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Kazakhstan has taken a major step toward modernizing its waste management infrastructure with the signing of a landmark investment agreement with China’s Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection Co. Ltd. On August 29, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources announced that the company will build the country’s first waste-to-energy plant in Almaty. The facility will be capable of incinerating at least 1,600 tons of solid municipal waste per day, generating 60 megawatts of electricity. The total investment in the project is estimated at 145 billion tenge (approximately $269 million). The plant will utilize advanced waste-to-energy technology that complies with European Union emission standards. It will also be equipped with an automated system for continuous environmental monitoring. The project is expected to create around 700 jobs during construction and at least 120 permanent positions upon completion. Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection has previously announced plans to invest up to $600 million in three waste-to-energy facilities across Kazakhstan. Regional Expansion and Experience The company is already active in neighboring Kyrgyzstan. In June, it began construction of a $95 million solid waste incineration facility in Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second-largest city. That facility will generate both electricity and heat from municipal waste. In Bishkek, Hunan Junxin is constructing a solid waste recycling facility at the city’s main landfill. The plant is initially expected to process 1,000 tons of waste per day, with capacity slated to increase to 3,000 tons by the time of its projected completion in December 2025. In China, the company reported recycling 3.2 million tons of municipal waste in 2024, generating over 1.47 billion kWh of electricity.
South Korea’s Woosong University is set to open its branch in Turkestan, Kazakhstan, before the start of the new academic year, according to Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek. The announcement came during a meeting with South Korea’s Vice Minister of Education, Oh Seok Hwan, on April 28 in Almaty. Construction of the university premises is currently underway. For the initial intake, Woosong University has allocated 110 scholarships, which will supplement academic grants provided by the Kazakh government. Strengthening Educational Ties During the meeting, Minister Nurbek highlighted several ongoing joint educational and scientific projects between Korean and Kazakhstani institutions: Dong-Eui University, one of South Korea’s leading mechanical engineering universities, is collaborating with Akhmet Baitursynov University to train mechanical engineers for automobile plants in Kostanay. Korkyt Ata University in Kyzylorda has launched dual-degree programs with Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech). Satbayev University in Almaty is partnering with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) to establish a center for rare earth metals processing. According to Nurbek, the establishment of foreign university branches plays a crucial role in Kazakhstan’s ambition to become a regional hub for higher education and to further integrate into the global educational landscape. Vice Minister Oh Seok Hwan expressed confidence that Kazakhstan’s systemic approach and academic potential would ensure its leadership position in the Central Asian educational market. Following their meeting, Nurbek and Oh Seok Hwan attended the opening of the Study in Korea exhibition in Almaty, which featured participation from more than 30 Korean universities. Kazakhstan’s Expanding Educational Horizon Kazakhstan’s growing reputation as an academic hub is further evidenced by other international initiatives. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), one of Russia’s top universities, will open a branch in Astana in September 2025. Additionally, Cardiff University in Wales plans to launch a campus in Astana later this year, reinforcing the Kazakh capital’s rising status as a regional center for higher education.
