The Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology (XAUAT), China, has officially extended an invitation to Prof Saffet Yagiz and his research assistant from the School of Mining and Geosciences (SMG) at Nazarbayev University (NU), to visit the university in October 2024.
Dr. Yagiz is the principal investigator of the Rock Excavation & Automation Research (REAR) group at the SMG. REAR comprises a diverse group of members, including a professor as the PI, researchers, postdoctoral fellows, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and collaborators.
The goal of this visit is to foster academic cooperation and knowledge exchange between two universities, specifically between the School of Civil Engineering (SCE) of XAUAT [and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Space Engineering] and SMG of NU. The visit will focus on advanced investigations in the fields of geotechnical engineering, mechanized rock excavation and tunneling. The delegations from Nazarbayev University will deliver presentations, have debates with SCE students and faculty members, and share the outcomes of completed and current inter-disciplinary research projects in geotechnical engineering, rock mechanized tunneling through leveraging advanced machine learning techniques in the field.
The invitation emphasizes XAUAT's interest in establishing international cooperation and progress in the areas discussed. Hence, this can be a significant sign of progress in the academic relations between Kazakhstan and China, creating new room for the development of cooperation between the research groups of the two universities.
XAUAT is one of China's eight historic institutions, offering the disciplines of civil engineering and architecture as its characteristic specialties, engineering as the major discipline, and also other disciplines. At present, the university has 16 schools and departments offering 56 undergraduate programs to students in China. The US News & World Report ranks XAUAT 66th in civil engineering, 92nd in environmental engineering, and 178th in chemical engineering globally. The university was established in Xi’an, Shaanxi province of China, and its history began with Beiyang University in 1895. Xi’an is the center of politics, culture, and economy of northwest China.