Zhanseit Tuimebayev
the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The activity of the state bodies alike the scientific research becomes productive when it is logical, purposeful and consistent. In this view, measures taken at the state level as a basis for the competitive education and science system development are organically inscribed into large-scale plans on the domestic economy diversification and provision of speedy Kazakhstan's integration into the top fifty developed states of the world.
The Head of the State in his messages to the people of Kazakhstan mentioned several times about the necessity to balance an organizational structure that will provide generation and transfer of knowledge directed at the competitiveness achievement.
It was essentially necessary to develop and adopt a program document that would define directions of the scientific-research activity in the country. Therefore, the serious preparatory work on foreign experience investigation, analysis and solutions development had been conducted before a State program for science development of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2007-2012 and a new edition of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Education " were adopted.
In the epoch of globalization, it is natural to direct the national education and science towards the international market.
In this connection, several important steps have been undertaken. A status of a Higher Scientific-Technical Commission (HSTC) was raised. An International Expert Council and a three-level expertise system consisted of priority scientific-technical direction determination; scientific-technical programs assessment; and scientific-technical project assessments were formed under the Commission.
Unconditionally, a powerful infrastructure is necessary for successful completion of the scientific research. It will be developed on the basis of five national scientific laboratories, 15 engineering profile university laboratories, and a net of scientific-innovation organizations in a form of private and state proprietorship, scientific-educational consortiums, and commercial offices under scientific centers.
Conditions      for improvement of personnel training quality and education and science integration are created: over two hundred talented young scientists will study on the basis of the leading foreign scientific centers. It is planned by 2009 for 70 specialists in priority scientific directions to graduate with PhD degrees.
A number of large regional universities opened engineering profile laboratories for critical technologies. Only this year, two billion tenge were allocated for these purposes. In ten higher education institutions, the equipment of new laboratories has started.
At the same time, we realized that it is necessary to stimulate the private entrepreneurship to the science and education development. For example, the state will finance initial stages of projects, and the private businesses will complete them with own funds.
Tax preferences can significantly promote financial investments on research and development works (RDW). So, in Japan, 2/3 of budget finance is accumulated from tax preferences; in The Netherlands - almost half.
Priority research directions are a key factor in the development of a scientific-technical sphere.
Today, even advanced developed states are incapable to conduct researches in all scientific-technical directions. Therefore, having conducted a world trends analysis and taking into account own potential, Kazakhstan has concentrated on six scientific-technical directions.
According to experts' evaluations, the nanotechnology has become an important factor in the world leading countries development in the 21st century. It attaches a powerful impulse to the development of priority production industries providing the significant improvement of parameters and minimization of production.
The National open-type nanotechnology laboratory was open under the Center of Sciences on soil, metallurgy and enrichment. By the RDW' decision over 300 million tenge were allocated for the equipment of the lab.
Thus, the solid experience and intellectual and infrastructure potential provide for our scientists an opportunity to conduct researches along with colleagues from authoritative scientific centers of Russia, the USA, Japan, and Germany. By the way, a number of developments of the Kazakhstan' scientists in the nanotechnology sphere are break-troughs at the pilot production stage.
There are serious achievements in the biotechnology which as is known define the humanity development, especially of food, and medicine extremely important for all of us.
In this sphere, our scientists developed five highly productive kinds of grain that passed the national experiments. Also, two kinds of rice with better productivity by 15-20 centners per hectare were created.
The first domestic inactivated vaccine from bird flue adapted to our climate conditions was received. Kazakhstan along with such countries as the USA, England, France, China and Russia has developed own vaccine from this disease,
The scientists of sovereign Kazakhstan are working on research quality improvement that will be defined by a number of publications of national scientists in authoritative foreign editions; a number of inventions registered inside and outside Kazakhstan; the reports content including those ordered at international scientific forums; citation rate in the world table. These all will promote for the improvement of image and competitiveness of Kazakhstan' science.
Creation of conditions for Kazakhstan's integration into the world science envisages:
a)    operation of a well-defined system on assessment of national scientific-technical potential, identification and analysis of its strong and weak sides;
b)    forecast of the scientific and scientific-technical development by advancement of system foresight researches directed at determination of national priorities and demand for results of scientific developments in Kazakhstan and abroad;
c) realization of interstate integration of scientific institutions and universities of the CIS states and other foreign countries in implementation of joint programs and projects; trainings of personnel acquainted with modern research methods.
Within the international cooperation development program, an international innovation-educational consortium started to work. The Eurasian National University named after L. N. Gumilev, the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the International non-governmental organization "United Institute for Nuclear Research" are members of this Consortium (city of Dubna, RF).
An Agreement on Cooperation in the sphere of nanotechnology between "Center of Sciences on soil, metallurgy and enrichment" and its branches, "Center of astrophysical research, " "KazNU named after Al-Farabi," "KazNTU named after K.I. Satpayev," JSC "Kazakh-British University, " the Tomsk State University, the Zelenograd Nanotechnology Company "NT-MDT", "Saoule Solar Corporation" LLP and JSC "National innovation fund" for preparation of scientific workers at high level and effective commercialization of innovations with the international participation was signed.
The workers of education and science of Kazakhstan actively cooperate with foreign col leagues in other spheres as well. I will talk about only three events held in September of this year.
Our Ministry together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs RK, the Organization Islamic Conference (the OIC), the Research Center for Islamic history, art and culture and the Institute for Oriental Studies named after R.B. Suleimenov under MES RK conducted an international conference "Islamic civilization in Central Asia. "
Along with two large Congresses of World and Traditional Religions held in Kazakhstan under the initiative of the President N. A. Nazarbayev, this conference (Astana) confirms the country's consistency in the maintenance of inter-ethnic and inter-confessional consent.
It should be noted that this was the first high scientific forum in such direction in the history of our state. Over 120 scientists from 22 countries addressed at the forum. The Secretary General to the OIC, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the General Director to the Research Center for Islamic history, art and culture, Halit Yeren, famous scientists such as Davis DeWis, Branon Wilier, Abderrahim Alami, Rostislav Rybakov, Michael Meier, Mansura Haidar, Frederic de Young, Michael Carlen, Hua Tao, Nasim Ahmad Shah, and others representing such large scientific centers as the University of Indiana (the USA), the Oxford University (Great Britain), the University of Sidi Mohammed ben Abdellah (Morocco), the Institute for Central Asia Studies (France), the King's University of Utrecht (The Netherlands), the University of Mimar Sinan, the University of Ankara (Turkey), the International Islamic University of Malaysia, Nankeens University (PRC), the University of Hokkaido (Japan), the Aligarh University (India), the Middle East University under the Military- Marine Academy (the USA), the Institute of Asia and Africa People under MSU named after M. Lomonosov, the Institutes for Oriental Studies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and others took part in the Conference.
The Conference discovered the great world community' interest to the Central Asian civilization. Many researchers study this historic-cultural region located inside the Muslim world. Emergence and strengthening of positions of new states also draws attention of scientists to our region.
Interesting messages of Kazakh and foreign researches and fruitful discussions confirm similarity of Kazakhstan and world sciences, formation of new culture of scientific cognition and thinking. In opinion of conference' participants, a new scientific center is forming in Central Asia that will become a place for meetings of researchers to discuss problems in the sphere of Islamic civilization, Muslim culture, literature, art and architecture. At the same time, we should remember that the Muslim civilization made a significant contribution to the development of science, culture, traditions of Central Asia people. We remember such famous people as Abu Naser Al-Farabi, Ibn Sin, Al-Beruni, Ahmet Yasawi, Muhamad Haidar Dulati and others.
Such forums promote the further investigation of our past and traditional culture.
The Muslim civilization in Central Asia has several directions. It is diverse and rich. Limitation of its spheres, as the experience of dangerous regions of the Muslim world shows, leads to emergence and promotion of political Islam that turns with sad consequences to all of us. In recommendations of the participants, many examples of "peaceful Islam " or "civilized Islam " were given. It can be used for the stabilization of a situation in many societies.
Another important event held in September was the international exhibition on "High technologies and high-technology production of China and Kazakhstan - Astana, 2007" organized by MES RK and the Ministry of Science and Technology of PRC.
The scientific organizations, technoparks and companies of two countries demonstrated over 300 projects and production related to results of scientific research in the sphere of information technologies, automation and machine building, biology medicine, energy, agriculture, environment. Samples of medical equipment, new construction materials and many others were represented at the exhibition. On behalf of the Chinese side, 124 enterprises took part in the exhibition; among them are such large companies as Lenovo, Tchuntsi, Tchuntun keche, Sue cuan and others.
The Republic of Kazakhstan was represented by the National Center for Biology RK, the Institute for Biology and Plants Biotechnology, the Scientific-Research Institute for Biology Security Problems, the Republican Collection of Microorganisms, the Center of Sciences on soil, metallurgy and enrichment, the Physics-Technical Institute, the Scientific-Production Center "Phytochemistry," the Institute for Complex Soil Mastering Problems, the Eastern Kazakhstan Technical University named after D. Serikbayev and the Techno-Park of Karaganda.
The International exhibition provided to inhabitans and guests of Astana an opportunity to get acquinted with the latest developments of the Chinese and Kazakh scientists and engineers successfully working on realization of over 50 joint scientific projects.
The wide exposition of scientific-technical achievements of Kazakhstan and China is a good example of fruitful cooperation, friendly neighborliness and bilateral scientific communications.
The third event. On September 21, in Astana, the first Forum of Scholars of the President's Program "Bolashak" - "Bolashak 2007: perspectives, career and growth" was held. 200 Bolashak scholars and over 50 representatives of state authorities, national and large private companies discussed important issues including those related to job placement of young specialists received their education in famous world universities.
The head to JSC "Center for International Programs" under MES RK in charge of Bolashak studies of young Kazakhstanies signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with JSC "Center for Trade Policy Development" and the Eurasian Bank of Development.
Indeed, this topic should be discussed separately as over 3,000 young people study in the best world universities every year.
In regard to the international experience, our work with international organizations such as UNESCO, the European Union, the British Council, KOIKA, IREX and others should be mentioned. For example, MES RK and the Department of UNESCO Early Education implemented "A virtual interactive course for planning and coordination of up-bringing and education of preschool age children" in 17 cities of Kazakhstan. With assistance of IREX, starting in 1996, over 800 students and young specialists studied in the USA. There are many other examples.
Relative cooperation in the sphere of education with countries, I would like to mention about our close interrelations with the Turkish Republic. 26 Kazakh-Turkish schools operate in Kazakhstan where 6,084 people study. Two Kazakh-Turkish universities are successfully working in our country. Annually, 1 50 Kazakhstanies enroll in the Turkish universities.
The aforesaid system transformations are rather evolutionary steps. I think that realization of set measures will enable us to reach advancement of Kazakhstan into the top 50 developed states of the world.