On May 28, 2025, the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) at Nazarbayev University welcomed Professor Olaf Groth, renowned futurist, geoeconomic strategist, and faculty member at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. The meeting was organized by the Sustainable Innovation and Technology Foundation (SITF), with key contributions from Nailya Shodorova, Chief Program Manager at SITF, and Yerbol Kapishev, CEO of Jas Ventures Limited, a strategic partner of the foundation.
During the visit, Professor Groth engaged in an in-depth discussion with Professor Huseyin Atakan Varol (General Director and Founder of ISSAI), Amina Baikenova (IT Product Manager), and Alaidar Amirseiit (Government Relations Manager) on the development of Kazakhstan’s AI infrastructure and innovation strategy. The conversation focused on the alignment of national AI initiatives with global trends, the role of emerging technologies in shaping future societies, and lessons from the U.S. experience in building AI ecosystems.
Prof. Groth also shared insights from his latest work, The Great Remobilization toward Globalization 2.0, in which he argues that the post-WWII era of Globalization 1.0 has come to an end. He highlighted how six major forces — pandemics, cognitive technologies, crypto and Web3, cybersecurity, climate and carbon, and China–U.S. relations — are reshaping the global order. His proposed FLP-IT framework offers tools such as scenario planning, zeroth principles thinking, and portfolio theory to navigate this complex transformation.
Professor Groth’s visit is part of a broader collaboration aimed at strengthening international partnerships and fostering Kazakhstan’s role in the emerging AI and technology landscape. He also gave a public lecture at Nazarbayev University later the same day.
Additionally, Professor Groth introduced his work with the Cambrian Futures Venture Studio, based at the Berkeley Space Center. The studio focuses on turning bold, future-oriented ideas in domains such as air, space, and ocean technologies into scalable market solutions. Membership-based and rooted in practical foresight, the initiative will officially launch in September 2025.
This high-level dialogue signals ISSAI’s growing role as a platform for strategic exchange on AI development and innovation, bridging Kazakhstan with leading minds and institutions from around the world.