Investing in the future of students in Kazakhstan
November 27, 2008
Wood Group is investing in the education of young people by committing £120,000 over the next seven years to the sponsorship of a professorial chair, together with an engineering graduates’ award programme at the Kazakh-British Technical University (KBTU) in Almaty.
“We aim to support both undergraduate and postgraduate students in Kazakhstan through this sponsorship by enabling the university to offer additional courses, especially in the oil and gas sector; as well as internships for undergraduates.” Says Serik Abildinov, our recently appointed Business Development Manager in the region.
“Wood Group will also be offering its expertise to help develop courses that meet future industry needs,” adds Serik, “The programme is open to all Kazakh engineering graduates at KBTU and offers work placements to engage young graduates in practical engineering challenges that will help them develop the knowledge they need to fuel the growth of a modern economy.”
For more information contact: serik.abildinov@woodgroup.com
MRU Delegation in Kazakhstan
November 27, 2008
From October 22 to 30 a delegation from Mykolas Romeris University visited Kazakhstan at the invitation of prof. Tokhmuchamed Sadykov, Rector of Kazakh National Pedagogic University of Abaya (KNPA). Prof. Alvydas Pumputis and prof. Tokhmuchamed Sadykov talked about guidelines for further cooperation between the two universities. KNPA University has ambitions to implement European standards of education and to take part in the development of a common Higher Education area in Eurasia.
Prof. Alvydas Pumputis, Rector of Mykolas Romeris University, met Adilbek Dzhaksybekov, the head of the administrative office of the President of Kazakhstan, Zhansej Tujmebajev, Minister of Education, and Esimov, mayor of Almaty. During the meeting, the parties discussed trends in Higher Education in Europe and Asia and the role of universities in the development of collaboration between Lithuania and Kazakhstan. Particular stress was laid on the role of Higher Education in a knowledge-based economy.
On April 24, prof. Alvydas Pumputis gave a presentation “High Education Development Trends” at an international scientific conference Ways of Implementation of Major Domestic and Foreign Policies in Kazakhstan, held by KPNA. The conference was attended by officials from Kazakhstan‘s Ministry of Education, Almaty city authorities, representatives from universities of Kirgizstan and Russia, and foreign diplomats. Prof. A. Pumputis gave an interview to Kazakhstan‘s broadcasting company and Almaty radio station on Higher Education trends in Europe and in the rest of the world.
Extremely strong desire to live: life in ALZHIR
November 26, 2008
70 years ago the Kazakhstan was the place of exile and deportation for many millions of Soviet people. There were 953 cams and colonies of the punishment system functioned throughout the country in the years of Stalin repressions. One of them sadly known Akmolinskiy camp for wives of traitors betrayed (ALZHIR from the initial Russian language) the Fatherland was based in the village of Malinovka. That was the sole camp in the USSR, where about 20 thousands of women – mothers, wives, daughters of the repressed were imprisoned (Elmann 2007, p. 668). My grandmother who spent more than ten years in ALZHIR, the elite of the Kazakhs, and many others like she is survived because of the extremely strong desire to live, to hope, to love and make the Kazakh steppe independent, free, and to keep it for the next generation.
The command–administrative system leaded by Bolshevik communist party required to totally subordinate to the aims and system of Soviet time, no one had the permission to think, and talk differently (Rosefielde 1994, p1). Individuals, especially well educated people were proactive to establish their own views to be independent, free to think and protect the values they believed in, that means they were against for Politburo’s system. Such people were prosecuted and finally were killed and their relatives became the victims of repressions and deportations. 1932 – 33 years were marked by savage and extra-judicial repression period of time (Elmann 2007, p. 668). It led in 1932 – 33 to a quarter of a million people being charged by the OGPU and more than 200,000 sentences (normally of 5 – 10 years in the Gulag) of which more than 11,000 seem to have been death sentences.
“I was 21 year old new married, young woman and have just started my life with lovely person, we didn’t even had the honeymoon yet, when, suddenly, all my plans and dreams crashed, my husband was killed (after 10 years I knew) and I was repressed for 10 year sentence to ALZHIR, just because I was the wife of the enemy of the country” said Ms. Balken Sultanova (interview 2005) the prisoner of ALZHIR. On July 3, 1937, Head of NKVD (Peoples’ Committee for Internal Affairs) of the Western Siberia Mr. Mironov and Peoples’ Commissar of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan Mr. Zalin simultaneously received an encoded telegram, which prescribed them to organize two concentration camps fenced with razor-wire and having advanced security and increased guards to exclude escapes. These facilities were not meant for assassins and thefts – they were meant for fragile women: wives, mothers, sisters… Of the two camps Kazakhstan ALZHIR was the biggest women colony where instead of three thousand prisoners twenty thousands were kept. The telegram was signed by the Head of GULAG Mr. Berman, but was initiated by Mr. Yezhov. Neither sickness, nor pregnancy or babies could prevent women from being kept here. Absurd, but even the former wives of the parricides were arrested. The authority thought that women shared points of view of their husbands, meaning they were potentially dangerous.
“Arrests were quite fast – there was no investigation held: a woman would not even have time to pack her belongings and say buy to her relatives, who in their turn were arrested later as well,” shared Ms. Sultanova. “Women in home slippers or light shoes on their feet stepped into the thick Akmola snowdrifts”. Prisoners worked in the gardens, took care of cattle. Also, they cut the reed, worked in the forests and felled the trees to earn daily rate for food. Moreover, they worked in extremely difficult natural conditions because the temperature could fall to 50 º C (Zaitseva & Homburg 2005, p.57). “The daily rate of food was given according to how much you worked, 200 grams of bread and may be sometimes porridge. I was young and worked very hard and over made my daily standard, that is why I survived. But, unfortunately many people were dying because of starvation and hard work,” said Ms. Sultanova.
Children of the parricides were sent to orphanages all over the huge country. Relatives or friends were purposefully divided. But even in the darkest time a human being is lead by hope. Only the hope to see children helped those women not to break-down in ALZHIR. The hopes to see and live again with their family made them survive in that difficult and savage time. “One day when we came after very difficult working day to our barracks, I started to recite the poem of the Alexander Pushkin about brave and hope,” said Ms. Sultanova. “The jailer of our barrack stayed silently and than added: even we separated you from your family, high elite community and forced to work you are still morally unbreakable. I wonder your power!”
To sum up, my essay I would like to add the Ms. Sulatanova’s words: “Extremely strong desires to live made us alive and survive, because we were responsible for the future of the Kazakhs.” Nowadays when the Kazakhstan is independent and sovereignty country and have the legal constitution about human rights, we lay our heads to our brave and really patriot hero ancestors. That is why every year on 31st of May we remind the victims of political repressions and called as the Memorial Day. The horrific memories of this time period live not only in books, but also in the memories of the people who survived the Stalin’s terror up till nowadays. The cultural heritage of Kazakh’s can be enriched not only with the help of books and Internet but also by accessing the primary sources-the survivors. History-is our future, for those who don’t know their past will never be successful in future. There is the old Kazakh proverb tells “Who don’t know his history, he is like the tree without roots”. Therefore, history should be treated as a treasure, for it is the only thing that will remain living through ages and will made the new generation of Kazakhstan be proud of their ancestors and be inspired to work and live for the well being of their country.
Photo from http://images.google.kz/imgre
Y-PEER TEAM
November 20, 2008
Y-PEER members in Kazakhstan
The problems of the international exchange students
November 18, 2008
Nowadays many Kazakhstani students want to study abroad, therefore they choose the universities which are situated in Europe or in the USA. And the students of our university is not exclusion. When our students go to another countries they meet some problems. These problems are the language, the accomodation and another probelms. If you go to the USA or some European countries you should know the english language, and not only some words or phrases, but you should know very well english. In my opinion, the students who go to another countries should pass the exam, and learn the language more deeply, to communicate with other poeople of that country. for example in bolashak scolarship students first of all should pass the exam, to check their language skills, and to know the level of their language. the next problem is the accomodation. Some higher educational establishments that offer exchange programmes do not provide students with a good accomodation. My friend who was in the USA did not like the accomodation which she had when she was there. She said that the flats which wereshown in the photos are not similar, that they are absolutely different. I think that the photos of the flats should be realistic, and give the presentation of the flat in general. I think that students can avoid such problems. We should realize that our dreams about abroad countries is not always the true, that the reality may be different. And of course students should know very well the language of the foreign country. I wish good luck those students who are going to go the foreign country!
“Welcome Back Home” Party – Astana
November 18, 2008
7 December in the club “Manhattan” took place a party in which the students, coming back from America recently, met to have a fun after along time. The quests of the party were the Astana club of funny guys and Kazakhstani popular artists. They showed a very interesting concert that dedicated to uor students. Everyone can participate in funny games and competitionsand show their talent in English.
We want to say great thanks the administration of the club “Manhattan” for their help in writing this article.
some funny fotos)))
November 16, 2008
by Akbota Zamanbekova
all pictures were taken from kimep website.
Mr. President in our university)))
November 16, 2008
