Portrait of Zhumabay Bakenov

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Zhumabay Bakenov

General Director Institute of New Materials and Energy Technologies

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Biography

Professor Zhumabay Bakenov is a Kazakhstani scientist specializing in chemical and materials engineering. He is the General Director of the Institute of New Materials and Energy Technologies (INMET) and a professor at Nazarbayev University’s School of Engineering and Digital Sciences. He earned a PhD in Chemistry in Kazakhstan and a Doctor of Engineering degree from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan. He is also an Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. His research focuses on advanced materials for rechargeable batteries, electrochemistry, and energy storage and conversion systems. He leads research teams working to develop battery materials and technologies, including lithium-ion and aqueous batteries. Nazarbayev University’s research portal lists more than 300 research outputs in his profile, including journal articles and reviews. His distinctions include Kazakhstan’s Best Researcher Award, the Scopus Researcher of the Year Award, and recognition as a Springer Nature Top Author.

Sessions

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    THEME 5: KAZAKHSTAN – A CHANGING OF THE GUARD, TIGHTENING OF THE REINS AND THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF CHINA

    Auditorium

    Critical Materials Research

    Kazakhstan has significant potential to become more than a supplier of mineral resources. This presentation will examine how research and technology development can help turn the country’s critical and rare metal resources into high-value materials and products. It will outline a pathway from establishing a reliable scientific basis for local raw materials to developing and optimizing extraction and processing technologies, producing high-purity compounds, and advancing these materials toward industrial application. Particular attention will be given to pilot-scale validation, collaboration between research institutions and industry, and the investment and expertise needed to move innovations from the laboratory to the market. By strengthening local processing capabilities and building links across the value chain, Kazakhstan can support the development of advanced materials and contribute to global clean-energy and technology supply chains.