5 SEASONS COMPLETED

“As usual it turned out to be a packed season of lectures. This year for me personally differs from the previous ones with an even greater variety of topics and lecturers. There were more events in the Kazakh language. I managed to get the speakers to stick to the time limits – if we agree that the lecture should take 45 minutes, then it takes place within these time limits. Everyone understands that this is the maximum time that young listeners can keep their attention on the topic. In preparation for the event, I collect questions from the students which they want answers to. This greatly improves the lecture, it becomes highly relevant for the student audience. Regarding universities we’ve partnered with the same places as before. This is due to the fact that those who are interested, who can and want to cooperate with the “Yessenov Lectures” already cooperate with us.” – told Grigoriy Lee, a coordinator for Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation.

Taking into account the fact that naturally it is not possible for everybody to attend the lectures ‘live’, how do you plan the online development of the program?
— Everything goes online, so each lecture is recorded, edited and posted on our YouTube channel, the videos of which have been viewed a total of more than 40,000 times. The figure is not so huge, but when you consider that we’ve only just started this Youtube work — convenient playlists, screensavers, settings, etc. — it’s a good indicator. In the last two months, the number of views has almost doubled. Why? Interesting content for the audience.

Now you’re planning the 2019-2020 lectures. How do you want to fill season 6?
— I identify needs, and work closely with universities to take into account their wishes. We start on 24th August at  KIMEP University with the event ‘Find Your Way’, for older students.  Several experts in different fields will teach them how to use their resources and how to spend their student years. We plan up to four such projects a year. The event will last for several hours, it will be attended by several experts who in different areas, and will highlight one large-scale topic. We already have the experience of the ‘Today I Learn’ projects (TIL – about the benefits and opportunities of learning foreign languages), now it’s Find Your Way. Those students who attend will understand what to do next in life, where to go. And in September in the “Yessenov Lectures” we already have scheduled a speech by the analyst Sayasat Nurbek at the Gumilev Eurasian National University, and in October the project will be joined by co-founder and President of the Center for analysis and investigation of cyberattacks (TSARKA) Olzhas Satiev, he will talk about the problem of cyberattacks in the modern world and Kazakhstan. In the upcoming season we plan to return again to the topic of sports and a healthy lifestyle, the founder of the foundation Galimzhan Yessenov, ironman, Vice-President of the Kazakhstan Triathlon Federation, head of the “Almaty Triathlon Federation”, president of the Central Asian Triathlon Association will act as an expert in this field”, said Grigoriy.

The Yessenov Foundation programme the “Yessenov Lectures” has existed since 2014 and through guest lectures with leading experts in their fields allows students at leading Kazakh universities to broaden their horizons and acquire additional knowledge for professional, personal and career growth. Announcements of the lectures are regularly published in the social network pages of the universities and the Foundation.