On August 6, 2026, the President of Atyrau Oil and Gas University, together with a local government delegation of Kazakhstan, paid an on-site inspection visit and held thematic seminars at the China Office fully operated by FOTIMA GROUP. Lu Yizhen, CEO of FOTIMA GROUP and Director of the China Office, accompanied the university president and the delegation on a tour of the office premises. All participants conducted in-depth negotiations covering diverse cooperation areas including energy science and education, cross-border trade and talent exchange between China and Kazakhstan.
Located in the energy hub of western Kazakhstan, Atyrau Oil and Gas University is a top-tier higher education institution specializing in oil and gas. It has long cultivated a large number of high-caliber technical professionals for the full industrial chain of oil and gas exploitation, petrochemical engineering and energy equipment. FOTIMA GROUP takes full charge of the daily operation and management of the China Office. Drawing on the Group’s extensive local connections, cross-border trade channels and government-enterprise liaison resources accumulated through years of deep engagement in Central Asian markets, the office serves as the exclusive official gateway for the university to engage with the Chinese market.
Adhering to the core development philosophy of Education Aligned with Industrial Output, Industry-Education Integrated Development, the China Office has established a closed-loop three-in-one operational framework consisting of three functional divisions: the Belt and Road Technology Research Institute, the Belt and Road Education Center, and the Belt and Road Commercial Service Center. The Belt and Road Technology Research Institute focuses on joint research of oil and gas projects, cross-border technical exchanges and the industrialization of scientific research achievements, supporting the upgrading of the local complete oil and gas industrial chain. The Belt and Road Education Center manages two-way student exchanges, faculty mobility, hands-on training for oil and gas majors, organization of industry summits and construction of university-enterprise training bases, cultivating interdisciplinary energy talents competent in both Chinese and Kazakh markets. The Belt and Road Commercial Service Center connects Chinese industrial equipment manufacturers with local oil and gas enterprises in Atyrau, builds two-way supply chain trade channels, and facilitates the commercialization of scientific research outcomes.
Lu Yizhen, CEO of FOTIMA GROUP, stated during the exchange that Atyrau constitutes the core hinterland of Kazakhstan’s oil and gas industry, boasting a robust energy industrial chain and abundant high-end energy talent reserves. Moving forward, the Group will link industrial and academic sectors, export high-quality Chinese industrial equipment to support Kazakhstan’s energy sector development, accelerate cross-border talent mobility via university platforms, and consolidate a solid long-term foundation for bilateral cooperation.
After touring the three-in-one functional layout of the office, the visiting President of Atyrau Oil and Gas University spoke highly of FOTIMA GROUP’s operational achievements in running the China Office. The President fully recognized the three-in-one industry-education integration model, noting that the platform can efficiently undertake joint research projects, student mobility and university-enterprise cooperation between Chinese and Kazakh institutions. He expressed hopes that the China Office would open a fast track for China-focused cooperation, enabling in-depth alignment between the university’s oil and gas research achievements, professional talent resources and the Chinese market.
The accompanying Kazakh government delegation also affirmed the remarkable progress of the office. It pledged full support for all business operations of the China Office of Atyrau Oil and Gas University through policy incentives, resource allocation and government-enterprise coordination. The delegation recognized the pivotal value of this official cooperation bridge and expected the platform built by FOTIMA GROUP to continuously boost bilateral exchanges and collaboration spanning trade, scientific research and technological innovation, cultural communication and higher education. It aims to tap the cross-border cooperation potential of this western oil and gas city, facilitate two-way flow of resources, talents and industries between the two countries, and fuel high-quality development of the local energy economy.
Seizing strategic cooperation opportunities between China and Kazakhstan under the Belt and Road Initiative, FOTIMA GROUP consistently advances its Central Asia layout covering overseas project implementation, joint development of energy technologies and cross-border talent mobility. The Group deeply engages in cross-border trade and expands industry-university-research collaboration in higher education, taking industrial cooperation as the foundation, technological breakthroughs as the driving force and talent education as the sustainable long-term engine. Going forward, the Group will continue to act as a critical bridge linking industries, science and education, and peoples of the two nations. It will foster mutually beneficial and symbiotic growth of China-Kazakhstan energy real economies, and continuously inject fresh momentum into regularized multi-field friendly cooperation between the two sides.
