Chinese, Kazakh universities train tech talents for SCO in dual-degree program

A collaboration between Chinese and Kazakh universities is fostering a new generation of specialists poised to contribute to the development of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries.

The Kazakhstan branch of China's prestigious Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) opened in Almaty in 2023, and welcomed its first cohort of students.

It was established under a bilateral agreement in partnership with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, one of the oldest higher education institutions in the country, and was designed to train a new generation of specialists for SCO member states.

The branch focuses on graduate programs in materials science, computer science and technology, and information and communication engineering.

"We are so excited. We can see from the government level and also from the student level, this major is quite popular, since the AI age is coming," said Li Ziwei, deputy director of the NPU Kazakhstan branch.

The branch has quickly gained popularity among Kazakh students, who are provided access to the latest education approaches, advanced Chinese technologies and scientific programs.

The university's scientific and educational life is in full swing. The dual-degree program offers students the opportunity to spend their first year in Kazakhstan and their second year in China.

"We collaborate Polytechnical University on many research and innovation projects, such as the launch of a joint microsatellite. The tasks performed by the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University include measuring the earth's gravitational field and testing the scientific projects of our students," said Almas Gaukhar, deputy director of NPU Kazakhstan branch.

This unique partnership provides Kazakh students with a valuable opportunity to gain expertise in key technical fields highly sought after in the global job market.

"I've got a grant at KazNU, and when I went to submit my document, I saw that there was an educational program like this. I thought it would be great to enroll because it's two degrees and the second degree is in China. And the country is technologically advanced and leading country in IT," said Alikhan Atyhanov, an applicant.

A powerful winter storm swept through Toronto and surrounding areas on Thursday, causing school closures and travel delays as heavy snowfall reduced visibility and affected transportation services.

Meteorological authorities warned that heavy snowfall would greatly reduce visibility, while local transportation officials reported that several roads had been completely closed and major surface transit routes were operating at reduced speeds due to the storm.

Toronto Pearson International Airport officials announced Thursday that air traffic control measures had been implemented due to severe weather, affecting several inbound and outbound flights. Meanwhile, several local school boards in Toronto fully suspended classes, while others enacted partial closures in response to the storm.