Draft:Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation
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| Founded | 2013 in Kazakhstan |
|---|---|
| Type | Foundation |
| Headquarters | Almaty, Kazakhstan |
| Fields | Education and Science |
| Website | yessenovfoundation |
Science and Education Foundation, named after the academic Shahmardan Yesenov (Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation, kaz. академик Шахмардан Есенов атындағы ғылыми білім беру қоры), is a charitable non-profit organization for Kazakh citizens that awards grants to program winners to pursue higher education and advanced training at both Kazakh and international institutions.
General information
Shakhmardan Yessenov Science and Education Foundation was founded in Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan) in 2013. The organization supports both undergraduates and graduates, as well as providing a residency program and internship for working young professionals (in the field of natural sciences, medicine, and information technology. The Foundation aims to actively support individuals whose goals are to continue their educational development (PhD, Master's degree, internships, training, schools, courses, etc.), as well as individuals actively involved in the development of science in Kazakhstan.
From 2013 to 2024 the Foundation has sponsored over 50 programs and projects with a combined value of 5.3 billion tenge ($11 million USD). The Foundation has both directly and indirectly helped more than 27,000 people.
In keeping with transparency principles, the organization makes all annual Foundation reports available on its website.
History and mission
The Foundation was established to assist students and young Kazakh specialists engaged in the natural sciences, medicine and information technologies, enhance their competitiveness by enabling them to continue their education, acquire advanced training, and develop new skills. The organization is named after Kazakh theoretical and practical scientist, geologist, organizer of science, renowned public figure and statesman, Shakhmardan Yessenov. Continuing his work, the Foundation has defined its mission as: the development of the intellectual potential of Kazakhstan.
Foundation Board of Trustees
The Foundation’s Board of Trustees include: Galimzhan Yessenov (founder of the Foundation, shareholder of Jusan Bank) , Aizhan Yessim (Chairman of the Board of Trustees), Serik Akhanov (honorary member of the board), Aigul Imadildayeva (software engineer, head of the Kazakhstan office of POWR) and Eldar Akhmetgaliyev
Foundation activities
The Foundation carries out its mission through specialized programs.
Scientific internships at universities around the world
Every year the Foundation provides an opportunity for Kazakh students and specialists working in the field of science to experience three-month internships in scientific laboratories around the world. As of December 2024, 176 students from Kazakh universities, such as Satbayev University, Kazakhstan-British Technical University, L. Gumilev Eurasian National University, Suleiman Demirel University, Nazarbayev University, Shakarim State University of Semey, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, S. Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, and others, have become beneficiaries of the program. The beneficiaries of the program have completed scientific internships at universities in Australia, USA, UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Austria, France, Spain, Malaysia and other countries around the world.
Yessenov scholarship
The Shakhmardan Yessenov Scholarship is a program aimed at supporting the top undergraduate students in Kazakhstan, annually awarding scholarships in technical and natural sciences at leading universities. Since 2013, the Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation has awarded 176 young Kazakh students scholarships, including to KBTU, , EKSTU , CSUTE, KazNU, Caspian University (CPU), Nazarbayev University, IITU, SCSU, State University of Semey, TSU, AUPE, KarSTU, NKSU, ENU, Astana Medical University, as well as others.
The funds, allocated by the Foundation, help students pay for accommodation, attend additional educational courses, literature, research, participation in international scientific conferences, with their travel home and more.
Enhancing digital literacy
From 2017 to 2020 the Foundation awarded 5 grants for six-month internships at IT startups in Silicon Valley. Since 2018, it has been running the Yessenov Data Lab summer school for data analysts. As of December 2024, 108 Kazakh citizens have become beneficiaries of the program.
The Yessenov Lectures
The Yessenov Lectures are guest lectures by well-known professionals in various fields, and organized by the Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation in Kazakh universities. The expert speeches give students an opportunity to get an introduction to the requirements of the labor market, learn about the latest trends, assess their potential and discover new opportunities for self-development.
The program took place between 2014-2020. During this time, the Foundation held 88 lectures in 17 higher educational institutions in Kazakhstan. The lecturers of the "Yessenov Lectures" included the Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge, James Jackson, the World, European and Asian powerlifting champion Valikhan Ten, climber Maksut Zhumayev, architect Assel Eszhanova, Russian biologist Peter Vlasov , Managing Partner of McKinsey & Company Jukka Maksimainen, Shakmardan Yssenov Foundation co-founder Galimzhan Yessenov, civil society specialist Ainura Absemetova, power engineer Ruslan Rakymbai, banker Magzhan Auezov, and many others.
Since 2019, the program has evolved into a conference for high school students, called “Find Your Way” (қаз. - Өз жолыңды тап). Since 2019, it has been held in schools and universities in Almaty on four occasions. The program features motivational coaches, specialists and experts in a variety of fields that can be useful and interesting in helping schoolchildren to choose their future profession and successfully obtain higher education. The program provides a wide range of self-development opportunities, encompassing topics from psychology, fact-checking, and journalism to human resources, sports science, career guidance, business, volunteer work, information technology, and more. During the conference, more than 1,000 young Kazakhs and 63 invited experts have taken part.
Learning English
The English Language Program is a program that equips students and teachers at regional universities with English language skills specific to their fields of specialization. The Foundation administers the program through a two-yearly competition among regional universities in Kazakhstan. It provides native-speaking instructors and covers their costs. Additionally, top-performing students receive financial support to cover the IELTS exam fees at the end of each academic year.
In 2013-2016, the program was held at the Caspian State University of Technology and Engineering in Aktau, and from 2017 to 2019 - at the Kyzylorda State University. From 2019 to 2021, it was hosted at the NCJSC "Medical University of Karaganda", and from 2022 to 2024 - at Kozybayev University in Petropavlovsk. In total, 1,181 students and teachers have taken part in the program.
Popularization of science
As part of this program, the foundation publishes books and holds scientific conferences.
Among the scientific conferences organized by the foundation, the international conference “Earthquake science and hazard in Central Asia” was held in September 2016, in which 34 scientists from 10 countries took part.
Pilot programs
In 2018, the Foundation piloted a "Master's Studies" program. Four talented Kazakh students emerged victorious from the competition and successfully completed their Master's degrees.
In 2022, the Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation held its inaugural competition of the “Orleu” a program for low-income Kazakh citizens. Its winners, four school graduates, were given the opportunity to study for one year of a bachelor's degree program at a university of their choice, at the Foundation's expense. In 2023, the Foundation also held an additional competition for this pilot program, which resulted in five young people, including two of the winners from the program's inaugural year, securing the opportunity to pursue their Master's degrees at Kazakh universities.
In 2022, the Foundation conducted a grant program for additional training for the first time, focusing on the development of "flexible" ("soft", - non-professional) and "hard" (professional) skills – “Yessenov Launch Pad”. Its winners were 14 young Kazakh people.
Voluntary and sponsorship activities
The volunteer coordination center “Komanda SOS” mobilizes volunteers to address critical social issues in Kazakhstan, fostering a culture of volunteerism that strengthens civil society. The most significant annual projects of “Komanda SOS” are the children’s aid program “Wish Tree” and the sports camp “Special Olympics Kazakhstan” for children with special needs (70 volunteers and 235 children became camp participants). In August 2018, “Komanda SOS” held a charity event "7 for 7”, as a result of which 115 children with special needs from specialized supportive educational institutions in Almaty were prepared for school.
From July 2015 to March 2020, the Foundation was a sponsor of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and all its sporting events, including the Central Asian Cup (2015), Eurasian Blitz Cup (2016), Open International Tournament Cup of South Korea (2016-2019), Men's and Women's World Team Championship (2019), Asian Senior Championship (2019), V. Dvorkovich Cup, which features the best children's teams in the world (2019) and others. A total of 25 international and 63 national tournaments were held from June 2015 to January 2020. Kazakh chess players competed in 66 of the international tournaments.
In March 2017, the Foundation became the founder of the Almaty Marathon, the largest running event in Central Asia.
From 2017 to 2024, the Foundation sponsored a Kazakh team of schoolchildren at the International Olympiad on Earth Sciences.