ENU Scientist Presents Innovative Solutions for Safer Construction in Kazakhstan in Iraq

Professor Askar Zhussupbekov of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University delivered a keynote lecture at the 6th International Geotechnical Conference held at the University of Baghdad, Iraq. The event brought together more than 600 specialists and researchers from 15 countries.

Askar Zhussupbekov is an Academician of the National Engineering Academy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor at the Department of Construction of ENU’s Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering, and Director of the Geotechnical Institute. At the conference, he presented a lecture entitled “Foundation Optimization Using GIS Based on the Interpretation of Laboratory and Field Test Results.”

The lecture was based on research findings obtained within the framework of commercialization project DP25997309, “Development of a Geoinformation Database and Artificial Intelligence for the Optimization of Subsoil and Foundations in Construction in Kazakhstan.”

The project’s practical significance lies in the development and implementation of a geoinformation database for five Kazakhstani cities - Almaty, Astana, Pavlodar, Aktau, and Turkistan — which are characterized by complex engineering and geological conditions. The system will consolidate information on local geological conditions and the bearing capacity of soil foundations. This will enable project teams to select optimal foundation types and determine their geometric parameters at the feasibility study stage, taking local conditions into account.

Particular attention was given to the development of a geoinformation database for Almaty, the country’s largest metropolis, which is located in a seismically hazardous zone and is characterized by active tectonic faults. Accurate assessment of the bearing capacity and deformation properties of soil foundations is essential for ensuring the reliability and safety of buildings and structures, particularly in areas with high seismic activity and complex ground conditions.

Other invited ENU professors also delivered keynote lectures at the conference. Doctor of Technical Sciences Dongsheng Xu, Dean of the School of Civil Engineering and Architecture at Wuhan University of Technology, China, presented a lecture entitled “Geotechnical Health Monitoring Using Fiber Optic Sensors.”

Professor Mahdi Karkush, President of Iraqi Scientific Geotechnical Society and Doctor of Technical at University of Baghdad, delivered a presentation on the development of the Iraqi Geotechnical Association and scientific research conducted at the University of Baghdad.

Professor Fardin Jafarzadeh, President of the Iranian Geotechnical Society, delivered a lecture entitled “Biological Stabilization of Wind-Erodible and Saline Dust-Source Soils; Regional Case Studies: Lake Urmia and Dust from Iraq into Iran.”

Doctor of Technical Sciences Rafael Sharafutdinov, Director of the Gersevanov Research Institute of Bases and Underground Structures (NIIOSP) in Moscow, Russia, delivered a lecture entitled “Bearing Capacity of Pile Foundations Interacting with Soil Masses.”

As part of the conference program, a technical tour of Iraqi cultural heritage sites was organized for the invited international speakers. The tour included the Malwiya Minaret in Samarra and the Al-Askari Shrine.

At the conclusion of the conference, Professor Askar Zhussupbekov invited Iraqi and international colleagues to participate in an international geotechnical workshop dedicated to the development and application of the geoinformation database. The workshop, with the participation of international experts, is scheduled to take place in Turkistan in November 2026.