Kazakhstan Allocates 9.7 Billion Tenge to 62 AI Projects as Alem.AI Center Set to Open in Astana

Kazakhstan commits 9.7 billion tenge to 62 AI projects: what government leaders need to know

At a Majilis hearing on 26 September 2025, Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek confirmed that Kazakhstan is implementing 62 artificial intelligence projects funded at 9.7 billion tenge.

The program uses targeted and grant-based support to move research into practical use. Current focus areas include advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and the space industry.

Where the work is happening

• 27 universities and 6 research institutes across 11 regions are active in AI.
• 479 scientists are engaged; activity is highest in Almaty and Astana.
• 26 projects are led by researchers under 40, strengthening the talent pipeline.

Key implementers include Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, the Institute of Information and Computational Technologies, and Astana IT University, alongside other institutions.

Capacity gap in the regions

Interest from regional universities is growing, but only a small share of proposals meet quality standards. Building research capacity outside Almaty and Astana is necessary to scale results nationwide.

• Provide mentoring and grant-writing support for regional teams.
• Fund shared compute, lab equipment, and secure data access.
• Standardize proposal evaluation and feedback cycles to raise quality.

What government leaders can do now

• Define 3-5 priority AI use cases per ministry with clear outcome metrics.
• Stand up an interagency AI steering group for data sharing, procurement, and risk oversight.
• Adopt procurement guardrails and model contracts tied to performance and safety testing.
• Establish data governance: inventories, access policies, and privacy-by-default.
• Launch fellowship and internship tracks that place young researchers on live government projects.
• Measure ROI quarterly: delivery timelines, cost savings, and service quality improvements.
• Co-fund pilots with leading universities and institutes to accelerate deployment and hiring.

Upcoming milestone

The Alem.AI International Center for Artificial Intelligence opens in Astana on 2 October as part of the Digital Bridge Forum. Event details are available here: Digital Bridge.

Upskilling your teams

For structured skill-building by job function across policy, operations, or IT, see curated learning paths: AI courses by job.