Social Good Summit in Astana explores technology’s role in achieving UN SDGs
ASTANA – Astana hosted the Social Good Summit Sept. 21, joining countries around the world to explore the role of technology in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The summit is a worldwide event organised during the United Nations General Assembly Week in New York and uniting a global and diverse community of…
First Montessori school in Kazakhstan opens doors in Astana
ASTANA – Parents in Astana now have more educational options for their kids, as the first Montessori school in Kazakhstan opened in the capital welcoming first ten students aged 6-9. The child-centred educational approach developed by Maria Montessori in 1897 is one of the world’s most popular educational methods and it has gained increasing popularity in…
Kazakh President appoints new finance minister, security council secretary, economic aide
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev appointed Sept. 19 Alikhan Smailov new Minister of Finance and Gabit Baizhanov the Assistant to the President – Secretary of the Security Council. Smailov had served as the Aide to the President for economic affairs since December 2015. He replaced Bakhyt Sultanov in the position. Baizhanov became the Security…
Spirit of Dance festival unites cultures through music, movement
ASTANA – Astana hosted The Spirit of Dance festival, part of the Spirit of Tengri project, Sept. 14 at the Kazakhstan concert hall, the city’s largest. The event gathered dance groups from 14 countries, including Azerbaijan, Canada, Georgia, Latvia, India, Ireland, Kazakhstan,and Uzbekistan. Established in 2012 by Kazakhstan’s Tengri FM radio station, the Spirit of…
Kazakhstan decreases number of young people who are outside of education, employment
ASTANA – The number of young people in Kazakhstan who are neither employed nor in the education system, known as NEETs, has decreased to 7.7 percent of Kazakh youth, reported social development and education officials at a Sept. 18 government meeting. The meeting also adopted a roadmap to help young people find jobs. “Comparing to…
Kazakh official among 100 New Faces, promotes reading in rural areas
ASTANA – Nurzhan Altayev, Kazakh deputy minister of labour and social protection and previous deputy minister of agriculture and deputy chair of the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, is among the nation’s 100 New Faces. In addition to his professional success, Altayev is known for his nationwide campaign that seeks to promote a culture of…
Balkhash, unique lake offering great summer vacation
ASTANA – Balkhash, Kazakhstan’s largest lake, is among many popular destinations for vacation within the country. With its blue and crystal-clear waters, the lake is located amidst diverse landscapes bordering the Almaty, Zhambyl and Karaganda regions. The Chu-Ili Mountains stretch to the south and Betpak Dala Desert stretches across 75,000 square kilometres to the west.…
Kazakh ministers report progress in digital literacy training among population
ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Education and Science Yerlan Sagadiyev, Minister of Labour and Social Protection Madina Abylkassymova, Ministry of Healthcare Yelzhan Birtanov and First Vice Minister of Agriculture Arman Yevniyev reported on progress in digital literacy training among the country’s population during a Sept. 11 government meeting. The ministries are responsible for training professionals…
New chapter in Uzbekistan opens opportunities for region
ASTANA – Since Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power in 2016 after the death of Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan, the most populous country in Central Asia, has been witnessing significant changes both in domestic and foreign policy. The former Soviet republic has progressed significantly in the last two years following the 27 years of Karimov’s rule, affecting…
Kazakhstan’s Emir Baigazin wins Orizzonti Award for Best Director at Venice Film Festival
ASTANA – Kazakh Director Emir Baigazin won Best Director Orizzonti Award for his “Ozen” (River) at the Aug. 29-Sept. 8 75th Venice Film Festival in Venice Lido. The Orrizonti section runs parallel to the festival’s main competition programme and this year featured 19 feature films and 12 short films in the competition. “Ozen,” the final film…
Kazakhstan gears up primary healthcare coverage
ASTANA – More than nine million people visited primary healthcare organisations in six months, reported Kazakh Minister of Healthcare Yelzhan Birtanov during a Sept. 4 government meeting. Approximately five million sought consultations from surgeons, ophthalmologists, neurologists, otolaryngologists and gynaecologists. Kazakhstan currently has 524 medical organisations providing primary healthcare services, 29 percent of which are private.…
Astana Hub drives Kazakh digitisation, IT development
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is making strides towards digital transformation in many areas. One of the significant moves is the Astana Hub, an international technopark of start-ups that provides multilevel support to entrepreneurs, primarily in IT. Astana Hub head Magzhan Madiyev spoke about the centre’s objectives and current projects in a recent interview with The Astana…
Astana Opera to present world opera classics concert
ASTANA – Astana Opera House will host “Astana Is My Beautiful Dream,” a Sept. 8 concert featuring the performance of prominent Kazakh opera singer and Astana Opera leading soloist Maira Mukhamedkyzy. The concert is devoted to the capital’s 20th anniversary. The audience will have the chance to enjoy a beautiful evening of folk songs and…
Employment status formalised for more than 1.3 Kazakh million citizens
ASTANA – Approximately 1.385 million Kazakh citizens have updated their employment status since the beginning of 2018, when the figure was 2.7 million, said Minister of Labour and Social Protection Madina Abylkassymova during an Aug. 28 government meeting. Updating the status of self-employed and informally employed citizens and bringing the unemployed into a formal labour…
Open air ethno fest in Astana promotes Kazakh traditions
ASTANA – Despite rainy weather, the open-air Ethno Fest opened its doors Aug. 25-26 in Astana, welcoming people to get closer to their national culture and traditions. Head of the Central Kazakhstan Association for Tourism, Restaurant and Hotel Business Maya Agadilova said the goal is to popularise Kazakh national traditions that have been forgotten. “For the…
Polish embassy to build square in Astana
ASTANA – The city, abound in beautiful parks and squares including many which appeared this year to mark the capital’s 20th anniversary, will get a new square honouring Polish poet Gustaw Zielinski. The square will be located at the intersection of Kenessary Avenue and Yanushkevich Street on the right bank of the Yessil River, a…
Kazakhstan to introduce online insurance next year
ASTANA – Starting in 2019, Kazakh citizens will be able to complete insurance contracts online, Kazakh National Bank press service reported recently. The changes in the country’s legislation adopted July 2 allow online insurance and legitimisation of insurance policies in electronic format, including in relation to both compulsory and volunteer insurance. With online insurance coming…
Turkestan – ancient city traversing rich history
ASTANA – Turkestan, an ancient city in southern Kazakhstan near the Syr Darya River, boasts more than 1,500 years of rich history and numerous cultural and sacred sites preserved to this day. Located approximately 862 kilometres from Almaty and 168 kilometres from Shymkent, Turkestan is a great destination to immerse in the authentic and vibrant…
Kazakhstan updates business development road map, improves conditions for entrepreneurs
ASTANA – The Kazakh government updated the country’s business development road map devised to ensure sustainable and balanced growth in regional entrepreneurship, support existing businesses and create jobs. Minister of National Economy Timur Suleimenov reported the strategic changes needed to become a national programme during the Aug. 14 government meeting. The road map works across…
Kazakh tenge hits record low, as National Bank says slide due to geopolitical tensions, emerging markets volatility
ASTANA – The Kazakh tenge continued to lose its value against U.S. dollar as it hit its all-time low Aug. 13, valuing 363.15 per $1. That number represented a 1.8 percent decrease overnight. Kazakh National Bank cited geopolitical tensions and U.S. protectionist policies and sanctions levied on neighbouring Russia as well as China and Turkey…
Street artists bring life to Astana’s houses, connect people to art
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital hosted Urban Street Art Fest July 16-30, bringing street artists to paint the façades of houses. Eight murals, two of which are still in process, transformed the city landscape to reflect national themes. The festival is a continuation of a pilot project run by the city’s Saryarka district Akimat (administration)…
Suspects confess to killing Olympic figure skater Denis Ten
ASTANA – Kazakh police have confirmed two men have been detained on suspicion of killing Kazakh figure skater and Olympic bronze medallist Denis Ten July 19 and that both men have confessed. Denis Ten died July 19 at the age of 25 after being stabbed in his thigh after he caught two men trying to…
Kazakhstan’s Jewish community is prospering, says Chief Rabbi
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is home to people of different religions and confessions, including the Jewish community. In a recent interview with The Astana Times, Chief Rabbi Yeshaya E. Cohen discussed the history of Jews in Kazakhstan, the country’s religious tolerance model and Jewish values. The Jewish community, with its long history in Kazakhstan, is prospering,…
Iranian cultural centre head commends ties between Kazakhstan and Iran
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Iran have enjoyed 25 years of dynamically developing bilateral relations. Iranian Cultural Centre Head Masoud Sheikh Zeineddin recently commended the current cultural ties between the countries and believes their development has potential. The centre was one of the first in Kazakhstan after the country gained independence. “The Iranian Embassy opened in…
Astana’s cash-for-trash programme pays residents for recyclables
ASTANA – Astana residents are able to earn cash for bringing their waste to one of nine waste collection points, reported the Astana Akimat (city administration) press service. Astana Clean Time company has been running the Zhasyl Tandau (green choice in Kazakh) initiative since the beginning of this year. The Kazakh capital produces approximately 300,000…
