On October 14–15, 2026, Professor Huseyin Atakan Varol, Director of the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) and Dean of the School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (SCAI) at Nazarbayev University, participated in the 20th Anniversary IEEE International Conference on Application of Information and Communication Technologies (AICT2026), hosted by ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan.
As part of the conference’s keynote program, Professor Varol delivered a speech titled “Creating Generative AI Models for Low-Resource Contexts: Dataset Preparation, Model Training, and Service Deployment.” The main focus of his presentation was Qolda, a language model developed by ISSAI for the Kazakhstani context. He discussed the importance of developing locally adapted AI models that reflect the country’s linguistic and cultural needs and support Kazakhstan’s digital sovereignty.
Professor Varol highlighted the potential of compact, regionally developed language models to provide practical AI capabilities while helping protect sensitive information by enabling data processing within trusted local environments. He also addressed the key stages of developing localized generative AI solutions, from dataset preparation and model training to service deployment.
In addition to his keynote address, Professor Varol participated in the panel discussion “AI in Higher Education and Science: Opportunities and Challenges.” The discussion brought together international experts to explore the opportunities and challenges of integrating artificial intelligence into higher education and scientific research.
The panel featured Professor Erol Gelenbe of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Informatics, Polish Academy of Sciences; Professor Tarek El-Ghazawi of George Washington University; Professor Aldo Canova of Politecnico di Torino; Professor Lasha Ephremidze of Kutaisi International University; and Dr. Vafa Kazdal, Vice-Rector for Strategy and Advancement at ADA University.
ISSAI extends its sincere gratitude to Professor Hafiz Pashayev, Rector of ADA University and Conference Chairman, and Dr. Abzetdin Adamov, Dean of the School of IT and Engineering at ADA University and General Co-Chair, for their leadership and contributions to the successful organization of AICT2026.
ISSAI also commends ADA University for its outstanding campus and excellent facilities, which provided an inspiring environment for international scientific exchange, meaningful discussions, and academic collaboration.
* Qolda model – A model created by ISSAI under the grant funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (program targeted funding – BR24993001), where consortium members are KazNU al-Farabi (leader), ISSAI, Til-Qazyna Scientific-practical center, Linguistic Institute named after A. Baitursynov, Institute of Information and Computational Technologies