Pakistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to establish a joint research centre at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University under a Memorandum of Cooperation, aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation in higher education, research, science, technology, and innovation. The Kazakhstan-Pakistan Research Centre will serve as a platform for institutional linkages between universities of the two countries, promoting collaborative research, academic exchanges, and joint scientific initiatives.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajiha Qamar and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University Chairman of the Management Board and Rector Professor Zhanseit Tuimebayev, held as part of the minister’s official visit to Kazakhstan. Wajiha Qamar praised the university’s international standing, academic excellence, and research achievements, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to expanding cooperation in higher education and scientific research, and stressed that stronger academic partnerships remain vital to addressing shared regional and global challenges.
The minister pointed to progress made by Pakistani universities in artificial intelligence, information technology, digital innovation, and other emerging technologies, saying these areas offer substantial opportunities for collaborative research and knowledge exchange with the Kazakh institution. She expressed confidence that the new centre would open a fresh chapter in bilateral academic cooperation, and invited the leadership and faculty of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University to visit Pakistan to explore partnerships with leading Pakistani universities, strengthen faculty and student mobility, expand joint research programs, and promote collaborative scientific training.
Zhanseit Tuimebayev welcomed the initiative, highlighting the university’s growing engagement with Pakistani institutions through academic mobility programs, joint research projects, and international conferences, and said the research centre would serve as a significant platform for long term scientific cooperation between the two countries. Both sides endorsed the proposed initiatives and agreed to develop a comprehensive roadmap for their phased implementation, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing higher education, research excellence, and innovation through sustained institutional collaboration between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
