incrEAST provides information about the scope and objectives of international co-operation in research, science and technology between Kazakhstan and EECA countries, EU Member States and associated countries as well as about further opportunities for enhanced networking.
International cooperation in research, science and technology are regulated by legislation system of Kazakhstan. The cooperation is being realised on the basis of international agreements and contracts. There are more than 140 agreements and contracts with different countries for research cooperation. It is necessary to note that any international grant agreements in Kazakhstan are free from any local taxes and duties, excepting, of course, individual incomes.
This cooperation is traditionally high, Kazakhstan has very close cooperation with Russia, taking into account that one third population of Kazakhstan are ethnical Russians, and Kazakhstan and Russia have many common sectors of economy. There are number of agreements in different fields of activity from social-humanitarian up to high novel technology projects. There are special agreements between the Russian and Kazakh universities, scientific-research institutions and centres, high schools, and academies.
Number of bilateral cooperation agreements is concluded between Kazakhstan and Belarus, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan in different fields of education and science: seismology, metallurgy, oil, gas, economy, linguistic, exchange of students and teachers, recognition of high school diploma between the countries etc.
In this group of countries Kazakhstan traditionally has close cooperation with Germany, still 0,9% of population of Kazakhstan are Germans. There are number of bilateral agreements and activities of GTZ, BBZ, DAAD. In 1999 Kazakhstan and Germany together have opened in Almaty Kazakh-German University.
Since its independency Kazakhstan has established close cooperation with the United Kingdom, especially in the field of RTD, about 45% of projects funded under the EU FP traditionally with participation of the UK coordinators.
Kazakhstan has bilateral agreements on cooperation in the field of culture, education and science with Bulgaria, Spain, Greece, France, Turkey, and Poland. All of these agreements foresee joint research, exchange of students and teachers, joint participation at the EU programs such as TACIS/TEMPUS and FP, creation of equal conditions for students and tutors, and many other things included into the agreements.
Kazakhstan has entered into the cooperation with the EU in 1994 with the first pilot action of INTAS. Kazakhstan participated in the first INTAS call 1993. And first INTAS InfoDesk was created in Kazakhstan in December 1994 also as INTAS pilot action.
Kazakhstan was very active in 1995-1999 up to early 2000 to participate in different EU calls, not only Framework Program. Up to 2002 Kazakhstan was very successful in 212 projects funded under FP4 and FP5. Kazakh institutions were very active in Euroatom, TACIS/TEMPUS and other calls for proposals. Within FP6 this activity decreased for while. Our observation shows that for the period of 2003-2007 the economy of Kazakhstan grew very fast, and the local institutions suddenly received unexpected amount of money. Moreover, suddenly many institutions changed their structure and belonged to another ministries or agencies, and many others were forced to change their scientific interests because of order of government. Thus, the priorities of the EU calls and priorities launched by the Kazakh government for the short period was not in accord with each other.
In June 2010 the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan established the National Coordination Council for Cooperation with the Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development and Innovation.
Kazakhstan is an active participant of ISTC projects. There is the Agreement for collaboration in fusion energy research between Euratom and the Republic of Kazakhstan. Recently Kazakhstan got into number of projects under ERASMUS MUNDUS.
It is necessary to note that now, for the time being, there are 10 running projects with Kazakh participants funded under FP7: 2 – in the field of Food and Biotechnology, 2 – Environment, 1 – INCO, 2 – Energy, 1 – Health, 1 – ResInfra, and 1 – ICT.
Kazakhstan is open for cooperation with the EU in the field of S&T. Now number of Kazakh ministries has created working groups to develop the EU-Kazakhstan S&T cooperation agreement. This issue also will be considered by the High S&T Committee under the government of Kazakhstan headed by Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. However, the primary task of the Ministry of Education and Science, Committee of Science of the Ministry and of the Parliament and the FP7-NCP is to increase the critical mass of Kazakh participants at the EU FP and other research programs.
Source: InExCB-KZ
Last up-date: 11 October 2010
