On October 2, 2026, in Astana, Bakhyt Akhatovich Zhautykov, Chairman of
the Board — Rector of NJSC “Karaganda Industrial University,” participated in
the VIII Rectors’ Club: Central Asia+ meeting on the topic “Universities After
AI: New Leadership, the Human Dimension and the Future of Universities in
Central Asia+.”
The meeting was held at Qazaq AI Research University (QAIRU). The event
was organized by Almaty Management University (AlmaU) and QAIRU. University
leaders and international experts discussed the impact of artificial
intelligence on university education, scientific research, management, and
interaction with industry.
The keynote address, “Thinking in the Age of AI: From Automation to the
Relational University,” was delivered by Alexander Sidorkin, Professor at the
Faculty of Education at California State University, Sacramento (USA), former
Chief AI Officer, and co-author of the book Universities After AI. The
presentation focused on how AI is transforming the core functions of the university:
knowledge creation, teaching, degree awarding, academic work, and institutional
models.
As part of the panel discussion “The Human and the University in the
Context of AI,” Neil Marshall, Director of Development at ChangeSchool and an
expert in executive education, innovation, and entrepreneurship development,
and Björn Birgisson, Vice Provost for Research and Innovation at Nazarbayev
University, spoke at the event.
One of the outcomes of the meeting was the development of the Astana AI
Declaration 2026 — the Astana Declaration of Universities on AI, reflecting
common priorities for the human-centered transformation of higher education and
inter-university cooperation.
For KarIU, participation in the meeting provided an opportunity to
exchange experience with leading experts and university leaders, discuss the
application of AI in engineering education, and develop partnerships with
universities in the region.
#KarIU #RectorsClub #AlmaU
#QAIRU #
Photo Gallery
