The Road to Green Horizons

In the face of global challenges, the development of human capital is becoming a priority of Kazakhstan's state policy. In this context, Almaty Technological University (ATU) is successfully implementing the international project "Green Tech Horizons" within the framework of the EU Erasmus+ programme. The initiative aims to promote the "dual" transition – environmental and digital – by equipping universities with innovative learning ecosystems.

The “Green Tech Horizons” project goes beyond just upgrading equipment. Its fundamental task is to develop competency-oriented training programmes. The project develops digital and green skills by integrating business knowledge to train professionals capable of ensuring sustainable economic growth. Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Sayasat Nurbek emphasizes: "Projects of this level allow our teachers not only to study abroad, but to become part of the global academic space. Integrating the experience of European partners into the educational process of our universities is a direct path to creating world-class research universities."

Thanks to cross-regional cooperation, the project brings together higher education institutions and industrial partners from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Mongolia and the European Union. The process of modernization of education at ATU includes:

• Implementation of modular courses and the use of a specialized eLearning platform.
• Providing hands-on lab expertise to meet climate goals.
• Development of Open Educational Resources and teacher training programs.

ATU teachers: Dr.Madina Aliyarova, Lecturer of “Automation and Robotics” department Dr.Kulzhan Togzhanova, Head of “Information systems” department and Nurzhan Zhumakhan, PhD student, Senior Lecture, among the teachers of partner universities have already completed a series of trainings at Kaunas University of Technology, (Lithuania), Riga Technical University (Latvia) and the University of Novi Sad (Serbia). Experts from Croatia, Poland, Latvia and Serbia trained our academic staff to work with interactive digital tools, which are now being introduced into the practice of the educational process.

One of the key objectives of the project is to strengthen the links between academia and industry. This ensures that the developed competencies of students fully meet the current needs of the labor market.

The technical base of ATU has already been replenished with equipment for Automation and Control and Virtual reality (VR) laboratories. 

The official opening of the laboratory is scheduled for the beginning of April. The Department of Information Systems of ATU is completing the update of educational programmes (EP), using advanced software tools and methods developed within the framework of the project objectives, the implementation and testing of the updated EP is plaaned to be launched next academic year in September 2026.

Detailed information about the goals and participants of the project can be found on the official website of ATU: https://atu.edu.kz/en/cooperation/greentech/  and on the website of the project https://greentech-horizons.com/about-the-project/