Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) in Almaty inaugurated the Kazakh-Singaporean Center for Quantum Technologies on February 16, 2026. The center, a joint project with Singapore-based ASTRASEC PTE. LTD and Kazakhstan’s Qubitera LLP, will conduct fundamental and applied research, train researchers and engineers, and develop quantum-secure communication and computing solutions, according to the Astana Times.
Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek attended the opening ceremony. KazNU Rector Zhanseit Tuimebayev described the center as part of the university’s strategy to become a research institution of international standing. Representatives from several government bodies spoke at the event, including officials from the Ministry of Digital Development, the Ministry of Energy, and the Ministry of Defense’s Digitalization Department.
A laboratory for quantum cryptography and quantum communications was launched as the project’s first phase, equipped with photonic systems and experimental infrastructure. A closed roundtable held alongside the opening focused on quantum cybersecurity, industrial partnership, and intellectual property protection. The university stated the center is intended to serve as a foundation for building a national quantum ecosystem in Kazakhstan.