MORE THAN 500 APPLICATIONS FOR YESSENOV SCHOLARSHIP RECEIVED
The Shakhmardan Yessenov Science and Education Foundation has completed the application process for the named scholarship of the prominent Kazakh academician. This year, 506 students from across the country are competing for it. We asked Aigerym Sultan, the Foundation’s Program Manager, to describe the profile of an applicant and explain the stages of the competition.
Aigerym, how many applications have been received for the Scholarship Program in recent years?
The highest number of applications in the entire history of the Program was 675, which we received in 2022. Over the past three years, about 500 young Kazakhstanis have consistently participated in the competition.
Who submitted the applications?
This year, there are slightly more girls than boys: 298 and 208, respectively. The trend was different in previous years. The majority of applicants are second- and third-year university students (over 450 applications). The leader among the universities is Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University (KazNMU), with 50 of its students having applied. We also received the highest number of applications from al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU), Satbayev University, Nazarbayev University, Kazakh-British Technical University (KBTU), Karaganda Medical University, and L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (ENU). The geography of the participants is also wide: from a village in the North Kazakhstan region to an aul in the Turkestan region. 20 applications were submitted by Kazakhstanis born abroad. They are eligible to participate because they are citizens of Kazakhstan and study at Kazakhstani universities. All regions of the country and all major cities are represented. Almaty is traditionally the leader in applications, with more than 80 applicants from there.
Is Astana in second place?
No, surprisingly, it’s not even in the top five. It’s Shymkent. We received 41 applications from students in this city.
What fields of study do the participants represent, Aigerym?
The top five most popular specialties are medicine, pharmaceutics, IT, geology, and physics.
How many scholarships will you award?
The plan is to award 20. However, if there are fewer outstanding, strong, 100% winners, then, according to the Provisions, the Foundation reserves the right to reduce the number of winners. Throughout the year, each winner will receive 70,000 tenge per month, in addition to the main scholarship.
What do the Yessenov Scholarship holders usually spend the money on?
We don’t require any mandatory reporting from the scholarship holders, but from our communication with them, we know that they have very different goals. For some, the scholarship helps cover housing costs, for others – participation in professional conferences or enrollment in educational courses. Some students buy books, while others travel. The winners of the Program decide for themselves how to use the scholarship money.
What are the next stages of the Foundation’s Scholarship Program competition?
It will proceed in two rounds. The results of the first round (assessment of applications by experts and employees of the Foundation) will be announced on March 20. The second round will be conducted in the form of online interviews, which will take place by April 7. The winners will be announced after this date. All information about the competition stages and dates is outlined in the Program’s Provisions on the Foundation’s website.
12.03.25, Newsfeed
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