On 17 May 2024, a special event dedicated to the transformation of the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) into a full-fledged institute was held in the Senate Hall of Nazarbayev University. The invited guests included representatives of the “National Information Technology” JSC and the Til-Qazyna center, Nazarbayev University (NU) administration, professors, deans and vice-deans of NU schools, the Office of the Provost, NU research community, and members of various NU departments, such as law, finance, accountring, IT, PR, USM, and marketing.
The official part of the event began with a congratulatory speech by the Acting President of NU, Dr. Ilesanmi Adesida. He congratulated the ISSAI team, mentioned the establishment of the Institute, its achievements, and emphasized this crucial chapter in its history. He wished the team every success and pointed out that ISSAI must now become the fulcrum of AI at NU and in Kazakhstan. Dr. Aslan Sarinzhipov, Executive Vice President, joined in the congratulations. He emphasized ISSAI’s contributions to the development of AI in Kazakhstan and wished further significant achievements.
ISSAI founding director, Dr. Atakan Varol, first thanked President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for his continuous support in the development of AI in Kazakhstan and his instructions to transform ISSAI into a full-fledged research institute. Dr. Varol then expressed his gratitude to all attendees for their help in the transformation. He noted the significant assistance and guidance during the transformation from the NU administration, including the contributions of Dr. Adesida, Dr. Sarinzhipov, and Chief Operating Officer Maksat Mamashev, as well as various departments and university staff. Dr. Atakan Varol also thanked guests from NIT JSC, the Til-Qazyna center, and partners from the Ministry of Digitalization, Astana Hub, and A. Baitursynuly Linguistic Institute, Al-Farabi National University.
The official part was followed by a reception, where guests had the opportunity to network, discuss projects, and explore the upcoming plans for ISSAI’s development. Over 90 people attended the event, marking the beginning of a significant chapter in the history of the ISSAI.