Kazakhstan Connects Over 200 Health Workers With Global Clinical Research Experts

Clinical trials help establish whether health interventions are safe and effective, giving health care professionals and policymakers evidence they can use to improve patient care and guide health policy.

More than 200 researchers and health care practitioners took part in Kazakhstan's Summer School on Clinical Research from 16 June to 16 July 2026, bringing together professionals interested in strengthening the evidence behind health care decisions. Delivered by the National Scientific Centre for Health Development with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and members of the Global Clinical Trials Forum (GCTF), the month-long programme featured 10 thematic sessions designed to build clinical research knowledge, develop practical skills and strengthen professional connections.

Building the skills behind better patient care

Clinical trials help establish whether health interventions are safe and effective, giving health care professionals and policymakers evidence they can use to improve patient care and guide health policy. The quality of that evidence depends on the people conducting the research, the institutions supporting them and the relationships connecting different parts of the research community. Kazakhstan's Summer School addressed these needs by giving participants access to expertise and opportunities to discuss approaches they could draw on in their own work.

The programme was developed following a request received through the WHO Country Office in Kazakhstan, placing a national need at the centre of an international collaboration. WHO brought its own technical expertise to the initiative and drew on the GCTF network to connect participants with specialists from international clinical research institutions. For researchers and practitioners, the sessions offered space to exchange experience, engage directly with experts and explore current approaches and good practices in clinical research.

Bringing international expertise into the conversation

Contributors included experts from Advancing Clinical Evidence in Infectious Diseases (ADVANCE-ID) at the National University of Singapore, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN), The Global Health Network (TGHN) and the University of Oxford. Members of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Clinical Research Ecosystem Strengthening also contributed, bringing perspectives relevant to developing the people, institutions and support systems that clinical research needs.

Reflecting on the programme, Manas Ramazanov, Vice-Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said: "Through your initiative, our specialists had a unique opportunity to deepen their knowledge, engage with leading international experts, exchange valuable experiences, and gain first-hand insights into the latest global developments and best practices in clinical research." The Ministry of Healthcare also highlighted Kazakhstan's commitment to developing a sustainable, internationally recognized clinical research ecosystem and continuing its collaboration with WHO to strengthen research capacity.

Turning global guidance into country-led progress

Kazakhstan's experience shows how an international network can help respond to a specific country request with expertise that supports national priorities. The GCTF brings together organizations with complementary knowledge to support the implementation of WHO's work on strengthening clinical trials, and its members helped WHO bring that knowledge directly into the Summer School. The programme connected global guidance with a country-led learning initiative, giving more than 200 professionals opportunities to deepen their understanding and build relationships across the research community.

The Summer School also reinforced the purpose behind clinical research: improving health through evidence that people can trust and use. High scientific and ethical standards, alongside attention to the needs of research participants and communities, are essential to making clinical trials relevant and useful. The programme contributes to Kazakhstan's wider efforts to build a strong, sustainable clinical research ecosystem through professional development, institutional support and continued collaboration with international partners.