The opening of the final qualifying round of the Republican Competition "Nazarbayev Fund Schools Challenge - 2019"

Today, on June 25, the opening of the final qualifying round of the Republican Competition "Nazarbayev Fund Schools Challenge - 2019" (hereinafter - Challenge) was held at the Nazarbayev Center.

Challenge is held under the auspices of the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy. Challenge is organized by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan and NIIP together with Nazarbayev University and the British University of Cranfield. The competition partners are the national carrier of Kazakhstan Air Astana and the Social Development Foundation Samruk-Kazyna Trust.

Purpose of the Challenge is to stimulate and support the intellectual potential of Kazakhstani youth, as well as to form schoolchildren’s motivation to make an informed choice of profession.

Challenge involves English speaking schoolchildren from all regions of the country aged 16 to 18 years who have achievements in the field of physical, mathematical and natural sciences, as well as experience in independent project activities.

Event was opened by Deputy Executive Director of the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy Igor Rogov, Vice-Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan Almat Madaliyev, British Ambassador to Kazakhstan Michael Gifford, Vice-President for Innovations at Nazarbayev University Yerden Kussain, Directorof theCorporate Communications Departmentof Samruk-Kazyna TrustMiras Irgebayev, winner of the “Nazarbayev Fund Schools Challenge - 2018” Yevgeniy Demidenko.

In addition, Ruslan Shayakhmetov, Senior Maintenance Manager of Air Astana, and Kirill Seleznev, Air Astana Pilot, gave lectures on the profession of engineer and the success stories for schoolchildren.

Ian Hollingworth spoke on behalf of Cranfield University, who welcomed the participants and wished the teams success in the upcoming finals.

The moderator of the event was the NIIP director Yerbol Ospanov.

Qualifying round will be held from June 25 to June 27, 2019, at the end of which the finalists selected by the Commission, consisting of representatives of the Challenge partners and sponsors, will be sent on a study tour to Cranfield University (United Kingdom) from August 19 to 26, 2019.

Good luck and victories to the participants!