Tokayev: Kazakhstan to Boost Science, Elevate Blue-Collar Professions, and Reform Migration Policy 

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will strengthen its transition to a knowledge-based economy by integrating the management of science, education, and innovation, while also raising the prestige of working professions and tightening migration policy, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in his Sept. 8 state-of-the-nation address.

Photo credit: Akorda

“In the context of the transition to a knowledge economy, it is important to integrate the management of science, education and innovation,” Tokayev said.

He emphasized that although the state remains the primary contributor to scientific development, the return in the form of patents, technologies, and production remains insufficient, reported Akorda. 

To address this, innovation policy will be transferred to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which, together with the Academy of Sciences, will coordinate universities and research institutes. Tokayev stressed the need to expand opportunities for universities focusing on artificial intelligence, attract top specialists regardless of nationality, and create mechanisms to bring qualified Kazakh professionals back to the country.

“Тодay we need high-quality human resources because educated, responsible citizens form the basis of the national economy and the future of Kazakhstan,” he said.

Raising the prestige of vocational professions 

Focusing on the labor market, Tokayev recalled declaring 2025 the Year of Vocational Professions, underlining the urgent need to raise the prestige of such careers.

“The country needs highly qualified, well-trained workers in technical professions. One of the key tasks is to increase their authority and ensure decent wages,” he said.

Despite state investments in training engineers, builders, and farmers, many graduates do not pursue their specialties, instead opting for quick income outside their professions. This trend, Tokayev warned, undermines both individual careers and national development.

Tokayev calls for migration reforms as Astana struggles with overpopulation

Addressing migration challenges, President Tokayev noted the absence of a centralized accounting system and tasked the government with introducing a single digital platform to track internal and external migration flows. He highlighted the heavy strain on Astana, where the population has grown by more than 250,000 in three years – nearly 100,000 in the past year alone.

“The sustainability of the city’s heat and water supply systems is under threat,” he cautioned, noting that Astana now serves nearly 1.9 million residents despite an official population of 1.5 million.

To ease the burden on major cities, Tokayev called for a detailed analysis of the causes behind migration outflow from the regions to the capital, along with the creation of alternative centers of socio-economic growth in the regions and a redistribution of funding under the principle of “money follows the citizens.”

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