TRAIN THE TRAINERS

The young Kazakhstan citizens will pursue chess at Physical education department at the Russian State Social University (RSSU).  Admissions office accepted authors of two applications out of the five total submitted by Kazakhstan part: an 18-year-old trainer from the South Kazakhstan oblast Asylzhan Erezhep and his peer from Astana, candidate for the Master of Sports 17-year-old Akzhan Shopanov. Both Asylzhan and Akzhan are numerous winners of local and international competitions. Akzhan is winner of a national sports contest among college students; while Asylzhan won the tournament devoted to the 70th anniversary of victory, (the competition took place in South Kazakhstan oblast).

– They will study the bachelor degree program in Moscow. This is our pilot program and just the first steps towards introducing chess into the curriculum of elementary schools in Kazakhstan. In the long term we hope to launch the “trainer of chess” specialization in the Kazakhstan higher education institutions, – said Ayganym Malisheva, the Executive Director of the foundation. – The foundation is allocating the two students with a monthly stipend and covering the airfare between Kazakhstan and Russia throughout the four years of education. Obviously, their grants will depend on their academic performance. They already have commenced their studies on September 1st. Upon completion of their degrees, Asylzhan and Akzhan will return to Kazakhstan ready to be chess coaches and, we hope, will promote the professional growth of our athletes, – she added.

The choice of applicants for the grant took into account the recommendations of regional managements of culture and sport, senior trainers, and the heads of local federations of chess. Acceptance of the Kazakhstan students into the Russian university became possible thanks to assistance of Rossotrudnichestvo – a Russian federal agency for the CIS, the compatriots living abroad and to the international humanitarian cooperation. The agency accumulates the requests arriving from other countries and transfers them to the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation for the choice of the students conforming to requirements of higher education institutions. Enrollment of students from abroad to the Russian higher education institutions is regulated by the order of the Government of the Russian Federation about quotas for education of foreign citizens.

– The Yessenov foundation plans to continue the train the trainers program. For a better-quality selection and a bigger scope of candidates for the training, we will announce a competition this November. More information is available on our website, yessenovfoundation.org, – added the public communications specialist of the foundation, Roman Raifeld.