Berik Akhmetov is the President-Rector of Yessenov University, Kazakhstan. He holds a Ph.D. and has extensive experience in higher education leadership, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and innovation. Under his leadership, Yessenov University has become a leading center for engineering education, innovation, and workforce development. As a Davis Center Visiting Scholar at Harvard University, his research focuses on the role of green hydrogen in Central Asia’s energy transition, with particular emphasis on international cooperation, workforce development, educational policy, and sustainable economic development.