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Cuisine

Qazaq Gourmet Draws Global Gastronomic Spotlight

In late November, Paris hosted the anniversary ceremony of La Liste 2025, one of the world’s most prestigious gastronomic events. This year’s ceremony held special significance for Kazakhstan: Qazaq Gourmet, a restaurant specializing in haute Kazakh cuisine, not only represented the country at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs but also received a special honor, the La Liste 2026 Plate. For the QazElles community in France, this recognition marked the continuation of a journey that began last year when Qazaq Gourmet was first included in La Liste’s global ranking of the best restaurants. That initial listing signaled international recognition; this year’s award reflects growing interest in Kazakh cuisine among the global culinary elite. [caption id="attachment_40141" align="alignnone" width="300"] @Madina Kulman[/caption] Throughout the evening, chefs and representatives from leading restaurants in Japan, France, Spain, and Italy visited the Qazaq Gourmet table. Many were encountering elevated Kazakh cuisine for the first time, a novelty that sparked considerable curiosity. Guests asked about preparation techniques, native ingredients, and the cultural heritage of the dishes, exchanging impressions and expressing delight at discovering unfamiliar flavors. Kazakhstan’s ambassador to France, Gulsara Arystankulova, was in attendance, lending diplomatic weight to the occasion and highlighting the country’s commitment to promoting its national cuisine on the international stage. [caption id="attachment_40140" align="alignnone" width="225"] With Head Chef Artem Kantsev, @Madina Kulman[/caption] The La Liste 2026 Plate is awarded to restaurants that demonstrate consistent quality, make use of local products, and show potential for international influence. This recognition is particularly significant for Qazaq Gourmet at a time when La Liste is increasing its focus on Asian gastronomy. Kazakh cuisine is now firmly on the radar of global culinary experts. La Liste’s methodology combines expert reviews, critical ratings, and data-driven analysis, making its awards a credible benchmark in the culinary world. For Kazakhstan, the recognition marks a step forward in gastronomic diplomacy. For Qazaq Gourmet, it affirms that its modern interpretation of national cuisine resonates on the global stage and suggests that further accomplishments are within reach.

Science

Kazakh Archaeologists Contribute to Landmark Discovery on the Origins of Dog Domestication

A groundbreaking study co-authored by Kazakh archaeologists has challenged long-held assumptions about the history of dog domestication. The research, titled “Wide Diversity of Dogs Thousands of Years Before Modern Breeding Methods,” was published in Science, the oldest scientific journal in the U.S. The study was led by researchers from the University of Exeter (UK) and France’s National Center for Scientific Research and included contributions from 40 institutions worldwide. Kazakh scientists V.K. Merz and I.V. Merz of Toraygyrov University, along with E.R. Usmanova and V.V. Varfolomeev of the E.A. Buketov Karaganda National Research University, were among the co-authors. The international team conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis of 643 dog and wolf skulls spanning the last 50,000 years from the Pleistocene to the present day. Using high-resolution 3D scanning, they analyzed over 600 specimens, revealing that dogs already displayed significant morphological diversity during the early Holocene epoch. This diversity, previously believed to be the result of 19th-century selective breeding, was shown to have originated far earlier. The analysis traced the emergence of distinct dog types, including variations in size and skull structure, as early as 11,000 years ago. By the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, dogs had already begun to differ in form, likely reflecting specialized roles such as hunting, guarding, and herding within human societies. The researchers concluded that functional differentiation was a key driver in the development of what would eventually become distinct breeds. Their findings refute the common belief that modern breed variation is a relatively recent phenomenon. In fact, many differences in skull shape and size long predate the advent of formal breeding practices. Kazakhstan’s archaeological collections and local expertise played a significant role in the project, underscoring the country’s growing contributions to global archaeozoological research. Kazakhstan’s Broader Scientific Advances In addition to this landmark discovery, Kazakh scientists continue to make technological strides across disciplines. Researchers at the Institute of Combustion Problems have developed a device capable of converting hydrocarbon gases into 98.9% pure hydrogen and technical carbon in a single stage. Operating at plasma temperatures of up to 2,700°C, the unit requires no catalysts and consumes less energy than traditional methods. It also produces giant nanotubes with diameters reaching 100 nanometres. Meanwhile, scientists at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University have introduced a mobile preservation unit capable of drying and storing a wide range of food products from fruit to fish for up to 10 to 50 years using specialized packaging. These developments signal Kazakhstan’s expanding role in cutting-edge research and innovation across multiple scientific domains.

Healthcare

Kazakhstan Faces Deepening Medical Personnel Shortage Amid Rising Emigration

Kazakhstan continues to grapple with a severe shortage of medical personnel, a crisis intensified by the steady emigration of specialists. According to First Deputy Minister of Health Timur Sultangaziev, there are currently around 9,000 unfilled positions across the country, approximately 4,000 for doctors and over 5,000 for mid-level healthcare workers. Speaking during a session of the Mazhilis, Kazakhstan’s lower house of parliament, Sultangaziev reported that roughly 2,500 medical professionals have left the country over the past five years. “There is an outflow of medical personnel from the healthcare system to foreign countries,” he said. Sultangaziev cited inadequate compensation as the primary factor driving this exodus. In response, the government has allocated an additional $9.6 million this year to raise salaries for public emergency medical service employees. The Health Ministry is currently evaluating a further salary increase estimated at $19.2 million, though a final decision has yet to be made. The parliamentary session also focused on proposed legislation to increase penalties for violence against medical workers. MP Askhat Aimagambetov noted that 280 such incidents have been officially recorded in the past five years, but suggested the real number is much higher. Many medical professionals reportedly choose not to report assaults, fearing retaliation or loss of work hours. The draft bill includes a new article in the Criminal Code, introducing special legal status for “medical workers” and “ambulance drivers", and stipulating harsher penalties for violent offenses. Aimagambetov compared the proposed sanctions to those for attacks on gamekeepers, which carry a maximum sentence of 12 years’ imprisonment. “If a hooligan breaks the finger of an ordinary citizen, it’s moderate harm. If he breaks a surgeon’s finger, it’s a disaster. Thousands of operations may be cancelled because of one broken finger,” Aimagambetov said, emphasizing the vulnerability of ambulance staff, who must respond to emergency calls without regard to risk. The final version of the bill outlines penalties including fines, correctional or community service, or up to three years’ restriction or deprivation of liberty for non-life-threatening violence. In cases involving aggravating circumstances, the punishment increases to 3-7 years. Life-threatening or severe injuries could result in 5-10 years’ imprisonment, or 7-12 years under aggravating conditions. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan has already begun implementing additional protective measures for medical personnel. In the summer, authorities announced plans to equip ambulance staff with body cameras in response to the rising number of assaults on healthcare workers.

Healthcare

What Prevents Kazakh Women from Using Contraception

Kazakhstani researchers are once again drawing attention to a sensitive yet vital issue: women’s access to contraception and the broader state of reproductive health. Experts at Ranking.kz describe this matter as socially significant, directly affecting public health, quality of life, and the country’s demographic trends. According to the National Statistics Bureau (NSB), the unmet need for contraception among women with partners in Kazakhstan continues to rise. In 2024, the rate reached 18%, up from just 9.8% in 2015. The NSB attributes this unmet need to two main reasons cited by women: 12.5% said they do not want children “at this particular moment”; and 5.5% said they do not plan to become pregnant at all, “as they already have children”. However, analysts argue that the actual reasons are far more complex, encompassing unstable relationships, financial hardship, childfree lifestyle choices, and medical risks. The NSB’s approach, which treats contraception solely as a tool for regulating fertility, largely overlooks its crucial role in preventing sexually transmitted infections. Access to contraception is becoming more limited. In 2024, only 45.2% of women who wished to use contraceptives were able to do so, a decline from 55.7% in 2014. The reasons for use remain narrowly defined: delaying pregnancy or avoiding it entirely. The study also highlights stark regional disparities. Western Kazakhstan presents the most concerning figures. In the Aktobe region, 26.7% of women in partnerships report wanting but being unable to use contraception. The Atyrau region follows closely with 25.6%, then West Kazakhstan at 24%, and Astana at 23%. For comparison, dissatisfaction with access was just 11.7% nationally in 2015. The unmet need is most acute among the youngest women: 20-24 years old - 27.8%; and 15-19 years old - 25.8%. Substantial figures are also seen in older age brackets: 25-29 years old - 25%; 30-34 years old - 21.5%; and 35-39 years old - 16.9%. Globally, the United Nations reports an unmet need for contraception at 15% in 2024. Contributing factors include religious and cultural attitudes, economic barriers, lack of awareness, and restrictions imposed by partners or family members. Despite increasing demand, only 39.7% of Kazakhstani women of reproductive age, around 1.9 million individuals, currently use contraceptives. While this represents the highest number in recent years, the gap between need and access remains significant.

Boxing

Kazakhstan’s Golovkin Becomes World Boxing President

Gennadiy Golovkin, the two-time middleweight world champion and 2004 Olympic silver medalist for Kazkhstan, was named president of World Boxing at the federation's inaugural congress in Rome on Sunday. Golovkin, who has been president of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee since last year, will lead the amateur boxing federation into the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He succeeds Boris van der Vorst, a Dutch national who was the first president of World Boxing. “I feel great. I feel more excited. Right now, we have a new team, new view,” Golovkin said after his election to the post. “I have a plan. I have ideas, so many. My goal is bringing boxing’s position back to a high level.” The World Boxing federation was launched in 2023 to address concerns about transparency and governance in amateur boxing that had placed the future of the sport at the Olympics in doubt. That year, the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, expelled the International Boxing Association, the former governing body of amateur boxing, from the Olympic movement because of those corruption concerns. World Boxing, the new amateur boxing federation, has been collaborating with the IOC and said that, by January of this year, it had approved membership applications from 60 national boxing federations around the world. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Golovkin. “He has become the first representative of Kazakhstan to lead an international federation of an Olympic sport,” Tokayev said. “This landmark achievement is a testament to the global recognition of Gennady Golovkin’s outstanding accomplishments and his great contribution to boxing worldwide.”

Higher Education

Central Asian Countries Agree to Recognize Each Other’s University Degrees

The governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have officially agreed to mutually recognize higher education diplomas issued within the region. Kazakhstan approved the relevant draft on November 12, as documented in an intergovernmental agreement. The initiative aims to create a unified educational space in Central Asia and eliminate barriers related to qualification recognition. Under the agreement, all five countries will automatically recognize university diplomas that are legally valid, officially accredited, and issued by state higher education institutions in any of the participating countries. Recognition will apply in three key areas: Employment in another Central Asian country Internships Continuing education at the next academic level However, qualifications must meet common higher education standards. Recognition may be denied only if substantial differences in the educational systems are identified. The agreement outlines a clear implementation mechanism: each country will appoint a designated authority responsible for diploma recognition and notify the depositary, which will in turn inform the other signatories. If the structure or authority of the appointed body changes, the state is required to issue an immediate notification through diplomatic channels. Despite agreeing on a shared framework, the countries still maintain varying standards for recognizing foreign university degrees. Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan have agreed to recognize diplomas from universities in any participating country, provided those institutions are legally operating and issue officially recognized state diplomas. Kazakhstan, however, has adopted stricter criteria. It will only recognize diplomas from regional universities that appear in the top 1,000 of the following international rankings: Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings (QS) Times Higher Education (THE) Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) Diplomas from these universities will allow holders from participating countries to work, intern, or pursue further studies in Kazakhstan, subject to an application process. The agreement is expected to ease the movement of skilled professionals within Central Asia and reduce bureaucratic barriers to regional academic and professional mobility.