The Kazakh project "Situation Center of the Almaty City Education Department" received the special "International Experience" prize at the Crystal Ball 2026 awards ceremony held on November 5 in Moscow, infohub.kz reports.
The award was presented to representatives of the southern megacity based on the results of an international competition in social media analytics and digital communications.
The Kazakh development had earlier made the top 10 of the international "State and Society" nomination, becoming the only Central Asian entry in the top ten.
The Crystal Ball prize is being held for the sixth time. This year the competition included 8 thematic nominations and 3 special categories, with a professional jury evaluating the submitted projects.
The Almaty situation center was recognized for its use of digital tools in addressing socially significant tasks. The system combines monitoring of the information space, processing of citizens' appeals and prompt interaction with responsible services, enabling timely identification of problems in the education sector.
"Receiving an international award is a significant event for our team. It is especially gratifying that a project from Almaty has been recognized by the professional community outside Kazakhstan. This is the result of joint work and the support of city authorities, thanks to which such initiatives are able to develop and bring practical benefits to residents," said project head Rafael Gasanov.
The awarding of the special prize has become international recognition of the Kazakh experience in introducing digital solutions into the urban management system.