Strengthening Korea-Kazakhstan Science and Technology Cooperation... Expanding Research Personnel Exchange

Korea-Kazakhstan MOU on Bilateral Cooperation in Science and Technology

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 12th that it has decided to strengthen science, technology, and digital cooperation between the two countries on the occasion of President Yoon Seok-yeol's state visit to Kazakhstan.

On the 11th, after KAIST and Kazakhstan JSC International Exchange Center signed an MOU, (from left) Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT, Kim Kyung-soo, KAIST Vice President for External Affairs, Arman Ashkin, Vice Chairman of Kazakhstan JSC International Exchange Center, and Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT

On the same day, Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation in the field of science and technology between the two countries with Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, at the Presidential Palace of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is the country with the largest scale of economic cooperation with Korea.

The core content of the MOU is to support exchange cooperation for outstanding researchers selected through Kazakhstan's Bolashak program and cooperation between higher education institutions and research institutes of both countries. The Bolashak program, directed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, sends about 500 scientists annually to advanced overseas research institutions in the form of internships.

The previous afternoon, a meeting was held at Nazarbayev University with outstanding Kazakhstani science and technology talents who have studied or conducted research in Korea. Minister Lee listened to opinions on expanding youth exchanges between the two countries and asked them to serve as a bridge for cooperation between the two nations.

During the meeting, an MOU on inter-institutional cooperation was also signed. KAIST agreed with the Vice Chairman (acting Chairman) of the JSC International Exchange Center of Kazakhstan on personnel exchanges between institutions. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan announced plans to establish an institution called 'Kaz-AIST,' modeled after KAIST, and requested KAIST's cooperation. With the MOU, discussions on establishment cooperation are expected to proceed in earnest.

In the afternoon, Minister Lee is scheduled to hold talks with Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace of Kazakhstan. The two ministers agreed to sign an MOU to strengthen various cooperations beyond the ongoing 'IT cooperation project' in the fields of big data and cloud computing in Kazakhstan.

Minister Lee stated, "I hope that this discussion on strengthening cooperation will attract Kazakhstan's excellent human resources and activate the entry of our science, technology, and digital companies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.