On June 8 - 9, 2023, team members of the European Union’s Targeted Initiative (TI) Export Control of Dual-use Goods and Technologies in Central Asia held a Training-of-Instructors workshop on Strategic Trade Control Internal Compliance Policy hosted by the Kazakh-British Technical University (KBTU), the Satbayev University (SU), and the Suleyman Demirel University (SDU) in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The workshop was organized by the Central Asian Institute for Development Studies (CAIDS) in collaboration with the Liege University (Belgium), and the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC).

The Kazakh-British Technical University hosted the first day of the training. Before the event, Dr. Jean-Pascal Zanders from "The Trench”, Prof. Quentin Michel from the Liege University, and the CAIDS representatives, CEO Askhat Nametsha and Scientific Director Galym Makhmejanov met with KBTU Vice-Rector Prof. Assel Dzhumaseitova, the Dean of Business School Yerzhan Mukashev, and the Head of the Department of Continuing Education Arman Ibrayev to discuss the education and research perspectives at KBTU. In the afternoon, after opening remarks made by Dr. Hendrik Visser, Senior Manager of ISTC, and Prof. Yerzhan Mukashev, the Dean of KBTU Business School, Dr. Jean-Pascal Zanders, Prof. Quentin Michel, and  TI project manager Dr. Maria Espona made a comprehensive introduction to Strategic Trade Control for the faculty members of KBTU, the Satbayev University, and the Suleyman Demirel University, who are engaged in the project.

The second day’s session took place at the Satbayev University. In the morning, the TI members discussed potential long-run collaboration with SU at the meeting with vice-rector Yerzhan Kuldeev and Dr. Aliya Turegeldinova, the head of the management and mathematical economics department of the Satbayev University. Before the training, Dr. Aliya Turegeldinova provided a short tour of SU laboratories at the university campus. The TI members underlined the necessity of Internal Compliance Policy for the technical universities in Kazakhstan to have legal access to technologies from the Western partner-universities and research centers.

During their stay in Almaty, Dr. Jean-Pascal Zanders and Prof. Quentin Michel also visited the Suleyman Demirel University. Vice-rector Prof. Kairat Moldashev confirmed SDU’s commitment to collaboration in research and education in STC. At the workshop, which took place on the June 7, 2023 at the SDU campus in Kaskelen, Almaty oblast, the members of the SDU working group shared with TI guests some of their new ideas and proposals to extend the cooperation within the emerging expert community of Kazakhstan specializing in export control.  

This visit could be seen as a step forward in launching the education programs in Strategic Trade Control at KBTU, SU, and SDU. It was also a great opportunity for networking within the working groups of the universities, which should give a positive impact on research collaboration on this new topic related to export control.