Kazakhstan Plans to Expand Researcher Participation in CERN High-Energy Physics Projects

Sayasat Nurbek, Acting Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, recently held talks with Mark Thomson, Director-General of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), during which the two sides exchanged views on deepening scientific and technological cooperation between Kazakhstan and CERN, with a focus on expanding cooperation in the field of high-energy physics and promoting researcher participation in CERN projects.

According to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, the Kazakh government and CERN signed an international cooperation agreement in 2018, laying the foundation for a long-term scientific research partnership between the two sides. At present, the two sides have drafted a supplementary protocol to the agreement, which plans to further specify the specific mechanisms for Kazakh researchers to participate in CERN scientific experiments and research projects.

Under the relevant plans, Kazakh researchers will in the future be able to undertake research internships at CERN through the "Research Internship" program of the International Project Center, and participate in related research work. The Kazakh side believes that this arrangement will help enhance the professional capabilities of its researchers, expand international scientific cooperation channels, and promote deeper integration of Kazakhstan's research system into the global research network.

Nurbek stated that with the development of Kazakhstan's nuclear industry, training domestic engineering and technical personnel in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy has become an important task. At present, Kazakhstan is carrying out in-depth reforms of its domestic research ecosystem, promoting a new research management model that places greater emphasis on the practical application of research results and industrial transformation.

He also noted that Kazakhstan is simultaneously advancing the modernization of universities and expanding international cooperation in higher education. To date, Kazakhstan has established partnerships with 40 leading universities worldwide and opened branches of 33 foreign universities, while opportunities for researchers to undertake internships at major international research centers are also increasing. Kazakhstan is also further participating in international research cooperation through platforms such as the European Union's research and innovation framework program "Horizon Europe."

During the talks, the two sides also discussed topics including the development of basic sciences and the training of high-level research personnel and engineering and technical talent. The Kazakh side stated that against the backdrop of sustained development in high-technology industries and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, deepening cooperation with CERN is of great significance to Kazakhstan, as it will help advance basic sciences, enhance the country's research potential, and create more opportunities for domestic researchers to participate in international research projects.