Astana, Kazakhstan – The European Union (EU)-funded SECCA project is assisting Central Asian (CA) countries in creating conditions and building capacity for more active participation in the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. The project aims to maximise the programme’s impact in Central Asia by providing opportunities for networking, collaboration, and cross-border knowledge-sharing.
An initial study by SECCA experts on Kazakhstan’s potential to participate in Horizon Europe revealed that, while the country has significant research capacity, its universities face challenges in finding European partners, which is a prerequisite for participation as a third country. Many CA institutions cited this as one of the main barriers to their involvement in Horizon Europe.
To address this, SECCA has developed a user-friendly template for research organisations in Kazakhstan. This template is designed to highlight key capacities, research interests, and areas of expertise of interested universities in a structured manner. The Science Fund of Kazakhstan has disseminated this template among the country’s higher educational and research institutions. To date, SECCA has received more than 20 completed templates. The next step will involve SECCA assisting these institutions in improving their cooperation profiles and supporting their partner search for Horizon Europe calls.
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