Why we must build a knowledge-based economy.

As story goes, when Singapore gained independence in 1965, it had no oil, no minerals, and even lacked sufficient drinking water. But it had one thing that would change everything: a clear vision for its people.

Their leaders said something radical but straightforward: one day, our people’s knowledge will be our biggest export. That mindset gave rise to today’s Singapore – where every second person seems to be a consultant, an educator, an expert in something the world needs.

Sixty years later, you can test the theory in any lounge at Heathrow or Changi. Ask the next Singaporean you meet what they do, and odds are they’ll say, “I’m a consultant.” In other words, I export my brain. Brain-power has become the island state’s most lucrative cargo.

Qatar, another resource-rich nation, saw this early. Its National Vision 2030 is built around four pillars: human, social, environmental, and economic development. Human capital comes first. That’s not a coincidence.

Because Doha knows hydrocarbons are finite, the people who inherit the peninsula will outlive the wells. That insight was shaped, in part, by conversations Qatari planners had with their Singaporean counterparts – two small nations, both ring-fenced by larger neighbors, both betting on talent over terrain.

Kazakhstan shares Qatar’s natural wealth but also its way of seeing the future. Oil, natural gas, copper, uranium, and wheat are the primary sources of revenue today.

However, there is more than that. Kazakhstan is full of talented individuals, including some of the best mining experts in the world. And that’s why the idea of a knowledge-based economy is so important. It’s not just a buzzword in national development roadmaps. It’s the difference that will allow us to thrive in the 21st century.

In Kazakhstan, we need to think the same way. Not just how we mine more but how we mind more. Mind our children’s potential. Mind our educators’ needs. Mind the infrastructure it takes to raise a generation that will be globally competitive.

This is also why Aselle Tasmagambetova and I are so committed to the future generations via our work at Almaty's SHOQAN SCHOOL. When we launched it, just five years ago, we hoped it would become a catalyst for change. Today, just one year into our mentorship program, three of our students have already been admitted to Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley.

If you’d like a case study of how purposeful policy turned scarcity into strength, pick up The Little Red Dot – a short, energizing read by Singapore’s early presidents, foreign ministers, and diplomats.