Dear compatriots!
Continuing its mission to promote the Kazakh language, the Otandastar Foundation will launch a new series of free online Kazakh language courses starting in March 2026! Language is not only a mirror of the nation but also a tool to better understand your own history. This course will help expand your cultural and linguistic horizons.
Ethnic Kazakhs living abroad, former compatriots, or citizens of Kazakhstan residing abroad;
No age restrictions;
Interest in learning and developing Kazakh language skills;
Ability to attend online classes regularly;
Basic equipment: a computer or smartphone with internet access.
Develop skills in speaking, writing, and understanding Kazakh fluently;
Learning the language opens new opportunities in government, business, and cultural events.
The online courses comprehensively develop listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills.
Participants who complete the course will receive a certificate by meeting the following requirements:
Complete all lessons:
– Attend all lessons;
– Complete assignments and pass tests.
Pass a final exam or test:
– A final exam or test will be conducted to assess overall knowledge;
– Oral or written tasks may be required.
Show active participation:
– Certificates will be awarded to those who attend regularly and actively participate in classes.
In addition to language, participants will have the opportunity to learn about Kazakh culture and traditions.
As participants improve their language skills, they will gain confidence in expressing themselves in new environments.
Interactive lessons designed for you;
Engaging video materials and literary works.
The online Kazakh language course is offered in A1, A2, B1, and B2 levels for Turkish-speaking and Russian-speaking audiences.
To register and join the course, take a placement test using the links below:
Test in Russian:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHSwC1Bh7oodrUEqaCIVwPXmIlR4yGaMOZa2JjlKkVrwQG6Q/viewform?usp=dialog
Test in Turkish:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScoCUYTiYCmNHLKhoGF12NZ00La_c_xHs51ZX8LP31pJrjjSQ/viewform?usp=dialog
A1: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LjaLJXMkz8d4G9MuMF3uUy
A2: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Eo9wP7FYd7YLqnBEPDEw4n
B1: https://chat.whatsapp.com/JlVlOJjHNZhLsZK2gaeX4H
B2: https://chat.whatsapp.com/JOkqN6WOmRxCnWg96G5X81
A1: https://t.me/+TmqhiKZHeVJiOWEy
A2: https://t.me/+erC61FUMki00YTAy
B1: https://t.me/+tbNy0C7bOoNlNDA6
B2: https://t.me/+A3V_axFsPp40ZmM6
Once you join the WhatsApp group, please wait for the instructor’s guidelines. The instructor will send the schedule after all participants complete the placement test. The online Kazakh language course is scheduled to begin in March 2026.
Dear reader!
My name is Askhat Orazbay and I am the Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), in which Kazakhstan holds the chairmanship for 2024-2026.
I would like to share with the audience information about the activities of IFAS aimed at improving the situation in the Aral Sea basin and serving the interests of the peoples and states of Central Asia for 30 years.
In modern realities, with ubiquitous population growth, rapid economic development of states, and an increase in water consumption per capita, the burden on the environment is steadily increasing. Such an intensification of anthropogenic impact provokes and accelerates the processes of global climate change. In Central Asia, all these processes are proceeding at a faster pace than the global average. The ecological crisis in the Aral Sea basin is accompanied by progressive scarcity and pollution of water resources, land degradation and desertification of vast territories, loss of forests, eco-landscapes and biodiversity. On a huge area of the dried–up bottom of the Aral Sea, a new desert has formed - Aralkum, with a size of more than 54 thousand square kilometers (for comparison: it is comparable to the territory of Croatia and much larger than Estonia, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland).
In these tense conditions, it is highly relevant for the Central Asian States to elaborate new mechanisms for developing cooperation in the region. The main goal of the chairmanship of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the IFAS is to further increase the level of cooperation on the integrated use and protection of water resources, solving environmental problems, socio-economic aspects and introducing elements of a "green" economy in Central Asian countries.
During the period of Kazakhstan's chairmanship, we will continue to implement two main programs approved by the IFAS Board: Aral Sea Basin Program-4 (ASBP-4) and its systematic monitoring, as well as the Regional Environmental Protection Program for the Sustainable Development of Central Asia (REPPSD CA). The period of implementation of the both Programs - until 2030.
The environmental problem of the Aral Sea began to appear in the 1960s and 1970s, which has led to the fact that there is practically nothing left from the 4th largest lake on our planet. At first, the Aral Sea was divided into two reservoirs, then into three and …
During the years of Independence, Kazakhstan, with the support of the World Bank, carried out comprehensive work and was able to restore a little part – the Small Aral or the Northern Aral Sea, but this is only about 8% of its original value. The port city of Aralsk is still far from the water, which at first went 100 km away, but after the measures taken it came much closer.
Particles and dust of salts and toxic chemicals left on the drained bottom of the Aral Sea are found not only in the Tien Shan and Pamir mountains, but also far beyond the borders of our region. In order to reduce the removal of harmful substances, the countries of the Aral Sea region are actively engaged in phytomeliorative measures, planting of saxaul (Haloxylon) and other vegetation.
But are plantings on the former bottom of the reservoir so effective? What is the current state of ecosystems? As it is known, due to several low-water years in a row, the flow along the Syr Darya has decreased and the volume of water in the Northern Aral Sea has lessened from a maximum of 27 to 20 cubic kilometers. The catch of fish has declined and this has a negative impact on the employment of the local population. The morbidity rate of the population is growing again due to desertification and deterioration of water quality… Will the tragedy happen again? What are the moods and plans of the locals? There are a lot of questions and they are all interconnected.
I believe that we need to study the full range of problems and ongoing work, to update them and to try to solve them as soon as possible and more effectively.
In the Aral Sea Basin Program-4 (ASBP-4), which I mentioned earlier, the environmental direction is highlighted as a separate main area, consisting of 12 project proposals.
I would like to note that joint actions are envisaged to adapt to climate change, including measures to adapt the most vulnerable sectors: water and agriculture, drinking water, energy, biodiversity, forest, pastures and mountain ecosystems. It was envisaged to develop a regional action plan for adaptation to climate change and, thanks to the support of the Program of the German Society for International Cooperation GIZ "Green Central Asia", five of our countries have developed and adopted a Regional Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change in Central Asia.
It also provides for the dissemination of the best climate-adapted agricultural practices. We will have to develop a regional program for the protection of biological resources in Central Asia, implement measures to preserve and restore ecosystems in the basins of our main rivers – the Amudarya and the Syrdarya, and continue systematic forest plantations in the Aral Sea region (Priaralye) zone and on the drained bottom of the Aral Sea.
The following environmental projects provide for the development of a system for monitoring the state of the environment and water resources in the Aral Sea region (Priaralye) and on the drained seabed; the development of environmental innovations and technologies in the Aral Sea region (Priaralye) zone.
I consider such a project as "Improvement of water quality in rivers and reservoirs, taking into account international standards, elimination and prevention of pollution, including industrial waste" to be very important. Kazakhstan and other countries are working on joining the Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of transboundary watercourses and international lakes, and Uzbekistan has recently joined it.
Reducing the risks of natural disasters associated with floods, mudflows and droughts in the Aral Sea basin, studying the state of glaciers in the upper reaches of transboundary rivers, developing transboundary eco-corridors, regional networks of specially protected natural areas for the conservation of biodiversity is far from an incomplete list of those projects that we must promote during our IFAS chairmanship.
If we talk about new initiatives that will be carried out within the framework of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the IFAS, then this is the creation of a long-term and sustainable regional cooperation mechanism for the effective use of water and energy resources in Central Asia, taking into account the interests of all countries in the region in the fields of irrigation, hydropower and ecology.
Systematic work is also needed to implement a unified automated system for accounting, monitoring, management and distribution of water resources in the Aral Sea basin. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a meeting of the Council of Heads of States-Founders of the IFAS held on September 15, 2023 in Dushanbe, called on the parties to begin implementing these initiatives.
Strengthening regional cooperation with international development partners, UN structural entities, financial institutions and the donor community plays an important role. It is worthwhile to intensify activities within the framework of generally accepted international environmental conventions, action plans, declarations and joint statements.
In the period of 2024-2026 Kazakhstan will take measures to implement the instructions and agreements reached by the Heads of States at the IFAS Summit on September 15, 2023 in Dushanbe, as well as previously concluded agreements and commitments, which will ensure the consistency of Central Asia's actions to achieve the global SDGs and its positioning as a single region.
Sincerely,
Chairperson of the IFAS Executive Committee Askhat Orazbay
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan received with deep sorrow the news of the death of people as a result of a fire at a mine in the Karaganda region.
We express our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased and share with them the bitterness of this irreplaceable loss. We wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
Due to the death of the miners in the Karaganda region, October 29, 2023, has been declared a Day of National Mourning in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Beijing, China
During the meeting, the state and prospects of development of the Kazakh-Chinese comprehensive strategic partnership were discussed. Particular attention was paid to the practical implementation of the agreements previously reached during the meetings between the leader of Kazakhstan and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping.
The President of Kazakhstan noted that he observes with great enthusiasm the rapid socio-economic development of China.
- The Chinese government is effectively addressing the most important tasks of ensuring the sustainability of the economy in the face of global turbulence. We highly appreciate your country's significant contribution to ensuring the stable development of the entire world economy. Kazakhstan has traditionally attached exceptional importance to strengthening the bonds of friendship, good-neighbourliness and comprehensive strategic cooperation with China. Kazakhstan has been and remains a reliable strategic partner and good neighbour of China. Today, Kazakh-Chinese relations are developing rapidly. This is facilitated by active political dialogue at the highest level, as well as the coordinated work of the governments of the two countries, ─ said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The Head of our state said that today he held very productive talks with President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping. Specific agreements were reached on further deepening of Kazakh-Chinese multifaceted relations.
- As part of my visit today 9 governmental level documents and more than 20 agreements between business and various structures of the two countries were signed. Within the framework of the Year of Kazakhstani Tourism in China, I would like to note the high significance of agreements on mutual visa-free regime, on the development of the Trans-Caspian international transport route as well as agreements that provide for our cooperation in the energy sector, ─ the President noted.
For his part, Li Qiang noted the significance of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit to China in the context of further strengthening of bilateral ties.
- The peoples of Kazakhstan and China are united by enduring friendship. In May this year, in an interview with Chinese television, you shared your memories of the years of study and work in our country, surprising and captivating the Chinese audience with your excellent knowledge of the Chinese language. I also watched the interview. I think it gave a powerful impetus to strengthening friendship between our countries. As a result of your meeting with President Xi, important agreements were reached, which serve as a benchmark for opening a new page of the "golden 30 years" of relations between our countries. The Chinese side is ready to work together with your colleagues on the practical implementation of the agreements reached at the highest level, to strengthen the bonds of enduring friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation," - Li Qiang said.
The meeting addressed the topics of strengthening cooperation in agriculture, investment, transport and transit, energy, petrochemistry, geological exploration, automotive industry, high technology and digitalisation.
At the same time, the two sides confirmed their mutual desire to continue cooperation on the joint use of transboundary rivers.
Source : Akorda.kz
During a working trip to China, Chairman of the Board-Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University Zhanseit Tuimebayev signed a memorandum of cooperation with leading universities of China.
Head of KazNU Zhanseit Tuimebayev met with Chancellor of the China University of Petroleum Chen Feng, Director General of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Zhang Yuanming and Vice President of Shenzhen University Zhang Xueji and concluded agreements defining the main directions of academic cooperation and exchange of experience.
Within the framework of the agreement, the parties will exchange scientific publications, teaching staff and scientists, students, as well as hold joint conferences and researches. The Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography at the Academy of Sciences has received about 300 awards at the international and national levels over the past 60 years. Over the past 20 years, 176 monographs, 4775 scientific papers have been published, 165 patents and 90 copyrights for programs have been obtained at the Institute. Together with other organizations, XIEG has established six international drylands research centers and an environmental monitoring network in Central Asia.
The Al-Farabi Kazakh National University has a Center for Remote Sensing of the Earth. In order to further intensify work in this direction, KazNU and the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography will jointly open a special laboratory within the framework of the partnership. It is planned that various analytical studies will be carried out in this laboratory using data obtained on the basis of geoinformation systems and satellite images. This work will help prevent threats in such areas as agriculture, emergencies, climate change and ecology.
KazNU together with Shenzhen University will work in the field of medicine and biotechnology within the framework of the concluded agreement. The university, founded in 1983 now has more than 35 thousand students. According to ShanghaiRanking, Shenzhen University is ranked 201st, occupies 600th and 124th places in the QS World University Rankings 2023 and QS Asian University Rankings 2023, respectively.
China University of Petroleum, which opened in 1953, currently has about 16 thousand students. The educational institution together with world-famous universities and enterprises has opened 13 international institutes. The university cooperates with more than 60 universities and research centers. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University together with the China University of Petroleum will conduct student exchange, training of qualified specialists, research work, and implement a program of double-degree education within the framework of the memorandum.