4 SCHOOLCHILDREN TO REPRESENT KAZAKHSTAN AT IESO

More than 100 participants from different regions of Kazakhstan took part in the selection process, which was held in two stages. Each of them demonstrated not only good knowledge of geology, meteorology, astronomy, and other subjects, but also a high level of English language proficiency and leadership qualities. Knowledge of English is a requirement of the IESO organizers, as it is the language of the Olympiad. How did the selection proceed?

The first stage was an online test in English on the Nazarbayev University platform, which took place on February 22. The test consisted of 50 questions covering all Earth sciences included in the International Olympiad program. Participants were given 40 minutes to complete it. Based on the results, 10 schoolchildren who scored the highest number of points were selected for the finals. They moved on to the second round with the highest scores ranging from 40 to 42, as one point was awarded for each correct answer.

How was cheating, such as using the Internet and gadgets, controlled at this stage?
The test was conducted on the Moodle platform. Video monitoring mode, which operates within the system, was activated during the test. This is a special program that tracks all head movements through a video camera and records them. Additionally, the function of disabling all computer programs on the monitor, activated during the test, prevented participants from seeing anything on their screens except for the test.

The second, or final stage.
It was originally planned to be held offline in Astana, but some participants couldn’t manage to buy tickets in time, while others had some problems with their academic schedules. As a result, the organizers decided to conduct it in an online interview format instead. The interviews took place on March 6, also in English, and were held individually with each finalist. During the interviews, the selection committee assessed not only the participants’ knowledge of the Earth sciences but also their English proficiency, communication skills, leadership qualities, and abilities. The four schoolchildren who scored the highest number of points became the winners.

Who won?
Alina Aitzhanova, 18, from Astana; Nadira Atymtai, 17, from Kyzylorda; Akzhol Bolat, 18, from Taldykorgan; and Alnur Tursynkhanov, 16, from Astana, will represent Kazakhstan at IESO 2025. All of them study at Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS).

Students from which private or state schools outside the NIS system participated in the selection process.
Due to the fact that the Earth sciences are taught to the extent necessary and at the appropriate level in a rather limited number of schools across the country, and geological clubs exist in an even smaller number of them, the range of “regular” schools participating in the selection is extremely small. For example, general education institutions such as the school in the village of Predgornoye in East Kazakhstan, gymnasium school No. 12 in Kostanay, and lyceum school No. 9 in Karaganda submitted applications and participated.

And who were the judges?
The selection committee included Zhanat Ismailova, the Zhas Geolog Corporate Foundation, George Paul Mathews, Saida Dyussebayeva, and Jovid Aminov, all three of whom represent the School of Mining and Geosciences at Nazarbayev University, and Aigerym Sultan, Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation, which is the official sponsor of Kazakhstan’s team at IESO 2025.

What’s next?
Until the August Olympiad in Ji’ning, China, the finalists will train for four months under the guidance of professors and master’s students at Nazarbayev University. They will work to perfect their knowledge of the Earth sciences and their skills. Kazakhstani schoolchildren have returned with medals from each of the previous IESO Olympiads.

As a reminder, the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2025 will take place from August 8th to 16th in Ji’ning, China. The organizer of the national selection is the Zhas Geolog Corporate Foundation, and the official sponsor of Kazakhstan’s team at IESO 2025 is the Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation.