Damilya Saduakhas

The Yessenov Data Lab (YDL) Fifth Summer School for young Kazakhstani scientists has just been completed in Almaty. This year it was held in a hybrid format: both online and offline. In 2020, when Damilya Saduakhas, being a 4th year student at Nazarbayev University, studied at the YDL, the School was held online. The girl won a difficult competition in which more than 70 applicants participated, and received a grant from the Yessenov Foundation for data analytics training. What did she learn new at the School, and how did it affect her future career? Let’s ask Damilya herself.

How and why did you choose this speciality?
I have always been interested in mathematics and its application in real life. Statistics, which I study in-depth, has given me the opportunity to work with big data and find patterns that can help frame and solve questions in various fields: from health care to ecology.

How was the Summer School competition held?
In the spring of 2020, I had been completing my bachelor’s studies and was actively looking for options to study for a master’s degree and to get a job either. Submission of applications for the Yessenov Data Lab started before the lockdown, but at that time, of course, nobody could have foreseen that everything in the world would be changed very soon. The online interview, as part of the selection process, was a new challenge for me, but despite the stress of the interview itself, studying, finding myself, and everything that was happening then, I didn’t want to miss the chance and successfully passed the YDL selection.

What was helpful for you in the Yessenov Data Lab Program?
Classes on machine learning and data analysis. There were about 20 students at the School, and we had a lot of practice in programming. There were also many other lectures at the Summer School for data analysts but I particularly remember the speech of Nazym Satbekova. She worked at Kolesa Group at that time. It was interesting to learn how she applies in practice, in her daily work at the company, various techniques and algorithms that we studied at the lectures.

Has anything changed in your career in the 2 years since completing the YDL?
As soon as I completed the Yessenov Data Lab, I enrolled in a master’s program and then for a doctoral degree at KAUST in Saudi Arabia, where I have been doing research in the field of statistics. I at once began to apply the knowledge that I gained from the School, since due to the university curriculum I was already aware of many models.

What’s interesting in your professional field today? What are the current Kazakhstani and global trends?
Nowadays, due to more powerful computational capabilities, it is possible to carry out complex calculations and analyze big data. After the pandemic, in Kazakhstan as well as around the world, many companies are actively building data analytics teams, which allows specialists in this field to become the most in demand. In my opinion, the advent of large language models such as ChatGPT, has shifted the emphasis from having programming skills to acquiring the skills to understand business problems (i.e. analysis) and solve them.

Damilya, what are your plans for the next couple of years?
I plan to complete my doctorate and continue my research in statistics. They focus on spatial statistics with environmental applications. I work on developing statistical models to improve understanding of climate and Earth’s systems. I also want to communicate the results of scientific research to a wider audience and do it on a global stage.

What can you advise the YDL grant participants and applicants?
I advise them to be active, ask questions and not be afraid to try new things. If you have already won and study at the YDL, then network, build new professional connections with the YDL participants, teachers and others, and maintain these connections. New acquaintances will definitely open up quite unexpected and new prospects for you.

What are your hobbies and interests apart from your profession?
In my free time, I like playing sports, especially badminton. I also like to travel and experience new cultures, so I don’t miss any opportunities to explore the world. To take just one example: this year I set a goal to visit all the provinces of Saudi Arabia – for now I have already visited seven out of 13.