Science, Technology, and Patient Care: Deputy Prime Minister Visits National Center for Neurosurgery
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Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kosherbayev visited the National Center for Neurosurgery. During the visit, he reviewed the institution's operations, toured clinical departments and the Gamma Knife complex, met with medical staff and patients, and discussed the development prospects of high-tech medicine in the country, primeminister.kz reports.
Established in 2008, the National Center for Neurosurgery is the only specialized institution in Kazakhstan that provides a full cycle of neurosurgical services-from diagnostics to early rehabilitation. The center integrates clinical, scientific, and educational activities, enabling the implementation of advanced technologies and ensuring high-quality medical care.
Yermek Kosherbayev expressed gratitude to the doctors and medical staff for their dedication and high professionalism, highlighting the trust patients place in the center and their positive evaluations of the care received.
The National Center for Neurosurgery is more than just a clinic-it’s a scientific and technological platform shaping the standards of future medicine. It’s very important that a cohesive and competent team is working here. Such teams are the backbone of our national healthcare system," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
The clinic has a capacity of 160 beds, includes 6 clinical and 9 paraclinical departments, and is equipped with modern, high-tech medical equipment. Over the years, the center has treated more than 70,000 patients and performed over 50,000 surgeries. Its arsenal includes 73 innovative neurosurgical technologies previously unused in Kazakhstan or Central Asia. In 2021, the region’s first stereotactic radiosurgery Gamma Knife complex was launched here, with more than 2,000 procedures performed to date.
Chairman of the Board of JSC National Center for Neurosurgery, Serik Aksholakov, reported on the institution’s current achievements and future development directions.
Today the center continues to introduce new neurosurgical techniques and strengthen its scientific and educational functions. Our goal is not only to treat but to form the intellectual foundation of Kazakhstani medicine. We have the potential and are ready to scale it across the country’s healthcare system," the chief physician said.
In conclusion, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the strategic importance of developing high-tech medicine:
Ensuring equal access to quality medical care is a direct mandate of the Head of State. We must create conditions where all Kazakhstanis receive modern treatment regardless of their region of residence. The Center’s experience must be scaled nationwide," Yerzhan Kosherbayev added.
The National Center for Neurosurgery is a vivid example of how integrating science, technology, and human capital enables the achievement of high standards in medical care. Developing such institutions is a vital part of the national healthcare policy. The Government will continue to support the implementation of innovative solutions and the expansion of successful practices to ensure that every citizen has access to cutting-edge medical services, no matter where they live.
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Askar Mustabekov named new Deputy Defense Minister
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By the Head of State's order, Askar Mustabekov has been appointed Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Qazinform News Agency cites the Akorda press service.
He was relieved of his previous post.
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Olzhas Bektenov Instructs to Review Funding Mechanisms for Private Educational and Medical Institutions
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Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting on reforming the system of state financing for private educational and medical organizations as part of the implementation of the instructions of the Head of State given in the programmatic interview "Kazakhstan Has Entered a New Stage of Modernization", primeminister.kz reports.
The Head of Government tasked the Ministries of Education, Healthcare, and Finance with eliminating imbalances in the per-capita funding system. It was noted that the state assumes obligations to provide high-quality and accessible educational services, and in cases where public institutions are overcrowded, per-capita funding is allocated for education in private institutions. At the same time, instances of abuse have been recorded, where an artificial transfer of students and teachers is formed in order to increase the volume of subsidies received. This negatively affects the quality of education as well as the rational use of public funds.
Attention was also focused on private institutions with high tuition fees. The Prime Minister emphasized that the state budget should not be used to finance so-called "elite" schools with a high level of parental payments that allow them to fully ensure the educational process on their own.
Minister of Finance Madi Takiyev reported on the ongoing work to transition to a new mechanism for placing state educational orders in private schools. In order to address problematic issues, the processes of financing private schools have been digitized-from the conclusion of contracts to payment for services. As of January 6 of the current year, according to the OrtaBilim service, contracts for financing have been concluded on the e-Qazyna.kz web portal with 789 private schools (845 schools in 2025) for a total amount of 78.7 billion tenge. A total of 206 institutions previously receiving funding did not meet the established requirements. Cases of inflated reporting and double counting of students and teachers, exceeding permissible design capacity, and other violations were identified. The audit revealed the following preliminary results:
- abnormal movements of 1,333 students with transfers from one school to another ranging from 5 to 12 times;
- in 64 private schools, the actual number of students exceeds the approved design capacity by more than two times;
- for 2024, income was not reflected in tax reporting by 167 private schools.
Territorial Departments of Internal State Audit issued notification letters, as a result of which schools paid taxes totaling 1.2 billion tenge. As of today, counter audits are being conducted in 46 schools.
The next stage of work will be the digitization of public schools (6,887 schools), kindergartens, and universities. This will ensure transparency of the entire cycle of financing educational services provided at the expense of the budget.
During the meeting, the issue of revising approaches to licensing the activities of private educational organizations was also raised. In order to streamline the provision of medical services by private organizations, a government working group, taking into account citizens’ appeals, is analyzing the assets of the Social Health Insurance Fund. Based on the results, measures will also be taken to further improve the effectiveness of the Fund.
Following the meeting, the Ministries of Education, Healthcare, and Finance were instructed to submit specific proposals to address the identified issues within one week. Coordination of this work has been assigned to Deputy Prime Minister Aida Balayeva.
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Kazakh President signs order declaring 2026 as Year of Digitalization and AI
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Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed on Tuesday an executive order declaring the year 2026 as the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, Qazinform News Agency reports via the press service of the Akorda.
The order states that the Kazakh Government should take necessary measures for the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, while Presidential Administration will be responsible for the order’s implementation.
The order takes effect on the day of its signing.
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Universal Access to High-Speed Internet Will Be Ensured Across Kazakhstan
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At the Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev reported on the current state and future prospects of Kazakhstan’s digital transformation, primeminister.kz reports.
As part of the implementation of the President’s instructions to transition to a fully digital country, work is being carried out across six key areas: infrastructure development, cybersecurity, support for the IT industry, GovTech, the digital economy, and the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies.
The head of the ministry reported that in the current and coming years, more than 3,000 villages will be provided with high-speed internet via fiber-optic lines. This will make it possible to cover 99% of the country’s population.
- "Last-mile" project: fiber-optic connections are planned to be brought directly to 400,000 households, improving connectivity for 2.5 million people.
- 5G networks: the technology is already available in 20 cities. The task has been set to expand coverage to 75% of the territory of these megacities.
- Transport corridors: over the next two years, mobile communications will cover 40,000 km of national and regional roads.
- Satellite internet: in addition to the three current operators, the entry of two foreign companies is expected. Internet access will appear on Kazakhstan Temir Zholy trains and on Air Astana aircraft.
- Zhaslan Madiyev emphasized that akimats must promptly allocate land plots and ensure access to power grids. Regions have also been granted authority to monitor the quality of communications and impose fines on operators.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted Kazakhstan’s strategic role in the transit of internet traffic between Europe and Asia.
- By the end of the current year, construction of a fiber-optic cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan is planned to be completed.
- On the basis of a domestic facility, the production of 5-6 Earth remote sensing satellites is planned.
- For the first time in the country’s history, exports of high-tech services in the space sector amounting to USD 75 million are expected.
- In the field of cybersecurity, Zhaslan Madiyev focused on strengthening the responsibility of heads of government bodies. Audit results revealed that government institutions often violate information security requirements. The minister reminded that first heads bear personal responsibility for leaks of citizens’ personal data and called for stricter oversight in this area.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the IT market is demonstrating rapid growth:
- Industry revenues: expected to reach 2 trillion tenge for the past year.
- Service exports: Kazakhstan intends to reach USD 1 billion by the end of 2025, fulfilling the President’s instruction ahead of schedule.
- Astana Hub: the number of participants has reached 2,000 companies, a quarter of which are foreign. Startups have attracted more than USD 900 million in investment.
- Venture capital: a fund of funds with a target capital of USD 1 billion has been created to support late-stage startups.
In accordance with the Presidential Decree, from this year the development of government information systems outside the QazTech platform is prohibited.
- A technical audit of all systems is underway to migrate them to the unified platform.
- eGov: 91% of services are available online. An AI assistant for citizens has been introduced.
- Social Wallet: the service will be scaled to cover 10 government support measures.
- Digital offices: Public Service Centers (CSCs) are being transformed into modern digital self-service spaces (Apple Store format).
Zhaslan Madiyev also reported on the implementation of the "AI Movement" initiative, under which nearly 1 million people have been trained.
- Two powerful supercomputers have been launched to serve the needs of science and business.
- The multi-agent platform AlemGPT has been developed.
- An International AI Center, alem.ai, has been established, and by Presidential instruction a concept for a specialized AI university is being developed.
- Legislative framework: the Law on Artificial Intelligence has been signed, and the Digital Code has been submitted to the Head of State for consideration.
The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that 2026 has been declared by the President as the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. In the near future, the Government will approve a corresponding plan of large-scale international events, including the GITEX Central Asia forum.
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President outlines key priorities for Kazakhstan’s development in 2026
Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has shared his vision for the country’s development in 2026 in an extensive interview with Turkistan newspaper, Qazinform News Agency reports.
As I have said, the year ahead will be challenging. A new stage of large-scale political transformation begins, and economic reforms will be advanced. The modernization of the country must become truly irreversible, fundamentally changing the essence and image of our society. Citizens will need to adapt to the realities of a new era. This is not an easy task, but I am convinced that our people, especially the youth, are capable of doing it," the President said.
Tokayev reminded that 2026 has been declared the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence.
This is a historic opportunity for our country. Digital transformation and the introduction of artificial intelligence open new prospects for the economy and many other areas of life - from public administration to education and healthcare," he said.
The President also highlighted the upcoming 35th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Independence.
Thirty-five years of Independence is a landmark date. It is a reason to critically evaluate the path we have taken and to develop new plans. It is important not to turn the anniversary into a mere festive campaign. It must become a symbol of Kazakhstan’s progress," he emphasized.
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Reconstruction of Pavlodar Airport will be financed using recovered assets
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As part of the implementation of the Head of State’s instructions and the Concept for the Development of the Transport and Logistics Potential of the Republic of Kazakhstan, modernization of Pavlodar Airport is set to begin in Pavlodar Region. The project provides for the reconstruction of the artificial runway, taxiway, and apron, primeminister.kz reports.
The project will be financed through the Special State Fund. The Government has allocated 9.3 billion tenge for these purposes.
Implementation of the project will make it possible to receive modern types of aircraft without restrictions on takeoff weight. Given Pavlodar’s geographical location, this will enhance the region’s transit potential. It is expected that the upgraded infrastructure will also contribute to an increase in passenger traffic, improved transport accessibility of the region, and the development of business activity.
The key objective of the project is to bring the airport’s parameters into compliance with the requirements of international ICAO standards.
The main types of planned work include:
- Reconstruction and widening of the runway from 45 to 60 meters;
- Renewal of the pavement of the taxiway and apron;
- Modernization of the power supply system;
- Installation of new airfield lighting equipment and a perimeter video surveillance system.
Due to the need to carry out repair works and ensure flight safety, the airport’s operations have been temporarily suspended since April of last year. Prior to this, the air harbor serviced regular flights to Astana and Almaty.
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