The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted a webinar dedicated to raising awareness about the International System for Agricultural Science and Technology (AGRIS) in Kazakhstan. The event gathered more than 60 participants from two partnering universities: Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU) and S. Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical Research University (KATRU), reflecting strong national interest in advancing open access to agricultural knowledge and scientific collaboration.

The session began with an introduction to the AGRIS platform by Irena Mnatsakanyan, Information Management Assistant at FAO, accompanied by AGRIS team members Alicia Garcia, José Hernández, and Chelsey Scalese, all serving as Information Management Specialists.

Participants explored the role of AGRIS in promoting open science in agriculture, emphasizing how the system supports transparency, collaboration, and accessibility of research for the benefit of farmers, scientists, and policymakers alike.

The FAO Kazakhstan Country Office was represented by Zhanyl Bozayeva, Programme Coordinator/Team Lead; Gulnaz Iskakova, Partnership Development Consultant; and Zhanel Sembayeva, Programme Analyst. They highlighted the importance of improving the country’s presence and contribution to AGRIS.

“It is essential to showcase the contributions and research achievements of Kazakhstani scientists to the global community, while also bringing international agricultural knowledge to Kazakhstan.”

Key topics included the advantages of joining the AGRIS network, such as increased global visibility of research outputs, institutional recognition, and access to a vast repository of multilingual scientific literature. The session also showcased Kazakhstan’s current presence in AGRIS, highlighting the institutions already contributing to the network and encouraging others to join.

A step-by-step overview of how to become an AGRIS data provider was also presented, guiding interested institutions through the registration and contribution process.

FAO encourages research organizations and academic institutions in Kazakhstan to join the growing AGRIS community and contribute to the global exchange of agricultural knowledge.

About AGRIS

AGRIS is a global platform from FAO that provides open access to over 15 million bibliographic records in the fields of food, agriculture, and related areas. These records have been contributed by thousands of institutions and are available in more than 100 languages.