Kazakhstan is transforming its approach to higher education amid rapid technological advancements. Educators who ignore AI skills risk losing effectiveness, El.kz reports.
According to Minister of Science and Higher
Education Sayasat Nurbek , digital skills are no longer an added advantage but have become a fundamental professional requirement.
"Today, an educator who has not mastered AI tools objectively loses the ability to teach effectively," the Minister stated, emphasizing that this shift is not about the future, but current practice.
This statement reflects a global trend where the teacher is gradually evolving from a primary source of knowledge into a moderator and navigator in the world of information. Without an understanding of AI tools, this transition becomes difficult.
How AI is being implemented in education
As part of a partnership with OpenAI, systematic training for educators has been launched across the country.
A program began on April 17, where teachers and researchers are learning to create their own digital assistants based on ChatGPT Education. This is the first experiment of its kind to cover an entire national education system.
The Minister noted that the program will do more than just help faculty master the tools; it will measure their impact on the quality of learning. Based on the results of this experiment, the ministry plans to revise teaching methodologies themselves.
Scale and Infrastructure
Currently, university faculty members have already been provided with 62,800 licenses for AI tools. This represents one of the largest rollouts of educational technology in the region.
Parallel to this, the technical infrastructure is also being developed. Kazakhstan is forming a major computing cluster, Alem.cloud, which integrates supercomputers and AI centers.
According to the Minister, infrastructure is the key factor. It is impossible to train specialists or develop proprietary technologies, including national large language models (LLMs).
What This Changes for Students and Universities
The changes affect not only teachers but the very logic of the educational process. Universities are already beginning to integrate AI assistants into admissions offices and general educational services.
This means that students will interact with AI at every stage of their journey from enrollment to their thesis defense. Consequently, the role of th professor is shifting toward analysis, interpretation, and high-level mentorship.