From August 17 to 19, a delegation of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, headed by Academy President A.K. Kurishbayev, paid a working visit to Beijing. The Institute of Nuclear Physics was represented by Askhat Bekbayev, Deputy Director General for Research. A key event of the visit was a meeting between President of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan A.K. Kurishbayev and Hou Jianguo, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and He Hongping, Vice President of CAS. Following the talks, the parties identified four priority areas of cooperation, one of which was nuclear physics and energy.
The parties expressed their interest in moving from general academic cooperation to the implementation of specific scientific and technological projects, the establishment of joint research groups, the conduct of experiments, the exchange of specialists, and the training of scientific personnel. Separate meetings were held with the leadership of Tsinghua University and the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET), one of China’s leading centers in the field of nuclear energy. The Institute has experimental reactor infrastructure and expertise in reactor physics, thermal hydraulics, nuclear safety, materials science, and the nuclear fuel cycle. Potential areas of cooperation discussed included small modular reactors (SMRs), modeling and scientific and engineering support for nuclear facilities, the development of radiation-resistant materials, research into advanced nuclear fuels, including TRISO and MOX fuels, as well as the reliability and safety of next-generation reactors.
Particular attention was paid to the training of specialists for Kazakhstan’s nuclear industry. Cooperation with Tsinghua University and INET could include joint educational programs, internships for young scientists and engineering and technical personnel, academic supervision of master’s and doctoral students, as well as joint research conducted using the parties’ experimental infrastructure.
The development of such cooperation will contribute to strengthening the scientific and technological foundation of Kazakhstan’s nuclear industry, training a new generation of specialists, and creating advanced domestic solutions for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
