Kazakhstan and Belgium to sign 12 higher education deals

Kazakh Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek announced this at the Akorda. According to him, two important agreements were signed during the President's official visit to Brussels in June this year.

"The first is an agreement between Ghent University and the Alem.ai Center to open a specialized laboratory, 'Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics.' Belgian specialists are especially strong in algorithms and mathematical modeling.

The second crucial agreement was concluded with one of Belgium's leading universities, KU Leuven. It is among the world's top 50 universities and has a 600-year history. This university, jointly with the East Kazakhstan Technical University in Oskemen, will open a center for rare metal enrichment and metallurgy," Sayasat Nurbek told reporters.

The minister said Kazakhstan has significant rare metal reserves but needs to build the technologies to enrich them, make components and produce materials for microchips and space technology.

According to the minister, twelve agreements are expected to be signed at the Kazakhstan–Belgium Higher Education Forum on Tuesday. The documents cover dual-degree master's and doctoral programs, as well as sending doctoral students to leading Belgian universities for research internships under the Bolashak program.

Earlier, it was reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and King Philippe of the Belgians adopted a joint statement outlining key areas of bilateral cooperation.