Beijing, November 8, 2026 – New opportunities for cooperation in artificial intelligence research, language technologies, healthcare, and education were at the centre of a series of meetings held by the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) in Beijing. The delegation met with representatives of the Digital Intelligence International Development Education Alliance (DI-IDEA) and leading Chinese AI company iFLYTEK to explore partnerships aimed at advancing AI research and developing solutions tailored to Kazakhstan’s needs.
The first meeting took place at Peking University with DI-IDEA Secretary-General, Director of the Office of the Provost of Peking University, Dr. Sun Hua and members of the Alliance’s team. ISSAI was represented by Dr. Zhanat Makhataeva, Senior Data Scientist; Vladimir Albrekht, Data Scientist; and Yerbol Absalyamov, Executive Director.
The discussions focused on establishing a foundation for long-term academic cooperation through joint research, researcher exchange, and collaborative initiatives. Particular attention was given to potential ISSAI involvement in medical AI projects, the advancement of Kazakh-language AI technologies, with a particular focus on the Qolda* model, and initiatives to enhance AI literacy among university faculty and students. The parties also explored opportunities to strengthen institutional ties with Peking University, including the potential signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
On November 8, the delegation also visited iFLYTEK’s headquarters in Beijing, where the company’s team presented demonstrations of its AI-powered solutions. iFLYTEK is a major Chinese technology company specialising in artificial intelligence, speech recognition, and natural language processing, with more than 16,800 employees worldwide.
The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss practical applications of AI across several sectors, including medicine, language technologies, education, and agriculture. A key focus was the development of technologies adapted to the Kazakh language, particularly speech recognition and processing. As a concrete outcome, the parties agreed to initiate pilot projects in Kazakh speech technologies, opening opportunities to explore advanced solutions for the local linguistic and technological environment.
The meetings mark another step towards expanding ISSAI’s international research network and building partnerships that connect global AI expertise with Kazakhstan’s priorities. By combining academic collaboration with industry-driven technological development, ISSAI aims to contribute to the advancement of locally relevant AI solutions and strengthen Kazakhstan’s position in the global AI landscape.
* 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