ADDRESS on Behalf of the Collective of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University to the Scientific, Educational and Business Community of Kazakhsta

The Speech by the Head of State K.Tokayev at the 3rd Session of the National Council of Public Trust has become an important event for all citizens of Kazakhstan. In his speech, the President has outlined the important directions of reforming science and education, which are defined as the most important sectors of the economy.

For the first time in the history of the country, the President has strongly stated that all state policy should be focused on the development of science and education, which will be the basis of the new economy, and its key sectors. The President has highlighted that the main criterion for any state in the modern world is human capital, in the formation of which the education system plays a huge role. All levels, from kindergartens to Universities, are responsible for forming a creative intellectual nation. The competitiveness of the country as a whole depends on the development of the education system, and in the end, the fulfillment of Elbasy’s order on Kazakhstan’s entering the 30 most developed states of the world. Thus, the Kazakhstani higher education institutions, following the example of leading countries, should become intellectual drivers of national innovative system and development of high technology economy. In this connection, the staff of Al-Farabi KazNU is deeply aware of that the modernization of scientific and educational sphere is the key to the progressive development of the country. Important factors for entering of Kazakhstan into the ranks of competitive states are improvement of quality of preparation of scientific personnel of world level, carrying out of high-quality scientific researches and formation of the high technology economy based on knowledge.

As the President noted, it is extremely important to establish close interaction of large domestic enterprises, companies with the HEIs and Research Institutes, which is the most effective model of building an innovative economy – the «triple helix» model.

Every teacher, lecturer and scientist should realize that the state recognizes their work as fundamental in the development of the country and creates all the necessary conditions to fulfill their noble mission of educating the younger generation and conducting quality research, introducing their results into production and the real economy. This imposes a great responsibility on each of us and mobilizes us for great achievements, since today’s common efforts determine where the country will be in the future, hence our children and grandchildren.

During the thirty years of independence, our people have faced various challenges, however each time they have proved that they can solve any problem by being united. We are confident that the new tasks set by the President to the people of Kazakhstan to turn science and education into a driving force of socio-economic development will not be an exception. We must restructure the system of education and science as drivers of economic development in order to further integrate with the economy, forming this sphere as a basic economic sector, which will lead towards modernization of the entire country!

It is deeply symbolic that in the jubilee year, the words of great thinkers – Al-Farabi and Abai – about the «Better Society» and «Kemel Adam» («Perfect Man») will be the embodiment of a new important stage in the development of the country.

We, the members of the team of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, fully supporting the tasks set by the Head of State, call on scientific, educational and business communities to join efforts to achieve our common goal – to turn our native Kazakhstan into a highly intellectual, highly developed and competitive country!

Together we shall succeed! Biz Birgemiz!