionery aims to edge out imports with local sweets
ASTANA – Bayan Sulu, a Kazakh confectionery based in Kostanai, produces 31 percent of local sweets and is launching new products to replace imports and boost exports. Since its establishment in 1974, Bayan Suly has prioritised stability and taken a systemic approach to business development. This principle allowed it to survive the harsh 1990s and…
Two new eco-friendly trams added to ‘tram capital of Kazakhstan’
ASTANA – Pavlodar Tram Management recently put into operation in Pavlodar the first two of 23 eco-friendly, climate-equipped trams as part of Pavlodar’s ongoing Public Transport Development Strategy. Trams have been an indispensable part of Pavlodar, which was often referred to as the tram capital of Kazakhstan, since 1965. Such an eco-friendly way of transport…
Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies climbs 7 spots in global think tank ranking
ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS), the state institution providing research and analysis to President Nursultan Nazarbayev and the Kazakh government, climbed from 147th place to 140th in the 2017 Global To Go Think Tank Index Rankings. KazISS was ranked second among think tanks in Central Asia. “The ranking is undoubtedly important…
Imantau: pearl of Blue Mountains in North Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Imantau natural zone, in the North Kazakhstan region, is popular with tourists keen on fishing and camping. Its low mountains, beautiful lake and dense forests are within Kokshetau (Kazakh for Blue Mountain) National Park. The natural zone occupies a large portion of Aiyrtau region, stretching 70 kilometres north to south and 65 kilometres…
North Kazakhstan region to welcome 767 families from south
ASTANA – More than 3,400 people, or 767 families of migrants and “oralmen” (ethnic Kazakhs who have immigrated back to Kazakhstan since its independence), will move to the North Kazakhstan region this year in a government attempt to tackle the labour shortage problem. “In order to relocate people from excess labour supply areas to those…
Kazakh Ministry of National Economy to cut public debt, boost tax to GDP ratio
ASTANA – Decreasing Kazakh public debt to 23.7 percent by 2022 using eurobonds and Islamic Sukuk securities and other priorities for economic development, including privatisation, industrial development, an automated customs procedure and new information systems for tax collection, were reviewed Feb. 12 by Minister of National Economy Timur Suleimenov and Minister of Finance Bakhyt Sultanov.…
TSE Art Destination opens in Astana, holds first modern art exhibit
ASTANA – TSE Art Destination, which combines a modern art gallery, educational centre and experimental art lab, seeks to make art an indispensable part of capital life. The first exhibit featured the work of Kazakh artist Almagul Menlibayeva, who works and lives in Almaty and Berlin. It will run through March 18. Gallery owner Dina…
Kazakh mathematician suggests solution to famous Millennium Prize problem
ASTANA – Aset Durmagambetov, eminent mathematician and scientist, recently proposed his version of a solution to Riemann hypothesis, one of Millennium Prize Problems. The solution is particularly useful for crypto currency mining. “From time to time scientists define the strategic goals by highlighting key fundamental problems for the current and future periods. This illustrates that…
Kazakhstan improves ranking on Open Budget Index
ASTANA – Kazakhstan received 53 points in 2017, compared to 51 the previous year, in the Open Budget Index (OBI) ranking. The rating uses a 100-point scale to measure central government budget transparency. The assessment was conducted by the International Budget Partnership (IBP). Scores are assigned to 115 countries based on 109 indicators that assess…
Kazakh investment and development ministry hopes proposed law will improve product quality controls
ASTANA – The responsibilities for product quality control should be divided among government ministries, as only 77 percent of goods produced in 2017 complied with quality regulations, said Minister for Investment and Development Zhenis Kassymbek during a Feb. 6 government meeting. He stressed the need of distributing accountability to ensure all goods and services are…
Raising awareness of inclusive education is crucial for its development, says Nazarbayev University professor
ASTANA – By 2020, 70 percent of Kazakh schools will provide inclusive education. In an interview with The Astana Times, Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education (NU GSE) Associate Professor Tsediso Michael Makoelle spoke about progress in this area. “First, it is important to understand what inclusive education means. Inclusive education is a system of…
Development Bank of Kazakhstan funds wind energy farm to open in 2019
ASTANA – The Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) is financing CATEC Green Energy’s construction of a wind power plant near the capital. The initial section, with a capacity of 50 megawatts, will be completed by mid-2019. “The wind farm construction will contribute to the fulfilment of Kazakhstan’s international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The…
Latvia’s airBaltic to launch direct Almaty-Riga flights
ASTANA – Latvian air carrier airBaltic will launch April 28 direct Almaty-Riga flights. The flights will be carried out three times a week by a new Bombardier CS300 aircraft. “At present we are the first airline in Northern Europe to offer direct flights to Almaty, a vibrant city in the heart of Kazakhstan. The Riga-Almaty…
Kazakh social entrepreneur provides jobs to people from vulnerable social groups
ASTANA – Green Tal successfully trains and employs people from vulnerable social groups, a model which founder and executive Emin Askerov seeks to replicate in Kazakh regions where employment opportunities for them are considerably fewer. “I believe it is important to teach people how to fish instead of giving them fish. The ultimate goal of…
It is important to teach students how to think, says young Kazakh researcher
ASTANA – Zarina Sautbayeva, one of Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces, believes curiosity and diligence are essential virtues of a successful scientist. She teaches biology at Nazarbayev University (NU) and researches micro particles in an effort to identify a method for early cancer diagnosis. “I think students need to be taught how to think and analyse…
Traveller becomes first Kazakh to visit 193 UN member states
ASTANA – Kazakh journalist and entrepreneur Bolat Yerezhepov recently returned from a trip to Afghanistan, becoming the first from Kazakhstan to have visited 193 UN member states. He plans to explore more countries and territories, and develop the tourist attractiveness of Kazakhstan. “The first time I travelled abroad was during my business trip to Japan…
Israeli embassy to collect stories of Kazakh citizens who helped Jews
ASTANA – The Israeli embassy in Kazakhstan recently launched the Alghys (Gratitude) project, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Independence of Israel and the Day of Gratitude in Kazakhstan. The aim of the initiative is to collect the stories of Kazakh citizens whose families helped the Jews fleeing to Kazakhstan in 1930s-1940s. “The local residents…
Young Kazakh violinist leads orchestra in Switzerland
ASTANA – Virtuoso Kazakh violinist not only performs solo concerts but leads the Young Eurasian Soloists (YES) chamber orchestra in Switzerland. “Two distinct types of experience do not interfere; on the contrary, they perfectly complement each other. As an art director, I can communicate with the audience we perform music in front of,” noted Sherniyaz…
Green energy to satisfy electricity demand in East Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Solar installations, wind generators and a hydroelectric power station will be launched this year in the East Kazakhstan region. “These projects are implemented to develop the green economy, one of the main aspects of EXPO 2017. The idea of constructing such power stations is particularly relevant in East Kazakhstan since the region has…
