Kazakhstan, ITU agree on new initiatives to boost digital competencies

The documents signed in Doha open the way for young Kazakh specialists to work at ITU, provide 100 free training places for participants from African countries, and give practical momentum to the establishment of an ITU Acceleration Centre in Kazakhstan.

The agreement on Kazakhstan joining ITU's Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme was signed by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev and ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. Kazakhstan plans to support the programme with a contribution equivalent to 0.6 of a contributory unit. Kazakh telecommunications operators assisted in allocating these units.

The programme will give young professionals from Kazakhstan the opportunity to gain hands-on experience at ITU, engage with international experts and take part in the organisation's initiatives. They will be able to apply the knowledge and skills they acquire to digital projects in Kazakhstan.

The second document provides for 100 free training places for participants from African countries. The training will cover digital technologies, programming and artificial intelligence. It will be organised drawing on the experience of Kazakhstan's educational and technology initiatives, including Astana Hub, alem.ai, Tech Orda, TUMO and Tomorrow School.

The document was signed by Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Doszhan Mussaliyev and Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau Cosmas Zavazava.

Another practical step was a letter of agreement between ITU and TSARKA on developing and validating the model of the ITU Acceleration Centre in Kazakhstan. The agreement on establishing the Centre was signed between Kazakhstan's Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and ITU on 5 July 2026, laying the institutional foundation for the project. The new letter of agreement provides targeted funding for designing the Centre.

The project brings together the Ministry's government and institutional support, ITU's international methodology and network, TSARKA's expertise and contribution, and the ecosystem role of Astana Hub. The Centre will apply ITU's methodological materials, the ITU Playbooks, operate on the basis of key performance indicators and provide ITU with feedback on the results of their practical application. This will make it possible to adapt global methodologies to real-world challenges and to foster cooperation not only in Kazakhstan but also across Central Asia.

The initiative reflects Kazakhstan's growing role as an international provider of digital knowledge and educational opportunities. The country is not only building its own technological capacity but also sharing its experience and educational solutions with foreign partners, making a practical contribution to training digital talent and narrowing the global digital divide.

"These agreements link the development of professional opportunities in Kazakhstan with our readiness to share our experience with partners. Young specialists will be able to gain hands-on international experience, while participants from African countries will gain access to training in in-demand digital skills. We are also moving on to the practical development of the Centre, which will help apply international approaches while taking into account the needs of Kazakhstan and the region," said Zhaslan Madiyev.

Kazakhstan and ITU expect to begin implementing the agreements and to define the next steps towards launching the programmes.

Earlier, Qazinform reported a school with British educational programs might be established in Alatau city.