UNIVERSITY STAFF AND STUDENTS LISTENED TO THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

Today, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his Address to the people of Kazakhstan, entitled “Kazakhstan’s Key Priorities in a New Historical Era,” at a session of the National Kurultai.

In keeping with tradition, faculty members and students of our university, led by Vice-Rector for Social and Cultural Development Yedil Tolegenov, watched the Head of State’s Address live.

This year’s Address covered the country’s future development priorities, the strengthening of independence and sovereignty, ensuring economic growth, modernising infrastructure and improving the public administration system. The Head of State noted that Kazakhstan is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its independence this year and emphasised the importance of continuing systematic reforms and preserving social unity at this new stage of the country’s development.

The President reviewed the country’s current economic performance, noting that the combined value of international reserves and National Fund assets had exceeded USD 130 billion. The increase in the manufacturing sector’s share of gross domestic product to more than 14 per cent was highlighted as an important indicator of economic diversification.

The Head of State paid particular attention to the development of social, transport and engineering infrastructure. In this regard, he outlined the need to develop an Infrastructure Modernization Plan, assess demand for healthcare, education, cultural and sports facilities, modernize housing and public utilities, and improve infrastructure across the regions.

Strengthening energy security was also identified as a key priority. The President set the objective of achieving a sustainable energy surplus by 2029 and addressed the development of nuclear energy, the construction of the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant, and preparations for a nuclear power plant project in Moyynkum.

In the transport sector, the President outlined objectives to enhance the country’s international transit potential, develop railways and roads, and modernize border checkpoints. He also stressed the need to improve development plans for major cities and use digital technologies in urban infrastructure planning.

The Address also covered the development of agriculture, the use of modern technologies, improvements in production efficiency and the sustainable management of water resources.

The objectives relating to education and science are also highly relevant to higher education institutions. Strengthening scientific capacity, developing innovation and training specialists who meet modern requirements remain among the key priorities contributing to the country’s sustainable development.

In this context, universities are tasked with improving the quality of education, supporting scientific research, integrating digital technologies into the educational process and developing students’ professional competencies.

The priorities outlined by the Head of State are aimed at strengthening the country’s economic potential, supporting regional development and making effective use of the opportunities offered by science and technology.