At the beginning of the year, the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, declared this year the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, describing the initiative as an important strategic step in the country’s civilizational development. Today, artificial intelligence is being actively introduced across various sectors, opening up new technological opportunities. It has also given fresh momentum to the education sector, initiating the modernization of the learning process through innovative approaches.

Within the framework of addressing these pressing tasks, a strategic session titled “Digitalization, Automation, Transformation” was held at Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University as part of the project “Winter School – 2026: Modernization of Pedagogical Education and Development of Research Skills.” The event became a platform for defining the university’s digital development trajectory and setting priorities for the systematic integration of artificial intelligence into the educational process.

The strategic session was opened by the Chairman of the Board – Rector of the University, Bolat Tilep, who delivered a comprehensive lecture for vice-rectors, faculty deans, and the teaching staff. In his speech, the Rector emphasized that ensuring the quality of education remains the primary mission of educators in the modern era. According to him, even the most advanced technologies cannot replace a teacher’s professional identity, values, and accumulated experience. In this regard, artificial intelligence should be viewed as an effective tool that complements teachers’ work and expands their professional capabilities.

Bolat Anapiyauly noted that a new global model of education is currently emerging, based on such priority areas as personalized learning, inclusivity, motivated and meaningful learning, as well as the development of metacompetencies.

During the strategic session, a number of critical issues related to the widespread use of artificial intelligence were also raised, including data security, fairness, transparency, and the level of readiness of educators. Particular attention was paid to the need for humans and artificial intelligence to function as an integrated system, the growing role of learning analytics, and the adaptation of operational models to new conditions.

In his address, the Rector also focused on the role of today’s educator. In his view, a modern teacher is not merely a transmitter of knowledge, but an architect of the learning process, a consultant, and a mentor. Accordingly, digital and AI literacy should be developed as a comprehensive set of competencies encompassing an understanding of data and algorithms, ethical responsibility, systems thinking, effective communication, and openness to innovation. At the conclusion of the session, Rector Bolat Tilep outlined the university’s position regarding artificial intelligence.

“I attend all training courses related to artificial intelligence and constantly strive to learn. At present, I can say that I have reached a certain level in this field. As a university that trains specialists in the IT sector, we must be at the forefront. We should not be merely users of technology; we must become its creators. We need to seize this opportunity and act now. How we begin today will determine the results we achieve tomorrow.

We are the first university. We are the Karashanyrak of Kazakh society. We have history. We have glory. We continue to benefit from the achievements of our predecessors, and this must be stated openly. At such a critical moment, we must not fall behind. When strength and weapons were needed, our people yielded to no one; now that knowledge and intellect are required, let us not be late,” he concluded.

The strategic session was also attended by Sanjar Aubakirov, Director for Innovation and a representative of innoforce.kz, who delivered a presentation on artificial intelligence. Using practical examples, he explained the differences between the concepts of digitalization, automation, and transformation, demonstrating their roles and significance in the educational process. According to him, digitalization refers to converting information into digital format, automation involves replacing manual labor with software solutions, while transformation entails a fundamental rethinking of processes themselves, roles, and decision-making approaches.

At the conclusion of the event, participants discussed strategic issues, shared their perspectives, and explored ways to consciously and responsibly integrate artificial intelligence into the education system. Common goals for building an intelligent educational ecosystem at Abai University were clearly defined.

Media Center of Abai University