On 12 October, Nazarbayev University (NU) hosted a Kazakhstan–Belgium seminar on critical raw materials. Representatives of government, industry and academia from both countries discussed opportunities for cooperation in mineral extraction and processing, as well as the production of higher-value materials.
The event was held as part of the state visit of the King of the Belgians to Kazakhstan. It was organised by the Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals (SIM²) at KU Leuven and NU, with support from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education and Ministry of Industry and Construction.
Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek highlighted the importance of partnerships between universities and industry in building confidence in Kazakhstan’s research capabilities. He noted that joint initiatives and research centres could demonstrate the practical value of university research to businesses and create new opportunities for innovation. The Minister cited NU as an example of the development of a research-intensive model of higher education in Kazakhstan.
“NU is the country’s first research-intensive university, established as part of a national initiative,” Nurbek said. He added that the university’s progress in international rankings reflected the results of long-term investment in its development.
Professor Zhumabay Bakenov, General Director of NU’s Institute of New Materials and Energy Technologies (INMET), spoke about opportunities to expand academic and research cooperation between Kazakhstan and Belgium. Potential areas of collaboration include establishing joint research centres, academic exchanges and developing double-degree programmes.
“We will work together with Belgian specialists in these centres. Our students will be able to travel to Belgium for training. We also plan to discuss double-degree programmes through which Kazakhstani and Belgian students would study together and receive degrees from both universities,” Bakenov said.
The seminar also focused on industrial cooperation. Representatives of companies from both countries, including Molymet Belgium, Hydrometal, Kazatomprom and Tau-Ken Samruk, took part in the discussions. They explored opportunities for joint projects in critical raw materials, including the development of technologies for their extraction and processing.
