On October 20, a meeting was held at the Russian International Olympic University between RIOU Vice-Rector Irina Badayan,  the Acting Director of the Republican Educational, Methodological and Analytical Centre for Physical Culture and Sports of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nurbulat Beksultanov, and Abzal Mykhybayev, head of one of the Centre’s departments. The parties discussed the prospects for launching an educational programme for Kazakhstan’s sports industry professionals.

The joint initiative involves a series of training seminars in Kazakhstan and Russia. The first event is scheduled for spring 2026 in Astana. The Kazakhstani partners also expressed interest in RIOU's international conferences, which traditionally feature leading experts in cutting-edge areas of sports science and management. The RIOU leadership, in turn, supported the project to create the first state sports university in Kazakhstan, which will open up new opportunities for joint initiatives.

Cooperation between RIOU and the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of Kazakhstan has a long history. RIOU graduate Serik Zharasbayev now serves as Vice-Minister of Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Kazakhstan. And RIOU’s current student cohort includes International Master of Sport in swimming, Asian Games medallist Aibek Kamzenov. Previously, RIOU delivered a tailored educational programme for specialists in the sports industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan.