Nuriya Abdyldayeva

The Master’s student of KBTU is from Shymkent. She grew up surrounded by books, Disney comics and a loving family. When she became a young adult, she took part in the research internship competition offered by the Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation, but lost. Nevertheless, she did not give up, and after passing the tests for another competition, she finally won the Yesenov scholarship. Her story will motivate those who are just starting to participate in the scholarship competition to believe in themselves.

What drove you to try again in another competition of the foundation?
Oddly enough, it was my failure to win the scientific internship competition. I’ve always really wanted to go for an internship abroad. I am particularly interested in a laboratory in South Korea. There was even an interview with its director, but I still can’t go because of the pandemic. So while not giving up on my dream, I decided to meanwhile apply for the scholarship programme, and won.

What did you change about yourself to win?
During the competition, the psychologist told me that I was incapable of emphasising my advantages in speech. I admitted that I considered it bragging: I already had my list of achievements clearly outlined on my resume. I guess I took that into account, and that’s why I won.

Why are you so interested in this field? What is behind the concept of “nanotechnology”?
After completing my bachelor’s degree, I worked as a junior researcher on energy storage systems project. We also began a more in-depth study of green energy. I think we should focus more on this direction.

Nanotechnology is a field of science that deals with the theory and practice of methods for manufacturing products with a given atomic structure through the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules. I see this as a tool that will allow us to extract energy from renewable sources. Plus it is the road to all the other relevant sciences today.

Who will you become professionally after completing your Master’s degree?
I’ll be an expert in materials science. People from my major usually go on to work as researchers in research projects.

What benefit is the Yessenov Scholarship to you?
It removes any financial obstacles in my self-development. It pays for my courses, training, applications for learning other skills, and psychoanalysis sessions.

What are your plans for the next couple of years?
I will take a short break after completing my Master’s degree and focus on improving my physical and psychological health. I plan to begin my studies covering another industry with the help of Coursera. I’ll probably do my doctorate after that.

We know that you are married, and are a proud mother to a young boy. What are your life interests other than family, work and study?
My favorite hobby is probably planning self-actualisation. I love reading books on this topic and apply different project planning techniques, such as Kaizen. I believe I’m still searching for my Ikigai, but I’m nearing the finishing line. I have recently learned to swim well, and I continue to study other swimming styles. I would like to be able to swim 2 km without a break by the end of the year.