Institutional development · Digital transformation, data and AI · Kazakhstan
Nazarbayev University hosts AIST 2026 conference on research and skills for business AI
Nazarbayev University hosted the international AIST 2026 conference from 16 to 18 October, where experts discussed research and the skills businesses need to adopt AI effectively.
Why it matters: Institutions training people for business AI roles can note the conference's distinction between using off-the-shelf tools and developing, adapting and improving AI.
Nazarbayev University (NU) said the international AIST 2026 conference was held at the university from 16 to 18 October.
According to the university, experts at the conference discussed the role of research in AI adoption and the skills that effective adoption requires.
NU stated that businesses need not only professionals who can use ready-made AI tools but also specialists able to develop, adapt and improve AI technologies.
Editor’s view
Sarah Williamson, Teaching, Digital and AI Editor
The discussion at NU centred on what businesses need for effective AI adoption. If, as the university stated, firms need specialists who can develop and adapt AI as well as people who use existing tools, then institutions preparing graduates for business AI work will need to decide whether their offer covers both.
