Smirnova: Officials Should Be Held Accountable if Summative Assessments Were a Mistake
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Mazhilis deputy Irina Smirnova has commented on the Ministry of Education’s plans to abolish Summative Assessment for a Unit (SOR) and Summative Assessment for a Term (SOCh).
In her view, any such changes should be preceded by a thorough review of the system.
They were introduced over a long period of time, and substantial public funds were allocated for their implementation. If this turned out to be the wrong decision, then the officials who introduced these measures should probably be held accountable. It should not be the case that something is introduced today and abolished tomorrow," the deputy was quoted as saying by Zakon.kz.
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President of Serbia Reaffirms Commitment to Further Strengthening Cooperation with Kazakhstan
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Serbia Madi Atamkulov was received by President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić upon the completion of his diplomatic mission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.
During the meeting, the Serbian President expressed satisfaction with the dynamic development of bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Serbia and reaffirmed Belgrade’s interest in further expanding and deepening its multifaceted partnership with Astana.
In this context, President Vučić expressed his deep respect for the professionalism of the Kazakh leader and for the state policy being pursued under his leadership, highlighting the historic constitutional reforms carried out in Kazakhstan as well as the country’s exemplary achievements in the economic, technological, and social spheres.
President Vučić noted that in recent years the partnership between Kazakhstan and Serbia has reached a qualitatively new level. In this regard, he commended Ambassador Atamkulov for his consistent efforts to strengthen political dialogue and expand trade, economic, cultural, humanitarian, and investment cooperation between the two countries.
The President expressed confidence that the positive momentum in Kazakh-Serbian relations would continue. Referring to the agreements reached following his talks with the President of Kazakhstan, including the construction of the multifunctional Kazakhstan Hotel Complex, President Vučić stated that he is personally overseeing their implementation.
For his part, Ambassador Madi Atamkulov thanked the President of Serbia for his continued support and personal attention to strengthening the multifaceted cooperation with Kazakhstan, as well as to the activities of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Belgrade.
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Kazakh School Students Win Gold and Three Silver Medals at International Chemistry Olympiad
Images | Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Uzbekistan
Kazakh school students won one gold and three silver medals at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), held in Tashkent, according to the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan.
Aizere Zhengiskhanova was awarded the gold medal, while Ansar Zhaksylykov, Abilmansur Kali and Danil Poletayev claimed silver medals.
The Kazakh national team was led and coached by Anuar Nurtazin and Sanzhar Begdair.
The embassy congratulated the students, their coaches and parents on their outstanding performance, wishing the national team new scientific achievements, further victories and continued success at international Olympiads.
The International Chemistry Olympiad, first held in 1968, is regarded as one of the world's largest and most prestigious academic competitions for secondary school students. This year's event brought together more than 300 participants from over 90 countries. The next International Chemistry Olympiad will be held in China in 2027.
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Institutional Transformation and the China Vector: Kazakhstan's Priorities in Mid-July
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Kazakhstan has continued its transition from constitutional reform to the practical implementation of a new model of governance. Preparations for the country's first Kurultai elections have coincided with the expansion of its strategic partnership with China, rising private investment, and the development of energy and digital infrastructure. The government is seeking to align political reforms with economic modernisation while maintaining a strong pace of investment.
Politics: Reform and Strategic Partnership
The main domestic political development has been preparations for the first elections to the Kurultai. The government has allocated 34.3 billion tenge from its reserve fund to finance the electoral campaign, reflecting the transitional nature of the country's new representative system. At the same time, organisational infrastructure for the elections is being finalised across the regions.
In foreign policy, the defining event was President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit to China. Kazakhstan and China continue to shift the focus of their cooperation away from raw materials trade toward artificial intelligence, digital technologies, industrial cooperation, logistics and value-added manufacturing. Bilateral trade reached a record $49 billion in 2025, while cumulative Chinese investment exceeded $30 billion. For Kazakhstan, the strategic priority is increasingly the localisation of production and the transfer of technologies capable of strengthening its domestic industrial base.
Economy: Investment and Infrastructure
The economy continues to demonstrate steady growth. Gross domestic product expanded by 4.1% in the first half of the year, with construction, manufacturing, transport and trade recording the strongest performance. Investment in fixed capital reached 9.5 trillion tenge, up 9.6% year-on-year, while private investment increased by 21.4%.
The gas sector remains one of the government's key priorities. The national gasification rate has reached 64.2%, with a target of increasing it to 80% by 2035. At the same time, Kazakhstan is developing a unified digital gas accounting system and modernising its gas distribution infrastructure. These measures indicate a transition toward more efficient energy resource management, although further development of gas processing capacity and a balanced tariff policy remain essential.
Society and Public Administration
Social policy continues to focus on strengthening the state's resilience. Pension payments are being indexed, although their real impact will depend on inflation.
Meanwhile, the wildfire in the Semey Ormany forest reserve once again underscored the need to move beyond emergency response toward a systematic approach to prevention through improved monitoring and the modernisation of specialised infrastructure.
The broader trend observed in mid-July has been the strengthening of state governance. Political reforms, increasing investment, digitalisation and infrastructure development require closer coordination among government institutions. At the same time, the pace of policymaking is beginning to outstrip the capacity of implementation mechanisms, increasing the importance of effective regional planning and robust oversight.
Conclusion
Developments in mid-July demonstrated Kazakhstan's determination to strengthen its new political architecture while accelerating economic modernisation through investment and technological cooperation, particularly with China.
The long-term success of this model will depend on the country's ability to combine capital inflows with the development of domestic technologies, effective public administration, and the preservation of social and environmental sustainability.
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Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Begin Construction of Joint Terminal at Alat Port
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are preparing to begin construction of a joint intermodal terminal at the Port of Alat, the two sides confirmed during a meeting between Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel and Shahin Babayev, Chief Executive Officer of the Azerbaijan Transport and Communications Holding, according to the Kazakh Embassy.
The Azerbaijani side said work is nearing completion on the updated master plan for the development of the Port of Baku, after which construction of the terminal is expected to begin. An agreement to implement the project was reached in 2024 in the presence of the presidents of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
The two sides also discussed the further development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) and other joint transport and logistics projects.
During the meeting, it was noted that Kazakhstan has already placed an order with the Baku Shipyard for the construction of two dry cargo vessels. Azerbaijan, in turn, is considering the purchase of Kazakh-built locomotives. Between 2015 and 2022, Kazakhstan supplied 50 locomotives to Azerbaijan.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding transport cooperation and strengthening the role of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan as key transit hubs across Eurasia.
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SCO Film Festival Opens in Kyrgyzstan
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival has officially opened in Kyrgyzstan, the organization's press service reported.
The international film forum has brought together official delegations from SCO member states, as well as directors, actors, producers and representatives of the film industry.
According to the organizers, the festival's competition programme features eight full-length films. The event also includes out-of-competition screenings, retrospective showcases and a range of cultural activities.
Kyrgyz Culture Minister Mirbek Mambetaliev said that cinema is an important instrument of cultural and humanitarian cooperation and helps strengthen ties between nations.
According to him, the festival will serve as a professional platform for creative exchange, the development of joint film productions and the implementation of international projects.
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Kazakhstan Becomes Founding Member of Global AI Cooperation Organization
During the official visit of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Shanghai, Kazakhstan became one of the 29 founding member states of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, the Ministry of AI and Digital Development of Kazakhstan reported.
The founding document was signed by representatives of all 29 participating countries, including Kazakhstan, China, Qatar, Egypt and Brazil. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also attended the signing ceremony.
Headquartered in Shanghai, the new organization will promote international cooperation in artificial intelligence, develop common approaches to its safe and ethical use, and contribute to establishing global AI governance standards.
According to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of AI and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan's participation in establishing the organization is of strategic importance, as artificial intelligence is becoming one of the key technologies driving the global economy.
The ministry also noted that Kazakhstan has already adopted a law on artificial intelligence, established a Presidential Council on AI, commissioned the largest supercomputer in the region, launched the Data Center Valley project, and continues to develop the international Alem.AI center.
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CIS Countries Agree on Tourism Development Plan for 2027-2028
Experts from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed on a draft action plan for 2027-2028 to implement the Strategy for the Development of Cooperation in Tourism, the CIS Executive Committee said.
The expert group meeting was attended by representatives of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the CIS Executive Committee.
During the meeting, participants finalized the draft action plan and approved its final version. The document will next be submitted to the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers for consideration.
The Strategy for the Development of Cooperation among CIS Member States in Tourism covers the period from 2021 to 2030. It identifies tourism as one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy and an important tool for expanding international cooperation, strengthening cultural ties and promoting mutual understanding among peoples.
The strategy provides for increasing tourist flows within the Commonwealth, developing and promoting joint tourism products on the global market, boosting tourism revenues, preserving cultural heritage, and advancing responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism.
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