On August 14, 2026, the regional August meeting of education workers, “Human Capital – the Strategic Foundation of Regional Development: Education Quality and Priorities for the New Academic Year,” was held in Kostanay. The event, attended by Akim of Kostanay Region Kumar Aksakalov, brought together representatives of government agencies, educational organizations, the teaching community, and experts.

Kostanay Social and Technical University named after Academician Zulkharnay Aldamzhar was represented at the meeting by Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor, and Advisor to the President on Innovative Technologies and Public Relations K.K. Jamabalin, PhD, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs M.S. Kudarova, and Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Vice-Rector for Science and International Relations G.U. Urazambetova.

The August meeting focused on strategic areas for the development of the regional education system. During the meeting, key educational development priorities for the upcoming academic year were outlined: improving the quality of education, developing teachers’ functional literacy and professional competencies, digitalizing the educational environment, and expanding equal access to quality education. These priorities were reflected in the speeches of the Minister of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhuldyz Suleimenova; the Vice Minister of Education, Zhaiyk Sharabasov; and the Head of the Education Department of the Kostanay Region, Ardak Begatarov.

 Particular attention was paid to the technological transformation of education and the potential of artificial intelligence. AI and data analytics expert Mohammed Ali Javed from the Mohamed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence (Abu Dhabi) emphasized the need for responsible implementation of new technologies while maintaining the leading role of the teacher.

 Practical aspects of ensuring education quality were presented by the First Vice President of the “Bilim-Innovation” Foundation through the experience of developing rural and small-scale schools as part of the “Auyl mektebi – sapa alany” project.
The August meeting served as a platform for identifying key benchmarks for the upcoming academic year.