ANNUAL MEETING OF THE YESSENOV FOUNDATION WINNERS

The winners of the programs such as Research Internships in the World Laboratories, Yessenov Data Lab, Yessenov Launch Pad, Orleu, and the Shakhmardan Yessenov Scholarship, were among attendees at the meeting. Since the majority of the participants – 36 people – were in Astana, it was decided to hold the event in the capital. They were joined by the Foundation’s beneficiaries from Almaty, Karaganda, Petropavlovsk, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Shymkent, and Aktau. After a brief icebreaker and introductions, all guests were invited to a short official opening ceremony.

Aiganym Malisheva, the Executive Director of the Kazakhstani charitable Science and Education Foundation, said.
“The Foundation, the sole founder of which is Galimzhan Yessenov, has been engaged in charity work in the field of education for 13 years already. 6 of our programs support talented youth in Kazakhstan. All of them contribute to our shared mission—the development of the country’s intellectual potential. To date, more than 2,300 young Kazakhstanis have used our grants for scientific research, as well as personal and professional development. This year, about 300 more individuals will join this number. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely wish you many more victories to come. May your pursuit become a lifelong journey, just as it was for the geologist, scientist, statesman, and academician Shakhmardan Yessenov, after whom our Foundation is named”.

The official ceremony was followed by the presentations from the winners of the Foundation’s programs. Aruzhan Anuarbekova, a Master’s student in Molecular Medicine at Nazarbayev University, and a 2024 winner of the Research Internships in the World Laboratories Program, shared her experience of an internship in Germany. Darina Mukhamedzhanova, a 2023 laureate of the same program specializing in Biological Sciences, offered valuable tips on improving motivation letter. Medet Auyenur, who is currently working at an American company, told how his career has developed over the past 5 years since completing the Yessenov Data Lab Summer School for Analysts. Tolegen Akhmetov spoke about the nuances and importance of building and maintaining networks in the field of scientific research. A Kazakhstani specializing in robotics, who won a grant from the Yessenov Launch Pad Program in 2022, underwent training in computer vision at Tokai University in Japan. The participants of the meeting also watched a short video by Sayat Akhmedzhanov, a two-time recipient of the Yessenov Scholarship, in 2019 and 2022 respectively, who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, focusing on space engineering and technologies.

Liliya Tleukenova, the General Manager of the Career and Advising Center at Nazarbayev University, stated.
“We have been collaborating with the Foundation for more than 10 years. In the beginning, its grant recipients were mostly our students. Currently, I am pleased to note that the country’s intellectual potential is growing year by year, and the geography of universities and the Foundation’s grant recipients continues to expand. I look forward to seeing you as great scientists in the near future, and to welcoming the Foundation for a similar meeting at Nazarbayev University next year”.

Following the presentations and a group photo for memories, the attendees moved to the training room, where they were welcomed by trainer and psychologist Yelena Amreyeva, who noted.
“It is always a pleasure to meet the winners and learn what has changed in their lives. It was especially valuable to hear from many of them that they realized how many like-minded young people with similar values and aspirations are around them. The experience turned out to be lively, enjoyable, and productive!”

After an intensive lecture on the basics of project management delivered by Yelena, the Foundation’s beneficiaries completed a practical team assignment in a game format. The Foundation’s representatives, Grigoriy Lee and Roman Raifeld, presented commemorative gifts to the participants. Throughout the event, the Foundation’s employees filmed interviews with the participants on the sidelines of the meeting. All of the interviews, as well as videos of the presentations, will soon be available on YouTube.

The annual event for the winners of the Academician Shakhmardan Yessenov Science and Education Foundation programs was both effective and engaging, and concluded with networking among the programs’ winners, as well as informal interactions between them and the Foundation’s employees.