Tag: KazNARU

The Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU) hosted an International Summer School-2024 from June 3-15. The event attracted over 400 students, both online and offline, from 14 countries including China, Turkey, South and Central Asia. The summer school offered 10 sections focusing on innovative approaches to addressing climate change and technology adaptation for sustainable agricultural development. Topics included agribusiness development, dry land and forest management, food security, and veterinary issues.

The event featured more than 20 speakers from 12 countries who delivered lectures on the major challenges related to climate change. Additionally, practical seminars provided participants the opportunity to work on developing innovative “green” startups in the agro-industrial sector and food processing and preservation.

During the seminars and brainstorming sessions, students discussed the adaptation of new technologies and technology transfers to Kazakhstan and other Central Asian republics. Foresight sessions focused on exploring future challenges related to the introduction of new technologies in the agricultural sector and capacity building for sustainable livelihood and food security.

Akhylbek Kurishbayev, the Chairman of the Board and Rector, emphasized that the International Summer School serves as a unique opportunity for leading scholars and experts from around the world to address complex issues related to the transformation of agriculture in response to global realities. He highlighted that KazNARU provided students with access to labs, experimental stations, and greenhouses, offering both theoretical learning and practical experience.

The International Summer School aims to bring together lecturers and students from the region to discuss the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at national and regional levels. With challenges such as water shortages, deforestation, and desertification transcending national boundaries, there is an urgent need for coordinated efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and effectively implement SDGs.

The International Center for Vaccinology (ICV) at Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU) has developed a novel vaccine of immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma caused by wormwood pollen (one of the ten global aeroallergens).

ICV Director Professor Kaissar Tabynov is an expert in the field of vaccinology. His main specialization is associated with the development, study, and implementation of the production of various vaccines for animals, birds, and humans. He told us that the new Vaccine is based on a recombinant wormwood pollen major protein Art v 1 formulated with the oil adjuvant ISA-51 and it is named “PollenVax”.

The uniqueness of this new vaccine is that in an ultrashort ASIT regimen with four subcutaneous desensitizing immunizations (total course duration of one month) in a mouse model it provides pronounced therapeutic effectiveness against allergic rhinitis and asthma caused by wormwood pollen.  (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35371056/).“PollenVax vaccine potentially solves not only these disadvantages of ASIT, but also others related to the ASIT schedule, which, depending on the drug and type of allergy, can be continuous year-round, pre-season (before the allergy season begins) or combined pre/co-season (during the allergy season),” explained Professor Tabynov. Since in many countries, including Kazakhstan, the wormwood blooming period is long enough (from July to October), the possibility of conducting co-seasonal ASIT is of great practical importance, he said.

“PollenVax” vaccine in ultrashort pre- and co-seasonal ASIT when used in high and low-dose immunization regimens provides a significant reduction in both signs of allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma in sensitized mice (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36439113/). This vaccine is currently at NASA Technology Readiness Level 5 (TRL-5) according to the BIRAC scale for the biotechnology area (vaccines), as it has successfully passed pre-clinical safety studies (acute and chronic toxicity, allergenicity) in laboratory animals (mice, rats, guinea pigs) at the National Center for Drug and Medical Device Expertise of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Regulatory Authority; Report No. TDI-2022/07 dated October 28, 2022).

In the laboratory, “PollenVax” vaccine demonstrated significantly superior therapeutic efficacy compared to the commercial drug CLUSTOID based on treated Artemisia vulgaris extract formulated with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant (ROXALL Medizin GmbH, Germany). “PollenVax” vaccine is recommended by the regulatory agency of Kazakhstan for further clinical trials.

“PollenVax” is not the first vaccine that KazNARU’s International Center for Vaccinology (ICV) has developed. Prior to this vaccine, the Center developed two Covid-19 vaccines “NARUVAX-C19” (subunit for intramuscular injection) and NARUVAX-C19/Nano (nano-vaccine for nasal spraying). NARU in vaccines names stands for ‘National Agrarian Research University’, VAX for vaccine and C19 for COVID-19 coronavirus, and Nano for nano-vaccine. Both vaccines successfully passed a series of safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy studies on different laboratory animals (mice and hamsters) at Almaty’s “Aikimbayev National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections” (NSCEDI).  The NSCEDI has a Biosafety Level 3 laboratory for working with viruses (BSL-3). It is the only Center in Kazakhstan and Central Asia that has a Biosafety Level 3 laboratory for working with animals (ABSL-3).

Also, ICV Director Professor  Kaissar Tabynov contributed to the development of three other vaccines for public health: 1: Refluvac – against pandemic influenza A / H1N1pdm09; 2: Kazfluvac – against pandemic influenza A / H5N1; 3: Kazfluvir – against seasonal influenza). Kazfluvir, which has successfully passed the III-phase clinical trial in Kazakhstan. Professor Tabynov and his team also developed seven vaccines for veterinary medicine (against highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 subtypes and H7, equine influenza, bovine, and small bovine brucellosis).

Dr. Togzhan Kenzhetaevna Boranbayeva, a young scientist at the Kazakh National Agrarian University (KazNARU), has isolated more than 300 probiotic strains and registered 9 strains in the GenBank, which is the database of the United States National Information Biotechnology Center (NSBI) of the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Boranbayeve is the head of the KazNARU research laboratory on dairy products. Her area of expertise is the study of probiotic microorganisms in traditional Kazakh fermented dairy products. She studies the safety, probiotic potential, and antimicrobial properties of dairy products.

Dr. Boranbayeve has authored one book and more than 20 articles. Currently, she is working with researchers from Turkey and Qatar on joint projects and is also a participant in the international projects Mevlana and Erasmus and two grant projects of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has a huge modernization and reformation agenda for his country. While explaining his vision to the public, he said: “Together we will build a New Kazakhstan.”

Reforming the higher education sector and making it a key economic driver at par with national and global economic trends and demands is central to the President’s transformation agenda for “New Kazakhstan.”

The President sees higher education as a channel for regional cooperation in Central Asia and beyond. Mr. Tokayev believes that exchanges of knowledge, expertise, and talent among the five Central Asian states and deepening cooperation in the higher education sector will strengthen bonds among the Central Asian states.

One of Kazakhstan’s largest and oldest universities, the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU) is Central Asia’s largest research hub in food, agriculture, and environmental sciences. This globally engaged University is on the path of massive transformation under the motto, “New University, New Kazakhstan”.

Established in 1929 as an institute, KazNARU has been a prestigious seat of learning, knowledge creation, and innovation in the Eurasian region since its founding in the late 1920s.

Today’s KazNARU is a glaring example of the President’s vision of a “New Kazakhstan”. It has a rich history of creating and exchanging knowledge and transferring new technologies & expertise in the fields of food, agriculture, veterinary sciences, and sustainable development.

KazNARU’s acting Rector Professor Dr. Kanat Tireuov says that as an entrepreneurial research university of the 21ist century, KazNARU trains business leaders, researchers, and scientists with a global outlook; and for national and international economies.

“KazNARU is a global hub of innovation, strategic research, and training for knowledge seekers, creators, and disseminators in the fields of food, agriculture, and environmental sciences in the heart of Central Asia,” says the acting Rector Tireuov.

The university’s international standing and position in international and regional rankings have been constantly improving since 2019. In the 2023 QS World University Rankings, KazNARU is number 481 in the world and the 401-410 range in QS regional rankings, Emerging Europe and Central Asia.

Professor Tireuov is determined to include KazNARU among the world’s 200 top universities on the University’s 100th founding anniversary in 2029.

With its 49 research labs, 18 international research centers, and nine innovation institutes, and a galaxy of celebrated professors and leading scientists, KazNARU aims to build “Knowledge Bridges and Innovations” between Kazakhstan and the rest of the world in the food & agriculture sectors, and other vital fields such as environmental sciences through the work, achievements, and contributions of its scientists, teachers, and graduates.

Kazakhstan was the only Central Asian state to have developed three Covid-19 vaccines at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. It was the work of KazaNARU scientists and researchers who developed three Covid-19 vaccines–two for humans and one for animals. These vaccines are included in the WHO lists of candidate vaccines.

At the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting on September 17, 2021, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proudly announced that “NARUVAX-C19 and NARUVAX-C19/Nano developed by KazNARU were included into WHO registry as vaccine candidates against COVID-19.

“I am convinced that accelerating the procedure of mutual recognition of vaccination passports in the SCO states and their integration into multilateral systems will help overcome the difficulties and challenges faced by our countries,” noted the President.

KazNARU has a presence in the 88 districts of Kazakhstan and has 3000 agricultural farms across Kazakhstan.

In June 2022, high-profile delegates from 38 countries gathered at KazNARU for the international forum on food security that was held in collaboration with the Islamic Organization for Food Security.

KazNARU specializes in food sciences and technologies, particularly in the areas of food safety and food security. KazNARU hosts world-class laboratories on food technology and food safety. It has launched Central Asia’s first MBA program in food and agriculture.

The University is also the leader in water and environmental sciences in the entire Central Asian Region. It’s the only university to have established four international research labs on renewable energy sources. KazNARU has its biogas plant and the university is conducting cutting-edge research in wind energy.

There is an international research center ‘Water Hub at KazNARU that has 14 fully equipped laboratories. KazNARU’s water scientist, 84-year-old professor Alexssndr Alexandrovich Yakovlev, is a respected name globally, he has 100 patents in his name. Professor Yakovlev is the inventor of several technologies, machines, and equipment.

The University uses smart technologies and has digitized education and agricultural practices. It plans to develop and implement innovative teaching and learning strategies and will conduct cutting-edge applied research in partnership with the world’s leading universities, research centers, and institutes in the next five years.

In line with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s vision, during 2023-2028, KazNARU will focus on strengthening and expanding linkages with Central Asian states and other member states of the CIS. Through:

a) Student recruitment.

As the leader in food & agriculture and having the most advanced teaching and research facilities, the university will invest most of its marketing resources and human energies in attracting bachelor, master’s, and doctoral students from neighboring Central Asian states to study at KazNARU.

b) Research and expertise exchanges

KazNARU has live and meaningful partnerships with universities and research institutions in the entire CIS region. KazaNARU’s Rector is the Chair of the Council of all agrarian universities in the CIS region. As the next step, KazNARU will help in forming university alliances within the CIS region. These university groups or alliances will jointly conduct research projects in the areas of common interest and, as alliances, they will also collaborate with universities and institutions outside the CIS region.

Our mutually beneficial joint research projects will positively contribute to national and regional economies by solving pressing issues/problems and creating new knowledge.

Together they will organize joint training activities to harmonize and improve the quality of education in the CIS Region. KazNARU will encourage junior faculty from the neighboring states to do Ph.D. studies or post-doctoral studies at KazNARU. At the same time, KazNARU scientists, faculty, and master’s students will go to universities in Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and other Central Asian states for research and study under mutual agreements.

c) Cooperation with Business & Industry

We will create channels to establish direct links and also through our partners, relations with food and agriculture businesses & industries in the CIS region. This move will be part of our research commercialization.

Beyond Central Asia, KazNARU is reaching out to universities in China, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Africa, and even Latin American countries for building strategic alliances.

At the same KazNARU has active collaborations with several western universities. The University aims to acquire new knowledge and technologies by working with our partners from G7 countries in the areas of its specialties.

KazNARU is investing significant financial and human resources in international PR and marketing using the latest technologies and social media platforms.

All the above transformation aims to help Kazakhstan’s economy grow through the work of and contributions of KazNARU’s able and skilled graduates and scientists.

Through its global engagement strategy, KazNARU is positioned as a prominent goodwill ambassador for Kazakhstan on the world stage and a leader and economic driver in the entire Central Asian region.

“We aim to build “Knowledge Bridges” between KazNARU and the outside world, and Kazakhstan and the rest of the world in the food & agriculture sectors, and other vital fields such as environmental sciences through the work, achievements, and contributions of our scientists, teachers, and graduates,” says the acting Rector Professor Dr. Kanat Tireuov.

About the author: Mr. Muhammad Sheraz is the Director of the International Center for Strategic Communications at the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU) in Almaty, the Republic of Kazakhstan. He can be reached at: [email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhammad-sheraz-5aab8929/

A team of young scholars, teachers, and students at KazNARU presented the preliminary concept of the green campus project as a part of a series of lectures and public presentations about youth initiatives and innovations on sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The brainstorming and discussions started in early 2022 and included the development and integration of new ideas, the startup pitches, and the innovations into the concept of the green campus. Young scholars and students have analyzed not only the theoretical aspects of ‘greening’ partnership and action plans but also the practical aspects of integrating the results of innovative students’ research studies and startups into the implementation process of sustainable development goals.

This project envisions the relaunch of the idea of a green campus that unfortunately received less attention and effort during the COVID-19 pandemic and related to the closures of universities around the world. Indeed, the concept of the green campus has a long history and has been implemented over more than three decades mainly in developed countries in the west.

In 2015, this concept receive a significant additional push with the introduction of sustainable development goals as a UN agenda until 2030. With the introduction of SDGs, many universities especially student organizations not only in developed countries but also in the developing world started rethinking the ways how they can implement more effectively the concept of greening their campuses. This is especially essential for achieving the implementation of sustainable development goals, increasing the contribution to the reduction of pollution, energy consumption, and mitigating the negative aspects of climate change.

The Rector of KazNARU Tlektes I. Yespolov highlighted that the universities in the region have been already for many years working on implementing the concept of green campus in many localities with the aim to make the campuses more user-friendly for students and educators by using new technologies and new innovative approaches. In this context, KazNARU has a unique advantage, which is related to the fact that this university intensively works on experimenting with various vegetations and selecting plants, bushes, and trees for urban habitat. Students and faculty focus on identifying plants that are more effective in absorbing heat, and air pollution, sustainable in surviving in the modern urban environment, and improving their steadiness through the selection process.

Indeed, some principles of the concept of the green campus are very simple and include familiar elements and steps. At the same time technical development, innovations, and creative thinking allow for integrating the latest technologies and ICT achievements into improving life on the campuses and making them greener and more sustainable.

The creativity initiatives of students allow finding new approaches and ideas to solving old problems. For example, during the 2021–2022 academic year, the students of KazNARU developed more than 15 small and not-so-small startups and innovations.

For example, they initiated planting and replanting flowers, bushes, and trees inside and outside their campuses. They also promoted switching from plastic to reusable bottles and created dynamic video presentations about their visions of green campuses for national and international competitions and events, such as the international “Creative spark – big idea challenge”. There is also a plan to integrate ideas of teaching about sustainable development into KazNARU’s MBA/EMBA programs.

Professor Rafis Abazov, Director of the Institute for green and sustainable development at KazNARU highlighted that the future of a green economy and green development starts not only with large plans and agendas but also with the implementation of concrete sustainable development goals in the concrete localities. For example, many small but concrete green campus actions at universities and innovative green projects developed by young people and students will take us hundreds of small steps forward in saving our planet. He quoted great traveler and naturalist Roberts Swan “The greatest threat to our plant is the belief that someone else will save it for us!”

The photo is courtesy of Rafis Abazov, Institute for green and sustainable development, KazNARU