A new era started with a turning point
Today, Shakarim University Chairman of the Board - Rector Duman Orynbekov held a special report meeting on the results of 2025 on the topic "THE TURNING POINT". This event stands out as an unprecedented experience not only in the history of the university, but also in the higher education system of Kazakhstan.
Specifically, the report meeting of the head of the university was not limited to the final report with his participation, but the top management leaders reported on the work done in their direction.
The meeting was opened by Shakarim University Rector Duman Orynbekov. In his speech, the rector clarified the main principle of the report: today, not only the rector, but the whole university is responsible.
"Today, the entire university speaks not abstractly, but strategically in front of the society, the region, the youth who have entrusted us with their future, the state that invests in science and education, and the country that expects rational solutions. There should be no concept of "someone's" responsibility here. Each of us - rector, vice-rector, teacher, researcher, student - is responsible for the transformation of Shakarim University, for the place of the university in the development of the region and the country. Therefore, at today's event, those who made real decisions, took risks, and those responsible for the results, who understood that public trust is not given as an advance, will be accountable only by deeds. This is openness. And the university, which develops according to the logic of the state and the future, is a mirror of this" - said the rector in his introductory speech.
What kind of turning point did Shakarim University, which has a ninety-year history? What revivals took place? In the words of the rector, the most important change is "in people". The new look of the educational institution was formed by the teaching staff, specialists at the forefront of science: young researchers, engineers, agrarian entrepreneurs, IT specialists and international partners. They were able to introduce new content to the university.
The main feature of recent years is the establishment of a culture based on open questioning and responsible decision-making. The ability to analyze and solve problems at a professional level without hiding problems has become the main position of the university. Thus, Shakarim University has become an ecosystem of critical thinking, which is a new trend in education and science.
Within this importance, the 2025 report also differed from the traditional form. Instead of a series of narratives based on slides and bare statistics, the university chose to show its path, its change, with concrete results. This report is not an enumeration of the past, but a clear manifestation of a new system of thought, a changed university.
“Today's report is a TURNING POINT. This is the acceptance of the new trajectory of the university's development with responsibility before the society. For the first time, we will talk about the systematic growth of Shakarim University in the main directions in recent years. Compared to 2024, all basic indicators: finance, science, infrastructure, personnel, projects, development investments are in positive dynamics. This marks the end of the gap-filling period for the university and the beginning of the future-setting period. We will now consciously manage risk and aim for systematic growth" - said Duman Orynbekov.
If 2024 was a period of stabilization for the university, 2025 was a clear period of growth. The total income increased from 7.6 billion tenge to 8.5 billion tenge, including the funds allocated to science increased from 1.6 billion tenge to 2.3 billion tenge. The share of science income increased by 40% in one year - this is not just a number, but a manifestation of effective financial management.
60% of the university's budget was allocated to salaries and investments were made in the systematic development of human capital. 21% of the funds spent on infrastructure were aimed at strengthening the material base of science and education.
A lot can be seen from the growth of indicators of the fiscal policy system in 2025. This is a fundamental change in the logic of management - it is clearly defined how to move from the previous inertial action to a clearly oriented strategy, from individual decisions to an efficient system, from stability to progressive growth.
Such a financial architecture was the foundation for a new quality of university science.
Shakarim University is the leader of regional science and innovation
Vice-Rector for Internationalization and Innovations Erasyl Dulatbay said that in 2025, Shakarim University achieved exceptional results among regional higher educational institutions, 9 scientific projects as a result of university research were registered as intellectual property and presented to the market as new or improved products and services, most of the projects were focused on the food industry and agriculture, and the National Nuclear Center for Liquid Radioactive Waste He noted that receiving a production order for the production of sorbents is a high mark given to the scientific potential of the university
"In 2025, the volume of foreign investments in Shakarim University's scientific infrastructure reached 57.5 million tenge. In particular, in cooperation with China's Xi'an Jiaotong University, the first laboratory equipment for the Kazakhstan-China Electrification and Automation Laboratory was delivered.
Furthermore, with the support of "Xi'an HETU", the Agrobiolaboratory was fully equipped with modern equipment and began to become an international scientific research center," he said.
Agrobiolaboratory, which was under conservation until now, was revived in 2025 and today has become a support area of real agrarian science. In one year, research was conducted on 9 crops, the effectiveness of 32 grain and fodder crops, as well as 5 potato varieties was tested.
ShakarimLab combining science and practice
The next speaker, a young scientist of Shakarim University, PhD, head of Shakarim Lab design bureau Adilet Sugirbai noted that the university is creating a unique ecosystem aimed at solving specific industry problems by integrating production, science and knowledge.
"It is in this environment that we attract university students to science and provide them with mentoring support. Through mentoring, we engage young researchers in actual practical, applied projects rather than limiting them only to theory. We focus on solving the problems of agriculture that are in real demand.
My plan is not to leave university science only on paper, but to create real techniques and technologies that contribute to the development of our country, and to create a chain system that will bring it to the business process through a commercialization program,'' said the young scientist.
At the same time, it is appropriate to mention that Adilet Sugirbai recently received the special award "Hope of Kazakh Science" of the National Academy of Sciences under the President during the presentation of the "Academy Most Cited Researcher Award", which awards young scientists of Kazakhstan according to the Web of Science database.
Investment in science is capital for the future
The results of 2025 showed that the university has formed a stable model of scientific career and infrastructure, increased funding and publication activity. According to the vice-rector for science Zhanar Kalibekovyna, this is measured not only by the modernization of laboratories and equipment, but also by the culture of scientific thinking and the real contribution of the university to the regional economy.
In 2025, 54 research projects were implemented at the university, and the amount of funding increased by 1.4 times compared to 2024. Hundreds of millions of tenge were allocated for updating the material and technical base and development of scientific infrastructure, including about 500 million tenge for modern equipment.
The ancient wisdom of Abu Nasir al-Farabi, "The future of a country with a strong science is perfect" is defining the basis of university development today. Thus, Shakarim University has risen to a new milestone in research and innovation and is systematically strengthening its scientific potential.
Updated infrastructure - new features
Maksat Karibaev, head of the rector's office, gave a report on the infrastructural and social development of the university as part of the public report of the rector of Shakarim University. This report identified infrastructure as a strategic development resource that provides security, energy efficiency, comfort and social sustainability of the university ecosystem.
He pointed out that 2025 was a turning point for Shakarim University's infrastructural modernization, that the amount of funding for infrastructure projects increased by 75% compared to the previous year, and that they aimed not only to repair individual facilities, but also to carry out complex and systematic modernization. According to the chief of staff, starting from 2022, the university is gradually implementing a large-scale infrastructure renewal strategy. Within this strategy: utility networks were completely replaced, fire safety level was increased by 90%, the campus was equipped with 100% video surveillance systems in accordance with terrorist security requirements, the infrastructure of two sports complexes was completely modernized, and the swimming pool was put into operation; student dormitories were renovated, modern co-working areas and study spaces were created. As a result, a new, safe and technological campus suitable for education and scientific research was formed.
"We did not only modernize buildings. We have formed an academic community united by a common goal and common values, with collective immunity," said the Chief of Staff in his report.
National Leadership and Academic Transformation
The report of Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Beimbet Daryabayev clearly demonstrated the achievements of Shakarim University in integrating artificial intelligence into the academic environment. In 2025, the university became one of the national leaders within the framework of the AI Sana program, which is proof of the period of academic perfection of digital transformation.
The university's Shakarim AI Check system is an important step towards improving the learning process and creating new standards of academic integrity. This system increases the role of artificial intelligence in the field of education and improves the quality of students' academic work.
According to the vice-chancellor, artificial intelligence is not only an IT product, but also a strategic resource that will completely change the ecosystem of the university. The fact that students create independent JI-agents and put them into production shows that education has turned to a practical direction.
B. Daribayev's report
"As a result of digital transformation, the speed of business processes has increased by 40%, transparency has been established at all levels. Data-based decision-making has become the norm of management analysis, and the digital culture of students and teachers has been formed.
Shakarim University is firmly entering the phase of intelligent economy and is becoming the main provider of personnel, advanced technologies and scientific schools" - he concluded.
Human capital oriented growth
Pro-Rector for Strategy and Social Development Askar Kasymov noted that the basis of Shakarim University's strategic achievements is human capital.
The university's entry into the QS World University ranking with 1401+ positions and its entry into the TOP-500 in the QS Asia ranking, as well as its achievements in the world rankings for sustainable development, are proof of Shakarim University's global recognition.
In the "Atameken" rating, 31 educational programs entered the TOP-10 and 19 programs passed international accreditation - this indicates the high quality of personnel training.
The introduction of the iGPA system, which evaluates the research activity and social maturity of students, shows that the university is focused on the comprehensive development of students.
Askar Kasymov stressed that Shakarim University is recognized as a competitive university in the global arena by investing in human capital and improving the quality of education, which is an important achievement for the Kazakhstan education system.
Thus, the open report meeting under the name "THE TURNING POINT" confirmed this radical turn: the traditional formal report was completely abandoned, the head of each direction presented his results responsibly, and the final part was held in an open dialogue with the public. The new approach defined the new management culture of the university and showed that responsibility has become concrete and measurable.
You can watch the presentation of Shakarim University rector Duman Orynbekov on the topic "THE TURNING POINT" on the YouTube channel at the following link: https://youtube.com/live/XJBBbuXiDOQ?feature=share
The PDF version of the work done in 2025, included in the report meeting of Shakarim University Rector Duman Orynbekov to the public, can be found through this link:
