Temirulan Alibay

1. Why did you choose this field at to pursue?

I was in grade seven when physics got me interested and it’s then I decided to link my futurewith science. Why did I choose the Technical physics? Because it covers a broad range of fields which would allow me to continue to do the research relevant and interesting in the future.

2. What was the most difficult part of the competition?

I did my internship in the period of June-September in 2014. I saw the Yessenov foundation’s announcement about the grant on the website of our university and, without thinking twice, I prepared the documents and submitted them to the Foundation. The most difficult part of the competition was the second round. For some reason I was sure I could pass the first round, but I had some reserve about the second one.  One could even say that the news about my becoming the finalist caught me by surprise. Then I searched for a university for the internship and communicated with many professors. I had a continuous support from the foundation, and from Eldar Akhmetgaliev, member of the Board of Trustees, personally. As such, this stage was not all that difficult.

3. Any memorable experience that happened during the internship in the US?

Every single day of the internship was so interesting. I got to learn how the US labs operate, to compare, and understand the differences between ours labs, and whether it is possible to reduce the gap between our countries in terms of laboratories. For me as a future scientist, it is important to keep abreast of the developments so I was keen on learning what research the local professors were doing. For example, the Americans were studying the physics of nanoscale complexes in liquids and quantum electrodynamics nanocarbon materials.

4. How would you describe the impact of the internship on you personally?

The internship gave me the chance that I, I’d like to believe, seized reasonably and fully.  I was able to research, be involved in scientific activities and learn many new things; I gained useful skills. Among the latter is the time management and analyzing scientific articles. My a-few-month stay in the States was a real motivator and I grew strong in my desire to move forward and work on personal develoment. The internship gave me the opportunity to grow professionally and meet many good professionals, among whom are Professor Slava Rotkin and his graduate students Mike, Alan, Ben and Massuma.