Satbayev University: 90 years of achievements and scientific discoveries

In Almaty, scientists, politicians and heads of Kazakhstan's backbone enterprises discussed the challenges and opportunities of mass robotization and introduction of digital technologies. International "Challenges of the fourth industrial revolution in front of Eurasia’s scientific and engineering community" forum brought together scientists from 22 countries.

Forum is dedicated to 125^th jubilee of Academician Kanysh Satbayev and 90^th anniversary of Satbayev University, the country's first technical research university. The solemn meeting was opened by Almaty Akim Yerbolat Dossayev, who read out congratulations to the staff and veterans of Satbayev University on behalf of RK President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev:

– In order for our country to become a developed state, young people must deeply master science and modern technologies. In this regard, you have a special responsibility. I believe that you will fulfill this task with honor, and I express my sincere gratitude to the university staff, who is engaged in the education and upbringing of the younger generation," State’s Head said in his address.

At the anniversary session of National Academy of Sciences, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on scientists to set high goals, strive for innovation and improve efficiency, and instructed to create a research hub for new technologies in engineering education and science on the basis of Satbayev University, which should become a scientific and production base for new technical universities.

To fulfill the instructions of the country's leadership, a scientific and production base is being formed at the university, to which technical universities of Kazakhstan will have access. Forum attendees became participants in launching the new scientific laboratories and innovative production facilities at Satbayev University.

For example, the new MIT FabLab laboratory is furnished with modern equipment according to the standards of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is part of the international Fab Lab network of more than 3 thousand laboratories around the world. Here, students, scientists and inventors will embody their ideas and work with advanced technologies, creating the prototypes for mass production. As Minister of Science and higher education Sayassat Nurbek noted, it is necessary to apply the world experience of cooperation between science and industry more widely.

- In the USA, over 70% of scientific research is funded by private corporations. We still have over 80% of science funding coming from the state budget - these are our grants and program-targeted programs. To remedy the situation, so that our universities become centers of scientific thought, we must be open and cooperate with the whole world," Minister of science and higher education said at the opening of the laboratory.

Satbayev University are implementing two major projects aimed at developing and introducing the innovations into traditional industries: the engineering center in the mining and metallurgical complex and STROYTECH technology park. They have already concluded offtake contracts for providing the services and the supply of goods to enterprises in Kazakhstan in the amount of more than 500 million tenge.

In his speech to the forum participants, Satbayev University’s Rector Meiram Begentayev called for actively using the capabilities of artificial intelligence and digital technologies to train a new generation of engineers and scientists.

- We all face large-scale tasks, - said Rector. - We are building Kazakhstan based on the knowledge economy. We train engineers who are capable of creating new technologies, and we work ahead of the curve. And as a result, more graduates choose technical universities, including our favorite university," said Meiram Begentayev.

Forum was attended by representatives of more than 200 organizations and enterprises, Kazakhstani and foreign universities, embassies and consulates, including Kazakhmys, KazMunayGas, KazakGaz, Baker Hughes ZMS, Chevron, Zeta, Eurasia Resources Group, Halyk Bank, MIT, Sung Kyun Kwan University, City University of Hong Kong, University of Glasgow, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Nanjing University and many others.

On the sidelines of the forum, a number of agreements and memoranda were signed on targeted training of engineering personnel and joint solution of technological tasks of the country’s industrial enterprises. As noted in its resolution adopted at the end of the forum, transforming the engineering education in the context of digitalization and development of artificial intelligence sets new requirements for the qualifications of engineers and researchers. To train specialists who are able to work with the latest technologies, it is necessary to update degree programs, create flexible and adaptable training formats at all levels of theoretical and practical training of engineers.