21-24 January, London – Kazakhstan participated for the second consecutive year in one of the world’s largest international education technology exhibitions, the British Education Training and Technology Show (Bett Show), reaffirming its strategic commitment to the development of digital and innovative education.

The national pavilion featured the participation of Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, heads of leading Kazakh universities, and representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom.

While Kazakhstan’s primary objective at Bett Show 2025 focused on studying international best practices and building partnerships, the 2026 pavilion highlighted tangible outcomes of the digital transformation of universities and the technological advancement of the country’s higher and postgraduate education system, reflecting President Tokayev’s vision of transforming Kazakhstan’s society into a truly progressive and developed nation.

The exhibition brought together nine Kazakhstan’s higher and postgraduate education institutions, which presented their academic programmes, research projects, and potential for joint educational and scientific initiatives with international partners.

Each year, Bett Show attracts more than 30,000 education leaders, policymakers, educators, innovators, and investors from over 130 countries, serving as a key global platform for knowledge exchange, showcasing cutting-edge technologies, and shaping the future of education.

Kazakhstan’s participation in Bett UK 2026 underscored the country’s strategic focus on advancing digital education and strengthening its position as an emerging academic hub. Over the past three and a half years, approximately 40 international partnership agreements have been signed, 33 branch campuses of foreign universities have been established in Kazakhstan, with seven more planned to open in 2026. The number of international students continues to grow and has now reached 35,000.

These efforts reflect Kazakhstan’s gradual transformation into a regional academic hub, creating a strong platform for Central Asia and beyond, particularly in critical fields such as artificial intelligence, information technology, advanced manufacturing, and critical minerals.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, Minister Sayasat Nurbek held a series of working meetings with senior representatives of leading global technology companies, including Lenovo, Intel, Microsoft, and Google, to discuss the implementation of digital solutions and artificial intelligence technologies in education.

In addition, during Bett Show 2026, the Kazakhs delegation gave interviews to leading British and international specialised media outlets, including Pie News, University World News, and Times Higher Education.

The business meetings held during the exhibition confirmed the strong interest of global technology leaders in cooperation with Kazakhstan and highlighted the country’s determination to actively integrate into the global education and technology ecosystem.

As part of his visit, Minister Sayasat Nurbek travelled to Oxford, where he held substantive discussions with university representatives on the potential establishment of an “Oxford Hub” in Kazakhstan. In Coventry, the Minister discussed prospects for expanding Coventry University’s presence in Kazakhstan, including plans to open a second branch campus in Almaty.

The visit also included a trip to Cambridge, where Minister Nurbek toured the AstraZeneca headquarters to gain insight into the work of the company’s research laboratories. Following the meeting, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and AstraZeneca signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, creating new opportunities for Kazakhstani scholarship holders to undertake internships at AstraZeneca.

As part of the visit programme, on 24 January, Minister Sayasat Nurbek met with Kazakh students studying at leading universities in the United Kingdom at University College London (UCL). During an open discussion, students raised questions related to youth support programmes, graduate employment, and the future development of the international Bolashak Scholarship Programme. The Minister highlighted that students studying abroad represent a vital component of the country’s intellectual potential.

The Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom will continue to support the strengthening of international cooperation in education and science, promote national priorities in digital technologies, and foster sustainable partnerships between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-london/press/news/details/1148902?lang=kk