Joint Centre

Vision of the Centre

To become a globally renowned centre which excels in high-impact interdisciplinary research, capacity building, and technology innovation with a view to addressing key global challenges in Central Asia, Belt and Road countries, and the world.

Key Goals and Objectives

• Interdisciplinary research in the fields of sustainable development, tourism, social policy, digital technologies, etc.
• Educational and research programmes, including dual degree programmes and academic exchange.
• International conferences and seminars on tourism, environment, and social development.
• Developing innovative solutions for sustainable tourism, ecotourism, social work, digital transformation, etc.
• Collaboration with government agencies and development of recommendations for public officials.

Founders

• Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences (FGES), Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
• School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science (FPPS), Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
• Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Key Areas of Activity

• Social work, social development, and social policy
• Sustainable tourism, community tourism
• Digital transformation for tourism, AI in tourism
• Tourism education and training
• Sustainable development and environmental protection.

What Does the Centre Offer?

• Joint research and publications
• Collaborative educational programmes
• Exchange programmes for students and faculty members
• Policy recommendations for the government agency
• International conferences and events
• Digital transformation projects in tourism and social services. 

Centre Leadership 

Director:Associate                Prof. KU Hok Bun, Ben

Associate Director:               Dr Aliya AKTYMBAYEVA

Associate Director:               Prof. Honggen XIAO