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Astana International University signed a Strategic Memorandum of Cooperation with the Swiss Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship
Fri, Aug 1, 2025, 11:52 AM

📍 Astana, August 1, 2025

Astana International University (AIU) continues to expand its international partnerships: an official meeting was held at the university with the delegation of the Swiss Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship (SITE, Switzerland), resulting in the signing of a Memorandum of Mutual Cooperation.

On behalf of the Swiss side, the negotiations were attended by Ainura Mukanova, Director of Business Development, representing the interests of SITE Rector Mr. Alberto Ibarz Garcia.

Key provisions of the Memorandum include:

  • implementation of dual-degree programs and academic exchange between students and faculty of both institutions;

  • joint development and delivery of specialized educational courses and trainings in business, IT, innovation, media, and entrepreneurship;

  • participation in international scientific and educational forums, seminars, and conferences;

  • development of joint academic and non-degree programs, including online courses and professional training modules;

  • promotion of transparency, and academic integrity as fundamental principles of the partnership.

🔍 During the meeting, the parties discussed their strategic vision, emphasizing the importance of integrating Kazakhstan’s education system into the European academic space and preparing a new generation of globally competent professionals.

“The partnership with SITE opens access for our students and faculty to European-level education and international academic mobility. It is a significant step in AIU’s development as a global university.”

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Congratulations to Alisher Ibraev on receiving a grant for his research project "Problems of Protecting the Rights of Landowners and....
Fri, Jul 25, 2025, 12:55 PM

A Triumph of Legal Thought and Scientific Initiative!
We are proud to announce that Alisher Ibraev, Senior Lecturer at the Higher School of Law of Astana International University, has won a prestigious research grant competition organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan!

The highly rated project focuses on one of the fundamental topics of modern legal discourse - the effective protection of land rights, including ownership, use, and disposal of land plots.
In an era of rapid economic transformation, growing investment activity in the agricultural sector, and increasing attention to sustainable resource management, this topic has acquired strategic importance.

The core of the research lies in an in-depth analysis of legal practice, identification of weaknesses in current legislation, and development of well-grounded proposals for its improvement.
Special emphasis will be placed on the study of court decisions related to land disputes, which will not only highlight the real mechanisms of rights protection but also help develop effective legal tools to strengthen the rights of landowners and land users.

The outcomes of this research are expected to make a significant contribution to the development of Kazakhstan’s national legal system, enhance the level of judicial protection of citizens, and influence the formation of a fair, transparent, and sustainable model of land regulation in the country.

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Congratulations to Saule Kairollovna Damekova on her project's grant award!
Fri, Jul 25, 2025, 12:48 PM

Artificial intelligence is confidently entering all spheres of our lives.
It has already become an axiom that it is not AI that will replace people, but people who use AI will replace those who don’t.

Naturally, our future generations-our schoolchildren and students-can only be competitive if they master all the advantages that AI tools offer. But who will teach them this? Their social environment, family, and, of course, their teachers. And teachers themselves must learn how to use AI effectively both in life and in their professional teaching activities.

Thoughtless and unstructured use of AI can harm the intellectual development of both teachers and their students. It can reduce critical thinking and problem-solving skills and increase overdependence on AI. If AI constantly provides ready-made answers and solutions, people may lose the motivation and ability to develop their own critical thinking, analyze information, and find solutions independently. AI may also provide results without explaining the logic behind them, which hinders users from understanding how these results were generated and from developing their own analytical skills. Furthermore, AI can distort reality by generating biased, incomplete, or inaccurate information.

Excessive reliance on AI also weakens memory and learning abilities, atrophies cognitive functions, prevents deep understanding of subjects and sustainable knowledge formation, and decreases creativity and cognitive engagement. This, in turn, leads to social and emotional degradation, including reduced empathy and emotional intelligence.

To avoid these risks, a scientifically grounded and systematic approach to working with AI is necessary-an approach where AI is seen as a tool to enhance human potential, not to replace it.

Until now, there has been no research on how AI can be used to develop critical thinking in future teachers.

Researchers at Astana International University have received grant funding to address this issue.
The project titled "Development of Critical Thinking in Future Computer Science Teachers Based on AI Tools", led by Saule Kairollovna Damekova, PhD in Pedagogical Sciences and Associate Professor at the Pedagogical Institute of Astana International University, aims to develop and implement educational modules and AI-based simulators that foster critical thinking in future computer science teachers, as well as assess their effectiveness in the university’s educational process.

The project plans to create an innovative educational simulator with AI that not only develops critical thinking skills in future computer science teachers but also enhances their professional competencies, including methods for teaching critical thinking in schools.

The project will be carried out in collaboration with researchers from Columbia University (New York, USA), which will allow the integration of international experience and best practices into the methodological system for developing critical thinking in future teachers. On the international level, the project's results can be adapted and implemented in educational programs of other countries, creating opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The outcomes of the project have wide application potential:

  • In education: the developed modules and AI simulator can be integrated into teacher education programs.
  • In science: the results may serve as a basis for further research in educational technology, pedagogy, and artificial intelligence. Studies in this field could lead to new algorithms and methods that expand AI’s capabilities in education and help build more effective, accessible, and equitable educational systems.

 

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Congratulations to Sholpan Altynbekovna on winning the research grant!
Fri, Jul 25, 2025, 12:18 PM

At the Frontline of the Global World: Kazakhstan as a Center of New Diplomacy

Under the scientific supervision of Associate Professor of the Higher School of Law at Astana International University, Ph.D. Sholpan Altynbekovna Saimova, an ambitious and strategically important research project is being launched.
Project title:
"The International Mediation Hub as a Tool for Peaceful Conflict Resolution and Nuclear Disarmament Promotion: The Experience of Kazakhstan and Other Countries."

In the era of sharp global crises - from the war in Ukraine to tensions in the Middle East - the search for new peacebuilding formats is not just timely, but vital.
In this context, Kazakhstan, having historically chosen the path of a nuclear-free future, stands as a moral and legal reference point for the global community.

The project is an interdisciplinary study combining international law, diplomacy, and conflict resolution.
Main goal - to develop the concept of an International Mediation Hub as a new architecture for peaceful settlement and global disarmament.
By analyzing successful practices, simulating scenarios, and formulating practical recommendations, the team aims to make a tangible impact on the international agenda.

This is more than a scientific contribution. It is an intellectual challenge that may reshape how the world approaches conflict resolution.
Kazakhstan once again asserts itself as a global actor committed to peace and security.

Congratulations to Sholpan Altynbekovna on winning the research grant!