**Network School officially launched in Astana**
The international technology community *Network School Kazakhstan* began operations in Astana on 5 September 2024. The opening ceremony took place at the Alem.ai International Center for Artificial Intelligence and was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Jaslan Madieva, representatives of Astana Hub, the International Financial Center Astana, Superteam Kazakhstan, and the national technology community.
**Project overview**
*Network School* is a global network that brings together entrepreneurs, engineers, researchers and technology teams from around the world. The initiative, founded by Balaji Srinivasan – former chief technology officer of Coinbase, partner at Andreessen Horowitz and author of *The Network State* – aims to create a bridge between the global tech ecosystem and Kazakhstan’s talent pool.
The project will provide participants with integrated living and working spaces, educational programmes, sports facilities, events and access to an international network of specialists. It also offers a dedicated programme for families, allowing participants to combine professional activities, learning and family life.
**Strategic significance**
Kazakhstan was chosen as the launch site because of its strong engineering talent, modern digital infrastructure and a supportive environment for technology entrepreneurship. The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development has already signed a memorandum of cooperation with *Network School* in the fields of AI, innovation, technology entrepreneurship and human capital development.
The initiative is expected to:
* attract international entrepreneurs, engineers and technology teams to the country;
* create new opportunities for Kazakh specialists through training, professional collaboration, product development and company launches;
* host conferences, hackathons, workshops and long‑term team programmes;
* support the development of educational and entrepreneurial programmes and the attraction of global talent, companies and investment.
In the long term, *Network School Kazakhstan* may serve as a testbed for new models of international technology communities that combine digital economies with physical infrastructure, complementing Kazakhstan’s strategic focus on artificial intelligence, digital technologies and global tech entrepreneurship.
Article and image source: vechastana.kz
