SCMP partners with top Kazakh university to deepen Hong Kong’s Central Asia ties

The South China Morning Post has signed an agreement with a leading university in Kazakhstan to foster the exchange of knowledge between East and Central Asia while extending Hong Kong’s media presence in the region.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on Monday in Astana, just ahead of the SCMP’s China Conference: Central Asia 2026, a flagship event making its debut in the region.

According to the agreement, the strategic partnership formalises links between the SCMP and Nazarbayev University – Central Asia’s top-ranked higher education institution – by fostering academic dialogue and knowledge-sharing as well as “connecting the city’s capital and media reach with the region’s tech and resource ecosystem”.

SCMP publisher Tammy Tam said the agreement represented a vital bridge between leading academic research and global media excellence.

“As a premier voice on China and Asia, the South China Morning Post is proud to collaborate with Kazakhstan’s flagship university to elevate cross-border storytelling, foster deeper cultural and educational exchange, and illuminate Eurasia’s critical role in shaping the future of global connectivity and building a talent pool for the region,” she said.

Professor Waqar Ahmad, president of Nazarbayev University, said the partnership would bring the institution’s academic expertise and research to a much wider international audience, adding its studies could also provide the newspaper with new perspectives on the region.

“The partnership also creates new opportunities for our students to access knowledge and perspectives from a leading international media organisation, while bringing our academic communities closer together,” he said.