Pakistan, Kazakhstan to set up joint research centre at Al-Farabi University
ALMATY: Pakistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to establish a Kazakhstan–Pakistan Research Centre at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University to expand cooperation in higher education, scientific research, technology and innovation.
The understanding was reached during an official visit to Kazakhstan by Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajiha Qamar, who held a meeting with Professor Zhanseit Tuimebayev, Chairman of the Management Board and Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, in Almaty on July 26, 2026.
According to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the centre will be established under a Memorandum of Cooperation and will act as a dedicated platform to strengthen institutional links between universities in the two countries.
The proposed centre will focus on collaborative research, academic exchanges, innovation and joint development of scientific initiatives, with the aim of deepening academic and scientific cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
During the meeting, Ms Qamar appreciated the international standing, academic excellence and research achievements of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. She reaffirmed the Government of Pakistan’s commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation in higher education and scientific research.
The minister said stronger academic partnerships were important for addressing shared regional and global challenges through knowledge, innovation and mutual collaboration.
She also highlighted progress made by Pakistani universities in artificial intelligence, information technology, digital innovation and other emerging technologies. She said these areas offered significant opportunities for joint research, knowledge exchange and innovation with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
Ms Qamar expressed confidence that the establishment of the Kazakhstan–Pakistan Research Centre would mark a new phase in educational and scientific cooperation between the two countries.
The minister also invited the leadership and faculty of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University to visit Pakistan to explore partnerships with leading Pakistani universities. The visit, she said, could help strengthen faculty and student mobility, expand joint research programmes, facilitate academic exchanges and promote scientific training and innovation.
Professor Tuimebayev welcomed the initiative and noted the university’s growing engagement with Pakistani higher education institutions through academic mobility programmes, joint research projects, international conferences and institutional collaboration.
He expressed confidence that the research centre would provide an important platform for long-term scientific cooperation and stronger academic ties between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
At the end of the meeting, both sides endorsed the proposed initiatives and agreed to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for their phased implementation.
The agreement reflects the shared commitment of Pakistan and Kazakhstan to advancing higher education, promoting research excellence and encouraging innovation through sustained institutional collaboration, contributing to stronger bilateral relations and wider academic engagement between the two friendly countries.
