KAZAKHSTAN - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 000616

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR OES/STC, SCA/RA, AND SCA/CEN

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TSPL EAGR KSCA PREL PGOV KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY
AND NATURAL RESOURCES

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SUMMARY
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1. (U) EST officer's January 20 - February 19 TDY visit to
Kazakhstan provided a timely opportunity to discuss the Kazakhstani
government's science and technology (S&T) infrastructure,
particularly in light of continued negotiations on a bilateral
Science and Technology Agreement. This cable focuses on nuclear
technology and natural resources issues. It is one of a series of
four cables summarizing EST officer's meetings in Kazakhstan. End
Summary.

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MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES
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2. (SBU) EST officer met with Yevgeniy Ryaskov, deputy head of the
Department of Technological Development and State Asset Management
at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Ryaskov stated
that the Ministry of Energy coordinates research through its
subsidiary organizations. These subsidiaries include Kazatomprom,
which conducts applied research into nuclear materials, and the
National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan (NNC),which focuses on
non-proliferation, seismic issues, and nuclear energy issues.
Ryaskov stated the NNC currently cooperates with Los Alamos national
labs and has a number of cooperation agreements with the U.S.
Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Energy. This
cooperation includes management and security of the Polygon nuclear
test site, cooperation on the decommissioning of the BN-350 reactor
and collaboration on seismic statistics. Ryaskov stated past
cooperation has been very helpful and he would like to see it
expanded. The ministry is in the process of establishing a research
site for nuclear medicine and Ryaskov expressed interest in working
with the National Institutes of Health. Ryaskov added that
Kazakhstan plans to build a number of new power stations. Kazakhstan
would be interested in cooperation focused on personnel training as
well as applied nuclear research.


3. (SBU) Following the meeting with Ryaskov, EST officer met with
Sergei Berezin, Head of the Co-ordination and Analysis Department,
National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan (NNC). Berezin said that the
NNC currently has over 2000 employees of which 403 are of the PhD
level and 26 are of the post-doctorate level. Berezin claimed that
in a recent assessment of all research centers in Kazakhstan, the
NNC was the most advanced and well equipped. According to Berezhin,
the NNC has not benefited much from the Bolashak scholars program,
but there are plans to send 40 students to study abroad who will
return to work at the NNC. Berezin stated cooperation is good with
the Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Committee and the
Department of Defense. Berezin would like to see more university
cooperation including visiting professors, lecturers and
internships.

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INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS
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4. (SBU) EST officer met with Adil Tuleshev, Director of the
Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP). The INP is located just outside
Almaty. Tuleshev stated his institute is under the direction of the
NNC. The institute focuses on nuclear physics, radiation, solid
state physics, applied nuclear physics, accelerator technologies,
environmental issues, and reactor investigations. The center has
cooperated in the past through CRDF and according to Tuleshev has
had strong contacts with Los Alamos, Argonne National Labs, DOE, and
Halliburton. He also said that the INP is currently constructing a
center for nuclear medicine and aspires to sell nuclear medicine on
the global market. The INP has been allocated $60 million for this
project. Tuleshev expressed his dissatisfaction with the
Kazakhstani Tax Committee, noting that when INP cooperated with CRDF
on the exchange of a particle accelerator, the accelerator was held
up at the border because of tax problems. Tuleshev was glad to hear
that a bilateral S&T agreement could overcome future tax issues.
Tuleshev was particularly interested in expanding cooperation with
the DOE and beginning cooperation with NIH.


5. (SBU) Following the meeting, Tuleshev took EST officer on a tour
of the facilities where Tuleshev showed the WWR-K Highly Enriched
Uranium test reactor as well as a number of labs including some of
those recently constructed for the Nuclear Medicine Center and an
accelerator. The facilities maintained a high-level security with
military guards.

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CENTER FOR EARTH SCIENCES, METALLURGY AND ORE
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6. (SBU) EST officer met with Nuraly Bekturganov, Director-General
of the Center for Earth Sciences, which is headquartered in Almaty.
Bekturganov stated the center is in charge of seven institutions
covering the fields of geology, hydrology, geography,
nanotechnology, testing of technology, renewable energy, and
metallurgy and mining. In the past, the center was part of the
Ministry of Education, but after restructuring is now considered a
government-owned joint stock company which reports to Especca, a
government holding company. According to Bekturganov, the center
was granted $2 million to begin a research program on nanotechnology
and $500,000 to research renewable energy, including solar, wind,
hydro, and bio-energy. Although Bekturganov expressed his dismay,
saying that these amounts were not adequate to begin such a program,
he was hopeful that if the center were to establish partnerships
with the U.S., it could receive more funding. In Bekturganov's
opinion, possible areas for cooperation include nano-technology,
metallurgy, uranium extraction, and the copper industry.
Bekturganov also mentioned the Managesa "cosmic rays station"
located near the Baikinor Cosmodome. Bekturganov would like to see
NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) cooperate in this effort to
form an international cosmic ray station.

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EURASIAN UNIVERSITY
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7. (SBU) EST officer met with Dr. Askar Zhussupbekov, President of
Eurasia University in Astana. Zhussupbekov was very interested in
future cooperation with U.S. universities. He stated that Eurasian
University currently has a joint degree program with the University
of New Mexico and would like to expand this program to other
universities. Zhussupbekov noted that Eurasia University is one of
two universities in Kazakhstan that is internationally accredited
with a three-tier western degree structure (BA, MA, PhD).
Zhussupbekov expressed interest in cooperation in the fields of
physics, math, biology, chemistry, humanities, Turkic history,
economics, and nuclear-track research. Zhussupbekov introduced EST
officer to Kazbek Baktybekov, Vice-Rector of Research, who showed
the particle accelerator the university procured last year.

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KAZAKH-BRITISH TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
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8. (SBU) EST officer met with Professor Baigunchekov, assistant to
the Rector of the Kazakh-British Technical University (KBTU). The
university is located in Almaty in the old Supreme Soviet of the
Kazakhstan SSR. Founded in 2002 as a joint venture with Great
Britain, the university issues western-modeled degrees and has over
1500 students. The major departments of the university are
economics, ITC, and energy. According to Baigunchekov, KBTU
cooperates extensively with several universities in Great Britain,
including the London School of Economics, Imperial College, and
Cambridge University. The bulk of the university's research is
conducted via commissioned grants from the Ministry of Education and
Ministry of Industry and Trade. KazMuniaGas (KMG) also provides
substantial funding through contracts for research in the oil and
gas sector. KMG's main interest areas include boring, exploring,
processing, and collecting oil and gas. Baigunchekov stated he is
very interested in future cooperation with U. S. universities and
experts.

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KAZAKH NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
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9. (SBU) EST officer met with Dr. Malis Absametov, Vice-Rector for
Research at the Kazakh National Technical University (NTU) in
Almaty. Absametov stated that the university's priority areas of
teaching and study include mining, metallurgy, geology, energy, ITC,
machinery, and ecology. The university has over 18,000 students and
a staff of over 1,000. According to Absametov, the university is
currently working with the National Innovation Fund to establish an
ITC park outside Almaty. Absametov stated that NTU has very strong
cooperative ties with the University of Colorado, MIT, and Stanford.
NTU is also engaged in sea floor mapping of the Aral and Caspian
Seas; as a landlocked country, Kazakhstan would welcome additional
cooperation on related issues. Absametov is interested in further
cooperation with U.S. universities.

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OTHER UNVERSITIES VISITED
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10. (SBU) EST officer visited Karaganda State Technical University,
E.A. Buketov Karaganda State University, and Al-Farabi University.
Each of these universities had limited contact with U.S.
researchers. The reaction to possible cooperation was positive.

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There was mention in Karaganda about both universities participating
in the creation of a research center focused on coal gasification.

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COMMENT
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11. (SBU) In the nuclear sector, Kazakhstan already has a number of
established contacts with the Department of Energy, Department of
Defense, and the Nuclear Regulatory Committee. As Kazakhstan seeks
to expand into other areas of nuclear science, namely nuclear
medicine, it would be worthwhile to foster contacts with the
National Institutes of Health and the National Science Fund, as both
sides could potentially benefit from additional collaborative
research projects.

ORDWAY