International Science & Technology Center

19/08/2026

🎥 VIDEO Serie | ISTC at World Expo Osaka 2025 Anniversary | Episode 10: Prof. Masatoshi Takeda

As part of ISTC (International Science and Technology Center)’s anniversary series revisiting its participation in World Expo Osaka 2025, Episode 10 features Prof. Masatoshi Takeda, Vice President and Professor at Nagaoka University of Technology.

During ISTC’s Special Day at Expo 2025 Osaka, he shares perspectives on the role of advanced materials and nanotechnology in addressing future technological and energy challenges.

His intervention highlights the importance of materials science in enabling next-generation technologies, the role of nanotechnology in industrial and energy innovation, and the need to strengthen international research collaboration in advanced scientific fields.

🎥 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/ZjOBlLVrxVs

📅 New episode released every other Wednesday

17/08/2026

💼 CAREERS | Want to work with ISTC?

🌍 Experts. Researchers. Scientists. Professors. Consultants. Trainers. Reviewers.

ISTC has been working with specialists from 100+ countries, disciplines and professional backgrounds across the programmes and projects we implement.

And when we need external expertise, our Consultant Database is one of the places we look. Register your Expression of Interest:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Iiw5dc5pwBJLkWVpVhO2KkVfxr5dKDyHf3gJMPA-Q6c/edit

🔹 Technical expert or adviser
🔹 Researcher or scientist
🔹 Professor, PhD or Master’s graduate
🔹 Trainer, lecturer or speaker
🔹 Peer reviewer or evaluator
🔹 Independent consultant
🔹 Specialist available for short-term assignments
🔹 Consulting firm or research organisation

🧪 CBRN
⚛️ Nuclear safety and security
🏥 Health and biosafety
💧 Water and environmental security
🌱 Climate and energy
🔬 Science, research and innovation
🛡️ Risk mitigation and security
💻 Emerging technologies
🌍 International and regional cooperation
…and many other fields.

Whether you are an established international expert, an academic looking to contribute beyond your institution, a young researcher building your network, or a professional interested in occasional assignments, registering helps make your expertise visible to us.

👉 Think of it as a gateway into the ISTC ecosystem: when a future activity requires expertise matching your profile, the database helps us find you.
📍 Open internationally
🤝 Multiple disciplines
👥 Individual experts and organisations
⏱️ From occasional assignments to broader project collaboration

Register your Expression of Interest:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Iiw5dc5pwBJLkWVpVhO2KkVfxr5dKDyHf3gJMPA-Q6c/edit

Please complete your profile carefully and describe your areas of expertise precisely — the better we understand what you do, the easier it is for us to identify you when the right opportunity comes.

Registration does not constitute an offer or guarantee of an assignment, but it ensures that your profile can be considered for relevant future opportunities.

14/08/2026

📢 PROJECT NEWS | Strengthening nuclear expertise through international cooperation

For countries considering advanced nuclear power, hands-on training experience is key.

From 4 to 6 August 2026, nuclear professionals from Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria took part in a SMR Simulator Training in Accra, Ghana under the U.S. Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Program.

Hosted by the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) at the NuScale Energy Exploration Center, the training gave participants hands on exposure to SMR operations, reactor systems, safety features, and plant performance through classroom instruction and simulator exercises.

As a FIRST Program implementing partner, ISTC supported the organisation and delivery of the training in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, GAEC, and NuScale Power.

Technical training activities like this help partner countries build the domestic capacity and expertise needed to assess advanced nuclear technologies, compare deployment options, and make informed decisions about future nuclear energy projects. The NuScale E2 Center in Ghana is becoming an important regional platform for that process, giving African partner countries a practical environment to develop the skills needed to move toward future deployment decisions.

13/08/2026

📅 EVENT | National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan Welcomes European Union Delegation, Facilitated by ISTC

From 27 to 31 July 2026, the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NNC RK) welcomed a delegation from the European Commission, led by Alaïs Laurioux, to Kurchatov, in a visit facilitated by the ISTC (International Science and Technology Center)), whose delegation was led by Executive Director Karina Angelieva. The EU delegation also included Dr. Johannes Baur, Rocco Silverii and David Krembel.



The visit offered an in-depth look at NNC RK's scientific infrastructure and its transformation since the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, including:

🔬 The Institute of Atomic Energy, the Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology, and the Institute of Geophysical Research

⚛️ Several research reactors and a materials-testing tokamak facility used for nuclear and thermonuclear energy research

🏭 The Baikal-1 research complex

📍 The former Semipalatinsk Test Site, including the Experimental Field and its memorial stele


Discussions focused on strengthening scientific and technical cooperation between the European Commission, NNC RK, ISTC and other international partners in reactor and radiation safety, radioactive waste management, and nuclear non-proliferation — building on Kazakhstan's unique experience in environmental remediation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

ISTC thanks the European Commission and NNC RK, led by Director General Erlan Batyrbekov, for their hospitality and continued partnership.

11/08/2026

SCIENCE FOR LIFE. Different Flags. One Finish Line.
9 August 2026 | Astana, Kazakhstan

🏃 This Sunday, the ISTC team laced up for Jüregimniñ Jeñimpazy — Astana’s charity race-festival in support of patients on the transplant waiting list.

🔬 At first glance, it has nothing to do with what we do. We work in nuclear science, biosafety, non-proliferation. Organ transplantation is a different field entirely.

But look closer. Could it be a same thing wearing a different coat? Science, quietly working to give people a better chance. A transplant is decades of research in immunology, surgery, and medicine, turned into a second chance for someone. Our work is decades of research turned into a safer world. Different disciplines, same instinct — knowledge, put to use for people.
That’s what (painfully) pulled us out of bed on a Sunday morning. Not the running. But a good cause. The reminder that science was never meant to stay in a lab or a report — it’s meant to reach people, help them, carry them further than they could go alone.

🤝 And it only works when people do it together. Progress happens when people from different countries, different fields, different starting points, decide to move in the same direction. That’s what ISTC does, and it’s the part this race captured perfectly: thousands of people, plenty of different reasons for being there, one shared finish line.

🌍 We ran under the ISTC (International Science and Technology Center) flag: a place where different flags end up on the same team. Science, used well, doesn’t divide people. It gives them something worth doing together.

❤️ Thank you to the outstanding Heart Center Foundation for building something that made that so easy to feel, even for one morning.

Science. Diplomacy. Peace. — One Steppe at a Time.

11/08/2026

07/08/2026

📅 EVENT | Shaping the Rules of AI Together

🤖 How can AI strengthen science, education and public governance while preserving human judgement, trust and accountability?

These were among the key questions explored during the panel "AI in Science, Education, and Government: The Rules of the Game", organised as part of the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) Astana 2026. The discussion brought together leading international experts to explore the responsible development and governance of artificial intelligence.

We are proud that Karina Angelieva, Executive Director of the ISTC (International Science and Technology Center), represented our organisation alongside distinguished leaders from academia, government and industry.

💬 The discussion addressed critical questions, including:
▪️ Ethical and trustworthy AI deployment
▪️ Human capital and future skills
▪️ AI in public administration and scientific research
▪️ International cooperation for responsible AI governance
▪️ Building a sustainable AI ecosystem

🌍 For ISTC, these conversations go far beyond technology.

As an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to science cooperation for peace and security, we believe AI must be developed responsibly, transparently and collaboratively. Scientific diplomacy has a key role to play in ensuring that innovation delivers tangible benefits while reinforcing trust, international cooperation and human-centred development.

👏 Our sincere thanks to the organisers, fellow panellists and participants for a thought-provoking discussion and an excellent opportunity to exchange perspectives on one of the defining challenges of our time.

05/08/2026

🎥 VIDEO Serie | ISTC at World Expo Osaka 2025 Anniversary | Episode 9: Dr. Han Gyu Joo

As part of ISTC (International Science and Technology Center)’s anniversary series revisiting its participation in World Expo Osaka 2025, Episode 9 features Dr. Han Gyu Joo, President of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute | KAERI (KAERI) and Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Seoul National University.

During ISTC’s Special Day at Expo 2025 Osaka, he shares insights on the role of nuclear science and technology in addressing global challenges related to energy and sustainability.

His intervention highlights the importance of advanced reactor physics and computational modeling, the role of nuclear energy in ensuring long-term energy security, and the need for continued innovation and international cooperation in the nuclear field.

🎥 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/FzUe2kEpwZg

📅 New episode released every other Wednesday

27/07/2026

📢 PROJECT NEWS | Partner Countries Strengthen CBRN Critical Infrastructure Resilience

Funded by the European Union under the EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (CoE) Initiative EU in Emergencies, the ISTC (International Science and Technology Center) continues to support Partner Countries in strengthening the resilience of CBRN-related critical infrastructure through the project called P101.

During the first half of 2026, a series of national workshops brought together public authorities, technical experts and institutional stakeholders from Serbia, Georgia, Mongolia, Albania, North Macedonia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Armenia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance a common, practical approach to resilience.

🔹 Using an impact-based and function-driven methodology, participants strengthened their capacity to identify critical functions and infrastructures, assess vulnerabilities, prioritise resilience measures and reinforce interagency cooperation according to their own national legal and operational context.

More importantly, these workshops are helping Partner Countries build sustainable national capabilities that will continue supporting risk-informed decision-making, preparedness and resilience long after the project activities are completed.

The journey continues.
📍 September: Jordan, Iraq, Pakistan and Ukraine
📍 October: Lebanon, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
📍 November: Montenegro (regional workshop)
📍 December: Cyprus (reginal workshop)

Each new workshop further expands a growing network of cooperation, shared expertise and practical solutions to reduce CBRN risks across South-East and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.

👏 To all national experts, coordinators and partner institutions whose professionalism and commitment make this work possible every day, a sincere thank from the P101 team, Alexandre Custaud, Scott Spence, Meimouna Deida, Pierre Goetz, Jean Muylaert, Hendrik Visser, Diana Akhmetova and Auez Bertisbayev. Together; expertise and dedication will continue to drive this initiative forward.

23/07/2026

🎓 EDUCATION | ICGEB Fellowships for Scientists in Biosecurity

Are you a scientist from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Ukraine or the Republic of Moldova looking to strengthen your expertise in biosecurity?

The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), with the co-funding of the Government of the United Kingdom and in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit (BWC ISU), is offering short-term fellowships providing hands-on training in life sciences and the detection and response to biological threats.

The fellowships take place at ICGEB laboratories in Italy, India, and the ICGEB Regional Research Centre in China.

📅 Key deadlines
• 14 August 2026 (23:59 CET): Expression of Interest
• 30 September 2026 (23:59 CET): Full Application

🔗 Apply here:
https://www.icgeb.org/fellowships/icgeb-fellowships-for-scientists-in-biosecurity-september-2026/

Application Deadlines: 14 AUGUST 2026 for Expression of Interest – 30 SEPTEMBER 2026 for Full Application For scientists from Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbe…