“StAKz Hub”

A research centre for strategic technological capacity building for the primary resource sector in Kazakhstan

StaKz Hub facilitates collaboration between academics, industry and early career professional to put innovation into practice in an ODA primary resources sector. Building domestic capacity for technological innovation through knowledge exchange strategies lies at the heart of this international effort.

Led by the University of St Andrews, StAKz Hub is made up of several research topic “spokes” designed to yield time-efficient multidisciplinary research results. Since February 2019, our team has successfully held five international workshops to stimulate knowledge exchange between the UK and Kazakhstan. For example, the group is presently concluding the first paper on the implementation of new technologies in spectral and magnetic mapping by local workers in Kazakhstan. This work is the product of close collaboration between academic and industrial partners across Kazakhstan, India and the UK.

Whilst continuing to work with our industry partners, the funding awarded has been invaluable in enabling StAKz Hub to operate with autonomy and focus our efforts on research that directly benefits the people of Kazakhstan. We have chosen to be inclusive and open to applicants from a range of institutional backgrounds each of whom bring new specialist skills to our exciting new research hub