Smailov urges European IT universities to open offices in Kazakhstan

ALMATY. KAZINFORM – Kazakhstan plans to train at least 100 thousand highly qualified IT specialists by 2025, Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said at the 2nd ‘European Union – Central Asia’ economic forum in Almaty, Kazinform correspondent reports.

Kazakh Premier Smailov said that Kazakhstan set the strategic goal of becoming one of the major digital hubs in the region, noting that the digitalization is one of the key drivers of economic development.

«Last year, our country took 28^th place in the UN E-Government Development Index – the highest in the region and among the CIS countries. Kazakhstan has been creating favorable conditions to promote digital transformation,» said the Kazakh Prime minister.

Smailov noted that in March last year Microsoft announced the opening of a multiregional hub in Kazakhstan set to become a center for attracting advanced technologies and expertise. The hub will not only cover Central Asia, but also Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Pakistan.

The Prime minister expressed Kazakhstan’s readiness to take part in the Global Gateway, Team Europe projects, as well as the EU-Central Asia digital connectivity initiative, noting that the country provided the platform for European satellite companies to create a regional hub.

«By 2025, Kazakhstan plans to train at least 100 thousand qualified specialists in the IT sphere,» said Smailov, calling on European IT universities to open their offices in Kazakhstan with the Astana Hub Technology Park as a platform with the necessary conditions for development.