In his interview with the newspaper Ana Tili, President K.K. Tokayev

In his interview with the newspaper Ana Tili, President K.K. Tokayev elaborated on the major events of the past year and key issues across various sectors. He also highlighted the new initiatives and changes awaiting us in the new year.

As someone working in higher education and science in the field of chemistry and chemical technology, I consider it important to focus on certain theses from the interview related to this area.

The interview mentions that large-scale projects have been implemented in the mining, petrochemical, and metallurgical sectors, and the processing sector has started to develop rapidly. The contribution of this sector to industry has approached the level of the extractive sector, proving that the country’s economy is shifting from a raw-material orientation to a processing one.

In 2025, major projects in this area will also be realized. The expansion project of the Tengiz oil field will be completed. Special attention will be paid to the development of oil refining and petrochemical industries. This will enable the country to meet its annual fuel demand.

Additionally, the production capacity of the Aktau bitumen plant will increase. Currently, the country’s bitumen plants produce about 1 million tons of bitumen per year, while the demand is approximately 1.3 million tons. The shortage is covered by imports. If the capacity of the Aktau plant is expanded, the country’s needs for bitumen will be fully met. This will also contribute to improving road quality and completing the construction of national highways.

To ensure the country’s gas supply, the Taldykorgan – Usharal and the fourth line of the Zhanaozen – Aktau gas pipelines, as well as an automated gas distribution station in the Atyrau region, will be commissioned.

In higher education, branches of more than ten prestigious foreign universities have been established in the country. Branches of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University have opened in Bishkek, Omsk, and Istanbul. Departments of Chinese and Russian universities have started operations within the university. The President noted that further development of comprehensive cooperation with China remains an important task for Kazakhstan’s diplomacy. One of the fruitful results of this collaboration was the opening in 2024 of a joint laboratory on energy-intensive and nanomaterials between the Department of Chemical Physics and Materials Science of KazNU and Nanjing University.

To achieve even greater success in science and education, infrastructure modernization and improving the status of educators in academic institutions are essential. If these issues are addressed in the coming year, the potential of science and higher education professionals will increase, as will their contribution to the country’s economy.

The President emphasized: “My goal is to strengthen the economy and sovereignty.” To achieve this goal, we must unite as a nation and work together diligently.

Erdos Ongarbayev,

Professor, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University