As part of the official visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to the Kingdom of Belgium, a number of strategic agreements in science, higher education, and innovation were signed at the initiative of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
One of the key outcomes of the visit for D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University (EKTU) was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between EKTU, KU Leuven—one of Europe's leading research universities, SIM² KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals, and Astana Hub.
The memorandum opens new opportunities for international scientific collaboration, joint research projects, and the training of highly qualified specialists. The agreement aims to combine the scientific expertise of the partners in the fields of critical raw materials, sustainable metallurgy, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence.
Particular attention will be paid to the application of AI technologies in research activities. The partners plan to use advanced AI tools for metallurgical process modeling, geological data analysis, prediction of material properties, and optimization of raw material processing technologies.
The agreement also provides for the development of academic mobility for students, master's and doctoral candidates, and faculty members; the implementation of joint research projects; the organization of international conferences, summer schools, and educational programs; as well as cooperation in technology transfer initiatives.
The memorandum builds upon the collaboration established through the Horizon Europe TiBrerium project, which brings together leading European and Kazakhstani universities and research institutions working in the field of critical raw materials and sustainable technologies.
For D. Serikbayev EKTU, participation in this partnership marks an important step toward strengthening its international presence and expanding opportunities for integration into the global research and higher education community. The implementation of joint initiatives will enable the University to contribute more actively to addressing key challenges in the mining and metallurgical sector, advancing world-class research, and creating new opportunities for students and young researchers.
The signing of the memorandum confirms EKTU's strong scientific potential and its significant role in training engineering professionals for the key sectors of Kazakhstan's economy.
