Astana, September 30, 2025 — Astana Hub hosted a landmark event featuring Peter Norvig, Director of Research at Google and one of the world’s foremost experts in artificial intelligence. The centerpiece of the day was the Google Firebase Studio Championship Central Asia 2025, which brought together the region’s most talented developers, startups, and AI innovators.
Madina Abdrakhmanova, Deputy Director of Product and External Affairs and Senior Data Scientist at ISSAI, was invited to serve on the distinguished jury panel. She joined Peter Norvig, co-author of the seminal textbook Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, alongside leading figures from Google and Central Asia’s tech ecosystem.
The jury’s participation underscored the championship’s importance in nurturing innovation, strengthening AI talent, and showcasing the role of Firebase and AI-powered tools in creating real-world solutions.
As part of the event, Peter Norvig also engaged in an open dialogue on the future of AI, Google’s contributions to its development, and his experiences across science, education, and entrepreneurship.
ISSAI’s role in this initiative reflects its mission to advance AI research, foster innovation, and contribute to Kazakhstan’s position in the global digital ecosystem.We are also pleased to share that Peter Norvig will visit Nazarbayev University tomorrow, October 1, for the special event AI Horizons: A Conversation with Global Leaders. Together with John Hopcroft, a distinguished scientist in computational theory and Turing Award laureate, he will engage with the NU AI community, including students, to share insights and discuss the future of artificial intelligence. The event will take place at 17:00 in Orange Hall, Nazarbayev University.