The AI Sana Program is a large-scale state initiative of Kazakhstan launched in December 2024 by the order of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Its key goal is to train highly qualified specialists and develop the national artificial intelligence ecosystem.
The program is designed to cover 650,000 students and is implemented in stages. It aims to provide students, master’s, doctoral, postdoctoral candidates, and young researchers in various fields (agriculture, water resources, energy, education, etc.) with additional competencies in artificial intelligence and AI entrepreneurship. This will allow future specialists not only to gain a deeper understanding of their professional field but also to apply AI technologies to optimize processes and solve pressing industry challenges.
Graduates of the program will be able to launch their own startups, creating innovative solutions for different sectors, or apply the acquired knowledge in their professional activities, contributing to the introduction of advanced technologies and accelerating the country’s technological development.
Stages of the AI-Sana Program
The program is implemented step by step — from basic knowledge of AI to the creation and scaling of startups.
- Preparatory stage (650,000 students): basic AI courses on Coursera, Huawei platforms, at Astana Hub, and in universities. Students are introduced to key trends, principles, and examples of AI applications.
- Stage 1: development of an educational and methodological complex and a learning platform. International experts prepare a methodological program on AI and AI entrepreneurship.
- Stage 2 (100,000 students): training in the basics of AI, entrepreneurship, design thinking, case studies, and trends. The focus is on practical skills and solving industry-specific tasks.
- Stage 3 (60,000 students): development of student projects, mentoring, orientation toward market needs, and preparation of scaling strategies.
- Stage 4 (1,500 startups): pre-acceleration, acceleration, and post-acceleration. Selection of ideas, creation of MVPs and business models, project improvement and scaling, support for market entry, and attracting investments.
As of August 28, 2025, 1,938 students of KarIU have completed courses on the basics of artificial intelligence on the Huawei and Coursera platforms.
The Minister and the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the presentation of the AI SANA program
