Speech by CE at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan (English only) (with photos)
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President Professor Waqar Ahmad (President of Nazarbayev University), faculty members, students, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. It is an honour to be here, with you today, at Nazarbayev University, a leading centre of education and innovation in the heart of Eurasia.
I was delighted to learn that your university, Central Asia's No.1, has been ranked among the top quartile of international research universities. And you achieved this just 16 years after your founding. This is an outstanding record.
Nazarbayev University has made news, and history, in many ways. One of them is the visit in 2013 by President Xi Jinping of my country, the People's Republic of China. Here, at this very university, President Xi delivered a landmark speech, publicly proposing, for the first time, the joint building of the Silk Road Economic Belt.
That historic moment marked the genesis of today's Belt and Road Initiative. It is a strategic blueprint for connectivity, shared development and common prosperity. And it has reshaped global co-operation.
Since its inception, the Belt and Road has developed a comprehensive framework for global partnership. It's anchored in policy co-ordination, infrastructure connectivity, free and unfettered trade, financial integration and, critically, people-to-people bonds.
More than a decade on, the foundations laid here are delivering rewarding results: new trade corridors, stronger financial flows, and a clearer recognition that shared prosperity is the most sustainable path forward.
Lasting prosperity requires shared knowledge, talent, and trust across borders - and that begins with education. Right here at Nazarbayev University, that vision is taking shape. One pioneering partnership is with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Last year, at the 10th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong, the two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The agreement includes the launch of a joint Bachelor of Business Administration programme in Eurasian business. The programme features a joint curriculum, with students spending two years at each institution.
This landmark initiative is the first of its kind in Asia. It demonstrates a shared commitment to advancing higher education co-operation under the Belt and Road Initiative. I am confident that the new degree programme will offer far‑reaching benefits for our students and our economies.
Today, we will take another encouraging step forward. After my speech, Nazarbayev University will reach MOUs with Hong Kong's Education University and Polytechnic University.
These agreements will deepen academic and research collaboration. They will strengthen people‑to‑people ties between Hong Kong and Kazakhstan.
This growing network of institutional partnerships is precisely how we build enduring foundations for long-term co-operation and mutual rewards.
Now, why is Hong Kong the right partner? For many reasons. And I'll tell you a few of them now. Hong Kong, like Kazakhstan, is an active contributor and beneficiary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Under "one country, two systems", Hong Kong serves as a "super connector" and "super value-adder". We add value to everything we do - and to every economy, company and institution we partner with.
An international financial, trade and legal services hub, Hong Kong's prosperity is underpinned by the common law system, the free flow of capital, and a deep pool of talent. In fact, Hong Kong is the only city in the world with five of the top 100 universities. This talent environment is reinforced by our global standing: last year, Hong Kong ranked first in Asia, and fourth globally, in the World Talent Ranking.
We have long been committed to international co-operation, enabling our companies and professionals to seize opportunities worldwide. And that very much includes the Belt and Road Initiative, and the educational collaborations it enables.
These collaborations do more than grant degrees. Through academic exchanges and joint research, students gain an international mindset, adaptability, and communication and problem-solving skills. These skills help them manage uncertainty, and identify pathways to shared growth.
This year, more than 6,000 students from Belt and Road countries are studying in programmes funded by Hong Kong's University Grants Committee. I am pleased to note that some 500 of them are from Kazakhstan. That makes Kazakhstani students one of the largest groups of students among our Belt and Road student community.
The HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government's Belt and Road Scholarship scheme sets aside 150 scholarships annually for post-secondary students from Belt and Road countries. Together with the "Study in Hong Kong" initiative, internships, and youth exchange programmes, these efforts are building a shared Belt and Road talent pool.
These initiatives, let me add, go well beyond education. They foster the lasting friendships and mutual understanding that transcend borders. Every student who studies abroad becomes an ambassador for their home country and a bridge to their host community.
The Kazakh community in Hong Kong is growing. And I invite you to look to Hong Kong for your future, too, students here. We welcome talented youth and entrepreneurs with open arms. The opportunities are wide open, too.
Hong Kong is one of the world's leading financial centres, a rising innovation and technology hub, an arts and culture, sports and entertainment metropolis. And a whole lot more.
And, like you, we Chinese enjoy eating. Last night, I took the delegation for a classic Kazakh dinner - beshbarmak and baursak. We all enjoyed the boiled meat and the deep-fried dough balls. Let me add that Hong Kong has its first Central Asian restaurant opened just a few months ago. I always believe that food is a place's best ambassador. I look forward to Kazakh restaurants filling up the streets of Hong Kong, so that the over 500 Kazakh students can help introduce their culture in Hong Kong.
Ladies and gentlemen, the partnerships we celebrate today are just the beginning. Each agreement, each student exchange, each shared research project brings our universities and our youth closer together. That is how we turn a vision of shared prosperity into daily reality.
I wish Nazarbayev University every success ahead. I wish the students here bold dreams and bright futures. And I wish Hong Kong and Kazakhstan a partnership that grows stronger with every passing year. Thank you.
Ends/Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Issued at HKT 14:37
Issued at HKT 14:37
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