Kazakhstan - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 5310

ARYK.AI

From Ancient Aryks to AI: Almaty Student Proposes Digital Water Solution

In Almaty, 10th-grade student Amir Alniyazov has developed an artificial intelligence project called ARYK.AI that aims to help city services respond more quickly to clogged aryk channels, localized flooding, and water overflow after heavy rainfall. At first glance, the issue may appear purely municipal: aryks, trash, leaves, rainwater, and utility workers clearing blocked channels. But the aryk system is tied to a much longer urban history. In Central Asia, an aryk is not simply a ditch. It is a traditional water channel that has helped sustain settlements in dry climates for centuries. Aryks irrigated gardens, cooled streets, supplied water, and made urban life possible in parts of the region where summer heat and limited rainfall shaped daily life. In foothill cities such as Almaty, they also became part of the city’s drainage infrastructure. Almaty’s modern aryk network developed during the Verny period, when the city was under Russian imperial rule. By the late 19th century, aryks had become an important part of urban infrastructure. In 1899, a main aryk was built to help distribute water through the city. During the Soviet period, many aryks were lined with stone or concrete, gradually shifting from simple irrigation channels into a visible part of the city’s stormwater system. But the 21st century has brought new pressures. Almaty has expanded rapidly, traffic has increased, and more of the city has been covered with asphalt. Leaves, garbage, and household debris continue to accumulate in aryks. As a result, a system that once quietly carried water through the city is now also expected to help manage urban flooding. [caption id="attachment_49362" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] From a personal photo archive[/caption] Where residents once monitored aryks through daily observation, modern Almaty faces a more complex problem: heavier traffic, denser construction, more paved surfaces, and faster information flows. Alniyazov’s project attempts to bring one of the city’s oldest water systems into the digital age. That is the idea behind ARYK.AI. The system combines AI, water-level sensors, a Telegram bot, an online monitoring map, and routing technology for municipal services. The concept is straightforward. If water levels in an aryk rise sharply, or if trash, silt, leaves, or fallen branches begin to accumulate, the system is intended to issue an early warning before the problem turns into flooding on city streets. The project has two main components. The first is citizen reporting. Residents and visitors to Almaty can use a Telegram bot based on a “single-window” principle to report flooding, blockages, and other problems. Users can attach photos, videos, and geolocation data. AI then processes the information, identifies the nature of the problem, and assesses how urgently municipal services need to respond. The second component relies on sensor data. Water-level sensors installed above aryks can transmit real-time information to the digital platform. If the water rises to a critical level, the system records an alert and sends it to the monitoring program. This is where the system’s more advanced functionality begins. The AI does not simply collect complaints and sensor readings for later...

Alatau City

Kazakhstan Plans to Power New Alatau City With Gas and Renewable Energy

Kazakhstan plans to power the future megacity of Alatau City near Almaty through a combination of gas-fired generation and renewable sources, as authorities seek to address chronic electricity shortages in the country’s south while creating a low-carbon “smart city” model. Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev outlined the government’s energy strategy for the project during a briefing in Astana. According to him, Alatau City’s population could reach between 2.8 million and 3 million people by 2050, roughly equivalent to the current population of Almaty. “We expect that Alatau City will rely primarily on gas generation, given the area’s relatively low population density, along with renewable energy facilities,” Bozumbayev said. The new city is being developed on the site of the village of Zhetygen, approximately 50 kilometers from Almaty. The project will also encompass the settlements of Enbek, Zhanaarna and Kuigan, as well as parts of Konaev and the Talgar district in the Almaty Region. Authorities envision Alatau City as a future hub for technology companies, logistics and export-oriented industry. Under the current concept, the city will be divided into four functional districts: the financial and business-oriented Gate District, the educational and medical Golden District, the industrial Growing District, and the entertainment-focused Green District. The government expects rapid growth in both population and industrial activity to drive a sharp increase in electricity consumption. According to official estimates, electricity demand in Alatau City could reach 1.45 gigawatts by 2030 and rise further to 1.7 gigawatts by 2040. For comparison, Almaty’s electricity consumption in 2024 stood at approximately 982 megawatts. During the initial phase over the next three years, the city is expected to require around 50-100 megawatts of electricity. However, once industrial facilities become operational, demand could rise to between 500 and 1,000 megawatts, Bozumbayev said. Authorities have already prepared an infrastructure plan that includes the construction of transmission lines, substations, and new generating facilities. The government’s emphasis on gas-fired power generation is aimed at reducing southern Kazakhstan’s dependence on electricity transfers from northern Kazakhstan and neighboring countries. According to Bozumbayev, the launch of new power plants in Kyzylorda, Turkestan, and other southern regions should eventually create an electricity surplus in southern Kazakhstan, which currently remains energy deficient. The development of Alatau City is also part of Kazakhstan’s effort to modernize its power system and gradually increase the share of renewable energy in the national mix. In recent years, the country has expanded solar and wind power projects while remaining heavily dependent on coal-fired generation. Alongside energy infrastructure, authorities are promoting Alatau City as a testing ground for advanced transportation technologies. Bozumbayev said preliminary estimates suggest that air taxi rides in the city could cost around $1 per kilometer. “As competition develops in the market, prices could decrease,” the deputy prime minister said. He added that the testing of the air taxi system is expected to be completed by 2026, with commercial services potentially launching in 2027. However, Almaty Region Governor Marat Sultangaziev previously stated that full commercial operation of air taxi services...

TCA Interviews

Interview: Kazakhstan Pushes Middle Corridor as Global Trade Routes Shift

As war, sanctions, and disruption reshape trade between Europe and Asia, Kazakhstan is trying to turn the Middle Corridor from an alternative route into a more predictable logistics system. The route, formally known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, links China and Central Asia with the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, Turkey, and Europe, bypassing Russia. For Kazakhstan, the project is both economic and geopolitical. It promises faster access to foreign markets, new transit revenue, and a stronger role for the country as a logistics hub between China and Europe. However, the corridor still faces practical constraints, including port capacity on the Caspian Sea, uneven digital systems, border procedures, tariffs, and coordination between several states and operators. The Times of Central Asia spoke with Alua Korpebayeva, Head of the Project Office for Transport and Logistics under the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan, about what still needs to change and how Kazakhstan views the corridor’s long-term role. TCA: Why has the Middle Corridor become more urgent for Kazakhstan and Central Asia, and how much have the war in Ukraine and tensions around Iran and the Persian Gulf changed the calculation? Alua Korpebayeva: The government of Kazakhstan has assigned the national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, a strategic objective of increasing total transit volumes to 55 million tons by 2026, representing a 65% increase compared to last year. This target reflects the scale of the country’s ongoing transport transformation. Achieving this goal is closely tied to the development of the Middle Corridor. The route is especially important because it is becoming a foundation for stable and predictable supply chains in global trade. The Middle Corridor provides Central Asian countries with an opportunity to strengthen connectivity with both Europe and China while increasing the region’s role as an independent transport and logistics hub. Geopolitical factors have undoubtedly increased business interest in alternative routes. For Kazakhstan, however, development of the Middle Corridor is primarily part of a broader effort to expand transport capacity and improve logistical resilience. That is precisely why deeper regional cooperation is so important. Unlocking the corridor’s full potential requires close coordination among all participants, from infrastructure modernization and tariff harmonization to end-to-end digitalization and simplified customs procedures. The World Bank has noted that a fully functioning Middle Corridor could strengthen supply-chain resilience and, if accompanied by investment and efficiency measures, could triple freight volumes and cut transportation times in half by 2030. TCA: Are Kazakhstan and its partners moving toward unified transit rules and tariffs along the corridor? What has already been agreed, and where do gaps remain? Alua Korpebayeva: Work on creating unified transit rules and coordinated tariff policies is ongoing. The current focus is shifting from fragmented national tariffs toward a unified through-route pricing system across the corridor. Within the framework of the Action Plan for Eliminating Bottlenecks along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, signed by the railway administrations of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the parties agreed to establish a single long-term tariff for the route. In practical terms,...

AI in Education

AI in Kazakh Universities: Institutions Are Not Ready for the ChatGPT Era

AI in Kazakh universities is rapidly transforming higher education, but many institutions appear unprepared for how quickly such tools are becoming normalized in the academic process. While authorities increasingly urge educators to treat AI as a professional tool for the future workforce, universities continue spending tens of thousands of dollars on systems designed to detect texts generated by ChatGPT and similar AI models. By the spring of 2026, the use of generative AI in Kazakh universities had effectively become a new academic norm. Students now routinely use AI systems to write coursework, dissertations, and analytical papers. However, instead of fundamentally reconsidering how knowledge and competencies are assessed, universities are attempting to fit new technologies into an outdated, control-based educational model. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education has officially rejected the idea of banning generative AI outright. The ministry states that AI usage is acceptable as long as students adhere to principles of academic integrity and transparency. “Conceptually, the Ministry does not advocate for a complete ban on generative neural networks,” the Committee for Higher and Postgraduate Education said in its official position. This approach was formalized through the “Inter-University Standard for the Use of AI,” adopted in 2024. In 2025, authorities further reaffirmed their commitment to integrating AI into the education system, emphasizing that AI tools should be viewed primarily as instruments rather than threats. Universities Spend Tens of Thousands of Dollars on AI Detectors Despite the ministry’s position, universities across Kazakhstan have begun purchasing AI-detection systems. In the spring of 2025, the company Antiplagiat.Kazakhstan introduced an algorithm designed to detect AI-generated text, which state and national universities have subsequently begun to acquire on a large scale. According to Kazakhstan’s public procurement portal, Kazakh National Medical University signed a contract worth approximately $27,000, while Toraighyrov University conducted several procurements totaling around $19,000. Most contracts were awarded through single-source procurement procedures, strengthening the market position of one dominant supplier in the field of academic verification systems. At the same time, AI detectors do not produce definitive results and instead operate on probabilistic models. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Education has separately stated that such tools cannot serve as indisputable proof of academic misconduct. “The development of artificial intelligence requires not a mechanical prohibition of AI, but an improvement of assessment systems,” the ministry noted. [caption id="attachment_49352" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] A talk on AI at Al-Farabi University. Image: Joe Luc Barnes[/caption] University Regulations Lag Behind Technological Reality The problem is compounded by outdated university regulations. Many rules and academic policies were written before the mass adoption of generative AI. Documents from Yessenov University and Narxoz University, for example, contain no references to terms such as “AI,” “neural networks,” or “text generation.” Even recently updated regulations often preserve the old logic of evaluation through text originality percentages. In the “Academic Policy of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University for 2025-2026”, AI usage is now formally regulated, yet the university simultaneously retains a requirement that diploma theses maintain a minimum originality level of 75%. This creates a legal contradiction:...

GDP

Why Kazakhstan Is Moving Ahead in GDP Per Capita

The International Monetary Fund has projected Kazakhstan to reach roughly $23,170 in nominal GDP per capita by 2031. On the same current-dollar measure, it is projected to pass China around 2026 and Russia by 2031. The comparison is a milestone, but it requires perspective. It is neither a purchasing-power verdict nor a comprehensive measure of household welfare. It nevertheless marks Kazakhstan’s entry into a higher income band. The question is how a state that began independence amid post-Soviet economic disruption reached this stage. How Kazakhstan Reached This Point Kazakhstan’s present position rests on a three-decade progression of state capacity, resource development, and institutional learning. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the country did not inherit a working growth model. It inherited broken production chains, institutional rupture, and inflation. It therefore faced the task of building a market economy out of an administrative-command system. In current U.S. dollars, GDP per capita stood near $1,400 in 1991, and exceeded $14,000 by 2024; in constant-dollar terms, the gain was smaller but still substantial. Hydrocarbons supplied the base, but political institutions and leadership acumen determined how much of that base could survive volatility. The path since 1991 has not been smooth. The 1990s brought collapse and stabilization. The 2000s brought hydrocarbon acceleration, foreign direct investment, and a rise in nominal GDP per capita climbing from a little more than $1,000 in 2000 to more than $8,000 in 2008. The global financial crisis interrupted the rise without destroying the model. The early 2010s brought recovery. The 2014–2016 oil-price and exchange-rate shock then tested the foundations already built, as the current-dollar figure fell sharply while real output per person proved more stable. COVID imposed another interruption. The post-2020 rebound belongs to that sequence. The Tokayev agenda belongs to this third stage of institutional learning. It did not create the GDP per capita trajectory over three decades, but today the issue has shifted from accumulation to stewardship. The inherited growth model had to be made more competitive, more rules-based, more socially visible, and more sustainable. Since 2022, the government has treated de-monopolization, asset recovery, social investment, and private-sector development as connected elements of the same governing effort. The IMF’s latest assessment shows the pressure inside that effort: growth remains strong, supported by oil output and non-oil activity, while fiscal, inflationary, and quasi-state-sector pressures still require correction. The Reform Program and Its Results Decree No. 542, signed in May 2024, set out measures to liberalize the economy, limit expansion of the quasi-state sector, revise privatization criteria, strengthen competition, and improve conditions for entrepreneurship. Its operative terms are competition, privatization, reduced state participation, and lower business costs. The decree temporarily halts the creation of new quasi-state entities and provides for an audit of state and quasi-state assets, partly to identify candidates for privatization. It also incorporates reforms affecting procurement and business regulation. The decree seeks to bend Kazakhstan’s accumulated macroeconomic trajectory toward commercial governance. The challenge is not to remove state capacity but to prevent it from crowding out private...

Myths

Kazakhstan’s Haunted Steppe: Myths, Cold War Ruins, and Unexplained Phenomena

Kazakhstan’s vast steppes, deserts, mountains, and abandoned Soviet sites have produced a mythology of their own. Some stories are folklore. Others grew from real geography, ecological disaster, nuclear testing, secretive institutions, and the long shadow of the Cold War. That mix helps explain why tales of lost islands, strange stones, atomic ghosts, and unidentified flying objects still circulate across the country. The most interesting stories are not necessarily the ones that prove anything paranormal. They are the ones that show how history and landscape can turn into legend. You Will Go But Never Return One of Kazakhstan’s best-known mysterious places is Barsakelmes, whose name is usually translated from Kazakh as “You Will Go But Never Return.” The former island, once located in the Aral Sea, was less than 20 kilometers long, but it acquired an outsized reputation during the Soviet period. [caption id="attachment_49303" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Barsakelmes[/caption] Today, Barsakelmes is no longer technically an island. The Aral Sea has largely dried up after one of the world’s major ecological disasters, and the surrounding landscape has changed almost beyond recognition. The island’s name did much of the work. So did Soviet-era popular culture. Russian science-fiction writer Sergei Lukyanenko, who was born in Kazakhstan, helped deepen its mystique through a story published in the Soviet magazine Tekhnika Molodezhi. In that fictional version, Barsakelmes became a deadly place linked to secret laboratories, biological experiments, and mutant soldiers. The confirmed history is less lurid, but still striking. Local accounts and researchers have linked the name to earlier tragedies, including stories of herders who died while trying to cross the frozen Aral Sea. Over time, those disappearances became part of the island’s reputation as a place from which people did not return. The mystery deepened in the 2000s, when archaeologists found burial grounds and remains of ancient settlements on the dried seabed near Barsakelmes. The finds, dated to the 11th-14th centuries, included religious structures and evidence of trade links that may have extended toward China. Some homes reportedly contained jars still filled with grain, suggesting that residents left suddenly. Whether they fled a flood, conflict, or another disaster is less certain. But it is easy to see how the physical evidence of abrupt abandonment fed older stories about a cursed landscape. Even the island’s natural features became part of the legend. Fishermen once avoided the area after seeing what they thought were huge bones along the shore. They were, in fact, large gypsum formations glinting in the sun. Today, Barsakelmes is also a protected area and a refuge for rare wildlife, showing how a place associated with loss can also become a site of recovery. The Stone Spheres of Mangystau Another of Kazakhstan’s strange landscapes lies on the Mangystau Peninsula in the west of the country, about 150 kilometers from Aktau. There, in a valley that resembles a Martian plain, hundreds of large stone spheres are scattered across the ground. Some are several meters in diameter. Visitors have compared them to giant balls, prehistoric eggs, or...