THE FIFTH YDL SCHOOL RECRUITES STUDENTS

Application submission to the Yessenov Data Lab Summer School for Kazakhstani data analysts and those who want to work in this field has opened on March 14. The training will be held from June 17 to July 13, 2024. 78 professionals have been trained since the program started in 2018. What makes this year’s YDL different from the previous ones? How difficult the selection will be for the grant applicants? What is the deadline for application submission and when will the names of the winners be announced? Grigoriy Lee, the program manager, answers our questions.

To begin with, who can submit an application to YDL?
The program of the Summer School for analysts will run for 4 weeks. Within the program we train the students in basic Big Data analysis skills to apply their knowledge to further work. Citizens of Kazakhstan who are over 18 years of age can submit an application. They could be current researchers, or students in technical and natural sciences – undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students of Kazakhstani higher education institutions.

Gregoriy, how many grants does the Yessenov Foundation allocate under this program, and how many winners will there be?
There will be 20 winners. The Expert Council will assign a score to each participant. The best 20 contestants with the highest scores will take part in the training course.

What are the requirements for contestants?
Everyone who wants to study at the YDL should be good at mathematics (basic knowledge of statistics and linear algebra), have strong analytical skills, interest and willingness to apply the acquired knowledge in practice, and show it to the experts of the Foundation. Of course, it is also important for the School participants to know the basics of programming. It doesn’t matter though which particular programming language the applicant knows. However, the School’s participant should have a good command of English, at least at the B1 level. If the contestant has any scientific papers published, it will be an advantage.

In 2018-2019 the YDL was held offline, then COVID happened, and the School was held online. What is the School’s format this year?
We decided to test the hybrid format. It will be three weeks of online training, then for the final fourth week – from July 8 to July 13 – we’ll invite all the students to Almaty. All the expenses – travel, accommodation (except students from Almaty) and meals – will be covered by the Foundation.

What characteristics the School student’s computer should have?
Each winner should have a personal laptop with characteristics sufficient for comfortable programming. Recommended parameters are as follows: CPU Intel Core Gen 7 and higher, Mac Silicon M1 and higher, RAM 6 GB and higher.

Gregoriy, when is the deadline for application submission?
Acceptance of applications closes on April 17 at 15.00. All the applications are accepted only online in the state or Russian languages. However, some of the documents attached to the application can be provided in their original languages (usually English, for example, a recommendation or an IELTS certificate).

What is the procedure of the contest and when will you announce the winners?
As usual, the contest will be held in 3 stages. At the first round, our employees and the invited experts will assess the received applications and select those that meet all the requirements of the Provisions. The second round – testing in mathematics and logic, and data analysis exam – will be held online. At the end of the contest there will be an interview with members of the Foundation’s Expert Council, which we will also conduct online. What will be assessed and taken into account during all the stages of the contest, is described in detail in the Program’s Provisions placed on the Foundation’s website. My contacts are there too. I will answer all the questions if there are any. We are planning to complete the selection and upload the list of winners – participants of the YDL 2024 Summer School for data analysts – no later than May 24, on the Foundation’s website too.

What does the YDL 2024 program consist of?
It has already been placed on the website along with the Program Provisions, where you can get answers to all questions. There is also an “Apply” button. The YDL classes will be held by our regular lecturers, theorists and practitioners: Timur Bakibayev, Ph.D. in Computer Science, Professor at AlmaU, and Kuanysh Abeshev, Ph.D. in Mathematics, Dean of the School of Digital Technologies at the same Kazakhstani University – AlmaU. They will teach courses on Python for Data and Data Classification, respectively. The invited lecturers who participate in the Summer School for the first time are: Kirill Yakunin, Ph.D. in Computing Systems and Software, ML Engineer at Metaculus (the U.S. company), Vladislav Yushchenko, M.Sc. Computer Science, Sr. Machine Learning Engineer at Cape Analytics (the U.S. company). Vladislav will also conduct the final, offline week of YDL training in Almaty.

We wish you a successful School’s contest and strong participants, Gregoriy!
Thank you.

20.03.24, Без рубрики, Newsfeed

Seen by: 39

Pavel Yeryomenko

Speciality: Information systems. Participant of the English Language Program.

19-year-old Pavel Yeryomenko is a second year student of the Faculty of Engineering and Digital Technologies at Kozybayev University in Petropavlovsk. He completed the Yessenov Foundation one year English Language Program at the University. Being the best student of the training course, the Kazakhstani passed IELTS at the expense of the Foundation. In this interview Pavel tells how he has improved his level of English and scored band 8 in one of the world’s most difficult language exams.

How did you learn about the competition?
The curator told me about it. Then I, along with other participants, wrote an essay in English, and so I have passed the selection test.

What is the need of the English language in your occupation?
Most of the technical documents and professional terms in my field – management information systems – are in the English language. Knowledge of language expands employment opportunities – one can also apply for a position in a foreign company. Foreign language gives you a chance to gain international experience without any problem. Take exchange programs or internships for example.

Who was your teacher appointed by the program? How was the training?
Nathan Maher
taught me. The classes were online. Each lesson was a new and interesting experience for me. Besides, we often watched and discussed movies. We made small talk. The course of English grammar and vocabulary was intensive. It was interesting to learn from the teacher about the differences between New Zealand, where he lived for a long time, and this country, especially in terms of everyday life.

What do you remember about your training course? What was particularly helpful?
Learning to understand different accents and some peculiarities of the teacher’s speech, to apply what I’ve learned, adapt and use it, was quite useful to me. For example, when he was talking about books or movies, he always used some interesting colloquial expressions, which I think could be of any help to me in the future. Besides, in IELTS oral exam you have to understand people speaking with different accents. Nathan also shared tips on how to pass IELTS better, what to focus on and what aspects of knowledge I have to improve.

Pavel, what was the most difficult part in the IELTS exam?
It was difficult to be heard during the speaking test, because the examiner didn’t hear well, so I had to answer several times. It was also hard to analyze the graphs, since I hadn’t written an essay on them. I didn’t train actually.

How do you plan to use English in the next couple of years?
I plan to continue watching movies in English, reading books, communicating on the Internet and studying professional resources. First of all, I would like to graduate from the University on the joint educational program with the University of Arizona. Then… I plan to study a number of computer-aided design systems, also in the English language, to become an engineer. It will definitely improve my resume and allow me to look for a position in the companies where English language proficiency is an advantage.

What are your interests and hobbies in life?
I am interested in engineering systems and data visualization systems – I study AutoCAD, 3DS Max, Blender, Fusion 360 in my free time. I am also interested in design and modelling, because drawing is my hobby since childhood. So I plan to be engaged in these fields in the future.

 

15.03.24, Без рубрики, Stories

Seen by: 31