The kick-off meeting and official launch of the InterPore Kazakhstan Chapter took place on 5 August 2026 in the Senate Hall at Nazarbayev University, Astana. The launch was held as part of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Modelling in Energy (AIDME-2026) co-organized by Dr. Sagyn Omirbekov and Prof. Yanwei Wang, providing a valuable platform for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration. 

Establishment of this chapter was a result of tremendous work done for the past two years by Dr Sagyn Omirbekov and Prof. Masoud Riazi in active collaboration with the Executive committee of InterPore. The event brought together researchers and students across Kazakhstan, industry members, and international experts working in porous media and related fields. 

Prof. Ann Muggeridge, President-Elect of InterPore, delivered welcome remarks and presented a lecture on “How Core-Scale Heterogeneity Affects Field-Scale Geological CO₂ Storage.” 

The subsequent programme featured the following presentations:

• Assylkhan Bibossinov, the Institute of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering, on “Hydrodynamic and Mass-Transfer Modelling of Uranium Recovery in a Packed Ion-Exchange Column with a Conical Flow Distributor.”
• Stéfan COLOMBANO from BRGM presented “From Research to Practice: Innovative Technologies for Soil and Groundwater Remediation.” 
• Daniar Aizhulov of Satbayev University delivered a talk titled “An Overview of Computational Subsurface Modelling: From Uranium In Situ Leaching and Artificial Intelligence to Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage.”
• Yerlan Amanbek from Nazarbayev University presented “CFD–DEM Simulation of Fracture Initiation for Temperature-Dependent Polymer Injection.”

As the first InterPore national chapter in Central Asia and the CIS, the Kazakhstan Chapter represents an important milestone for our scientific community. It will provide a national platform for interdisciplinary research, exchange, international cooperation, and stronger engagement between academia and industry.

A special acknowledgement goes to the event sponsors, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Nazarbayev University, whose generous support helped make this important occasion possible. Their commitment to advancing scientific exchange, research collaboration, and the development of the porous media community in Kazakhstan is sincerely appreciated.

The Kazakhstan Chapter thanks all of the speakers, participants, guests, and colleagues who contributed to this memorable occasion and looks forward to building an active and inclusive community and creating new opportunities for collaboration within Kazakhstan and across the global InterPore network.

Photos provided by the InterPore Kazakhstan Chapter