2025, October 15
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The prospects for expanding cooperation were discussed by NU Executive Vice President Aslan Sarinzhipov and Johannes Koch, Vice President and Managing Director of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).
Since 2018, Nazarbayev University (NU) has been expanding its computing capacity, regularly upgrading its systems. This year, the University commissioned a next-generation supercomputer acquired from HPE, named Irgetas, which means “foundation” in Kazakh. The new system is forty times more powerful than its predecessors.
The modernization of NU’s supercomputing infrastructure is one of the University’s strategic priorities - not only for strengthening digital sovereignty, but also for advancing research projects that rely on the capabilities of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing at NU.
“Partnership with HPE opens new opportunities for the further development of NU’s computing infrastructure and research projects,” said NU Executive Vice President Aslan Sarinzhipov. “The University has strong potential and expert teams essential for launching and effectively operating supercomputers - from engineers and AI specialists to physicists, mathematicians, and researchers in other STEM fields. Our interdisciplinary approach and research ecosystem enable us not only to use these technologies, but also to develop our own solutions that contribute to digital sovereignty and innovation.”
Collaboration with HPE reflects NU’s strategic focus on developing technological and research competencies needed to train a new generation of specialists and to create innovative solutions relevant for Kazakhstan and beyond.
Modernizing the supercomputing infrastructure is among NU’s strategic objectives, aimed at strengthening Kazakhstan’s digital sovereignty and supporting research in artificial intelligence, engineering, modeling, and big data analysis. The new computing power provides a foundation for research across a wide range of disciplines.
As part of the meeting, Johannes Koch also delivered a guest lecture on digital sovereignty. His talk highlighted three key aspects shaping the European approach to digital sovereignty. The first is geopolitical: limited access to critical digital services can affect many companies dependent on external cloud and IT infrastructures. The second is economic: the concentration of development, resources, and research funding outside the region restricts local capabilities.
The third is cultural: AI models are often trained on data that do not reflect the specific characteristics of Central Asia, which can lead to bias and other distortions.
According to the speaker, Kazakhstan has a unique opportunity to develop its own digital ecosystem, leveraging its strategic position between East and West. The country can draw on diverse sources of expertise while maintaining control over its own data - a key factor for innovation and sustainable development.
About the speaker
Johannes Koch is Vice President and Managing Director of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), with over 30 years of experience in the IT sector. At HPE, he oversees operations in Central Europe and Central Asia, leading initiatives in cloud computing, enterprise IT, and digital transformation.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is a global technology company formed in 2015 following the split of Hewlett-Packard Company. HPE specializes in enterprise IT solutions, including servers, storage systems, networking, cloud services, and financial solutions.
