Global Forum in Almaty Calls for Digital Revolution in Logistics Training
ArticlesEducation
Participants at a recent international forum in Almaty discussed the digital transformation of logistics and the vocational education system. The event brought together experts from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Germany, and Spain, as well as leaders of universities from across the country.
As forum moderator Alfiya Khismatullina, director of the International Academy of Business College, noted, educational institutions training future professionals are keen to understand how their partners in the business community operate. The key question, she said, is what is happening in logistics amid large-scale digitization and the adoption of artificial intelligence. For educators, it is crucial to determine what and how to teach students so that their knowledge and skills meet the demands of the real economy.
Oleg Omelchenko, director of the Commercialization and Technology Transfer Center at Russia's Biotechnology University, emphasized how digital transformation is reshaping logistics—affecting supply chains, transportation, and flow management processes—and what this means for the profile of specialists needed in the new economy.
"Logistics can no longer be viewed simply as the function of moving goods from point A to point B," he said. "It is evolving into a digital service system where every major decision relies on data, platforms, analytics, and, increasingly, AI tools. The critical scientific and practical challenge, then, is this: How do we align the digital transformation of logistics with the transformation of workforce training so that the impact is not piecemeal but systemic?"
According to the expert, if a company attempts to implement AI without first ensuring digital transparency in its processes, it will not optimize systems but instead create chaos. AI, blockchain, the Internet of Things, telematics, digital twins, autonomous systems, and cloud platforms—all these innovations are altering the very logic of the industry. This means that a specialist's qualifications are now defined not only by their understanding of processes but also by their ability to work with digital tools, interpret data, develop hypotheses, and make decisions based on analysis.
Omelchenko also shared his perspective on Kazakhstan's role in advancing global logistics and the new approaches to training the next generation of professionals.
For Kazakhstan, this issue is not ideological but of strategic importance. The country holds a key position in Eurasia's transport infrastructure and boasts significant logistics potential. However, simply being a transit territory is no longer enough to secure a strong foothold in global logistics—it must evolve into a digital ecosystem capable of ensuring transparency, speed, integration, and universal flow management, he noted. "The republic can be seen as Eurasia's future digital hub. Kazakhstan has strong prerequisites for this: its geographic location, extensive transit corridors, substantial freight traffic, and high potential for transit growth in the coming years."
The decisive factor, however, may well be human capital. Logistics professionals must become intellectually equipped users of the digital environment.
Traditional training models are no longer sufficient. New educational formats are needed: digital labs, real-data analysis, simulators, dual-track programs with industry partners, and case-based learning. This shift fundamentally transforms the role of the instructor. Rather than simply transmitting knowledge, educators must become architects of learning environments where students develop analytical skills, modeling expertise, decision-making, and strategic choice.
The forum concluded with a resolution highlighting the need to update educational programs in line with the demands of the digital economy and labor market, expand dual education initiatives, and adopt other modern educational technologies and digital solutions.
#Almaty #Digitalization #Forum #AI
Read also:
- Executive from significant German automobile corporation advocates for a truthful assessment of transition toward electric vehicles
- Crisis in a neighboring nation: immediate cheese withdrawal at Rewe & Co, resulting in two fatalities.
- United Kingdom Christians Voice Opposition to Assisted Dying Legislation
- Democrats are subtly dismantling the Affordable Care Act. Here's the breakdown
