Kazakh national employment programme seeks to employ more than 500,000 by year’s end
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s employment and mass entrepreneurship programme seeks to recruit 571,000 citizens through state support mechanisms by the end of 2018, said Kazakh Minister of Labour and Social Protection Madina Abylkassymova. The programme primarily seeks to improve the qualifications of the labour force, develop mass entrepreneurship and involve the self-employed and unemployed population in the…
Astana’s smart service hackathon encourages smart city solutions
ASTANA – The city hosted the Smart Service hackathon Oct. 27-28, where 160 participants had the chance to suggest their solutions to make the capital more innovative, attractive and comfortable. The teams had 48 hours to develop a product that would meet the city’s needs as tasked by Astana Innovations and its partners, including ARTA…
Astana conference focuses on Kazakh, German agricultural partnership
ASTANA – Astana welcomed German and Kazakh businesses, representatives of governments and specialists for the conference, Kazakhstan and Germany: Partners in Building Sustainable Agriculture, Oct. 26 in Astana. They discussed increasing competitiveness in agriculture, sustainable agriculture, point farming, digitisation, logistics and research. “The huge work is being carried out in these areas in Kazakh agriculture,”…
Kazakh-born pianist Ivan Gusev takes US stages
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has given birth to many talents, one of whom is Ivan Gusev, the Karaganda-born pianist currently residing in the United States and performing concert programmes on its world-famous stages. Born in 1988, his family moved to Korolev in the Moscow region in Russia when he was four years old. His passion for…
Foreign investments in Kazakhstan grow 15.4 percent in six months, exceed $12 billion
ASTANA – The volume of foreign directed investments injected in the Kazakh economy rose by 15.4 percent in six months, Minister for Investments and Development Zhenis Kassymbek reported Oct. 23. The figure is estimated at $12.3 billion compared to $10.5 billion during the same period in 2017. Kazakhstan tops Central Asian countries in terms of…
Meet & Sketch brings art to capital, unites people
ASTANA – Meet & Sketch, which seeks to enrich art life in the capital, provides Kazakh urbanites with a great opportunity to hone their drawing skills while joining like-minded people from different backgrounds. Mirra Kotovskaya, a capital native working as a graphic designer and illustrator, established the community in August. She was inspired by open…
Tengiz field companies launch $5 billion project to dig 66 gas wells
ASTANA – Sixty-six gas wells will be drilled at the Tengiz field as part of the $5 billion North East Ring Project (NERP), said Union of Kazakhstan Oilfield Service Companies Chair Rashid Zhaksylykov at an Oct. 10 press conference. Tengiz is Kazakhstan’s major oil and gas field operated by the Chevron-led joint venture Tengizchevroil. “It…
Congress of religious leaders kicks off in Astana, discusses role of religion in building peace
ASTANA – The Sixth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions kicked off Oct. 10 in Astana gathering more than 80 delegations, representatives of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism and Zoroastrianism, representatives of religious and public organisations and high-level officials, including President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, who was on his official visit to…
Kazakhstan to allocate nearly $763 million to build 52 schools
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will allocate 280 billion tenge (US$762.8 million) to build 52 schools across the country, said Deputy Minister of Education Bibigul Asylova during the meeting of the commission reviewing National Fund budget spending on the Nurly Zhol infrastructure development programme for 2015-2019. President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced the programme in 2014 as a way…
Kazakh, Uzbek close ties stand test of time, says Uzbek ambassador
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, sharing not only the border, but culture, history and spiritual values, have enjoyed a dynamic partnership over the years, with the bilateral ties withstanding the test of time, said Uzbek ambassador to Kazakhstan Saidikram Niyazkhojaev in an interview with The Astana Times. The nations established diplomatic relations in 1992. A…
President visits Shymkent, urges increased development as city of national significance
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited businesses, public service facilities and met with local administration officials during a Sept. 28-29 visit to Shymkent city in southern Kazakhstan. In June, Nazarbayev declared Shymkent the country’s third city of national significance alongside Almaty and Astana. The declaration is part of an effort to make Astana, Almaty,…
Kazakhstan reveals major Turkestan cultural sites renovation plan
ASTANA – Azret Sultan, the state historical and cultural reserve museum, and Khoja Ahmed Yassawi mausoleum, both located in Turkestan, will undergo major renovations, said Minister of Culture and Sports Arystanbek Mukhamediuly. He presented the plan Sept. 26 to President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The efforts are meant to boost Turkestan’s tourism potential, which acquired new status…
Kazakh minister reports on new tourism development strategy
ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Culture and Sports Arystanbek Mukhamediuly reported the details of a new inbound and outbound tourism development strategy at a Sept. 24 Majilis (lower house of the Parliament) meeting. They include developing a tourism map, establishing a tourism and hospitality university and enhancing access to tourist sites, among other measures. The…
Kazakh, European artists transcribe energy of sacred sites in contemporary art
ASTANA – The Ghost Expedition, organised by the European Union Delegation to Kazakhstan, Swiss Embassy and TSE Gallery, is the final exhibit in a series of similar events as part of the Astana Art Show. The display will run through Oct. 26. It follows the recently-ended European Residence Project, which displayed the works of six…
Kazakhstan allocates nearly $548 million for regions development programme
ASTANA – Kazakhstan allocated 194.3 billion tenge (US$547.96 million) to its regions development programme in 2018, reported Minister of National Economy Timur Suleimenov at a Sept. 25 government meeting. The programme, which received national level status at the meeting, was first adopted in 2014 to centralise different programmes meant to develop each region’s potential. The…
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…
