South Korea's science ministry discusses AI ties with Kazakhstan

South Korea's science ministry said Wednesday that Deputy Prime Minister Bae Kyung-hoon met Sayasat Nurbek, Kazakhstan's minister of science and higher education, in Seoul during Nurbek's visit to South Korea to discuss cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and science and technology.

The ministry said the meeting was arranged as Kazakhstan actively seeks AI innovation and global cooperation to advance its industries. The two sides welcomed the planned first Korea-Central Asia Summit and stressed mutually beneficial cooperation in AI and science and technology.

"Kazakhstan is a key cooperation partner in Central Asia, and I hope to create synergy by combining Korea's outstanding AI and science and technology capabilities with Kazakhstan's resources and talent," Bae, South Korea's deputy prime minister and science minister, said.

The ministers discussed bilateral cooperation on a project to establish a Kazakhstan science and technology institute modeled on KAIST. Bae described Korea's experience of investing intensively in science and technology talent and emerging from a resource-poor country into a global science and technology power.

The first Korea-Central Asia Summit is scheduled to be held in Seoul in September.

"I hope that practical cooperation in the fields of AI and science and technology will expand through the upcoming first Korea-Central Asia Summit," he added.