The novel ion accelerator facility INURA (Innovative Nazarbayev University’s Research Accelerator) was recently installed at Nazarbayev University, on the 1st floor of building S4. It was with excitement that Nazarbayev University used the facility to produce its first ion beam! Successful construction of the facility was the culmination of five years of effort, made possible by funding from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, through the state target program – “NU-Berkeley Strategic Initiative in Warm-Dense Matter, Advanced Materials and Energy Sources”.

The accelerator was designed and fabricated in collaboration with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and the Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU). From NU’s side, the project was conceived of and directed by Dr. Kanat Baigarin, and executed by a team guided by Drs. Alexander Tikhonov and Marat Kaikanov, an Assistant Professor in Physics (SST) and an Assistant Professor and NLA Senior Researcher, respectively.

INURA is a high-current pulsed ion accelerator, developed to be multi-purpose and used in both theoretical and applied research. It provides a 10 000 Amperes ion current in 80 nanoseconds, with ion energy of 400 keV. This technology can modify a material’s structure and properties. INURA, will not only modify, but will also fabricate new advanced materials ranging from solid bulk to nano. Additionally, the accelerator will be used for plasma and charged particle beams studies. Finally, future uses include the development and commercialization of new technologies, including but not limited to the hardening of materials, improving wear-and-tear resistance, fabricating nano-powders, and applications in the bio-agricultural realm.

INURA’s capabilities have already attracted a large amount of interest from several research groups at NU, and other Kazakhstani and international research organizations! INURA will be used in collaborative research, and some projects have already begun including: fabrication of transparent conductive coatings; ion beam transport and focusing in plasma; fabrication of nano-powders and modification of nano-structures.

Congratulations to our amazing colleagues with prestigious awards at the Kazakhstan Research Award Ceremony from Elsevier’s Scopus!

The list of winners:

Almas Shintemirov, Associate Professor, School of Science and Technology

1st prize – “Top Researcher in Engineering and Technology”
Suragan Durvudkhan, Assistant Professor, School of Science and Technology

2d prize – “Top Researcher in Natural Sciences”
Timur Atabaev, Assistant Professor, School of Science and Technology

“Young Researcher Award”
Nazarbayev University Library (headed by Assemgul Temirkhanova).

“Library of the Year”
As a part of the Scopus Award event, workshops and seminars for scientists and publishers of scientific journals were organized together with the event partners – The TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION and QS.

A team of researchers from Nazarbayev University seasonally sampled topsoil across a 2,000 km north-south gradient in Kazakhstan and analysed the physical and chemical compositions (i.e., organic, inorganic, total carbon and total nitrogen), related vegetation, land cover and climate properties.

This research is in line with the Kyoto Protocol and the Clean Development Mechanism. Although Kazakhstan is the largest land-locked country in the world, field data on soil organic carbon (SOC) that can improve global climate-carbon modelling, often based on remote-sensing data, are scarce.

“Our work paves the way for further environmental modelling studies on Kazakh land and consequently relevant evidence-based policy decision-making in agroecologycal sector”, – mentioned Vadim Yapiev, PhD student at the School of Engineering, Nazarbayev University.

Independent of the season, SOC significantly differed among soil types. The distribution of total nitrogen content among our sampling sites followed a similar pattern as SOC, with significant differences between soil types occurring in northern, central and southern Kazakhstan. The results of the study are published in SCIENTIFIC DATA | 5:180242 | DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2018.242

The co-lead authors of the study are Vadim Yapiev, Christian Schönbach (School of Science and Technology), and Vassilis Inglezakis (School of Engineering). The other authors are Nazarbayev University students and faculty – Charles P Gilman, Tolganay Kabdullayeva, Akmaral Suleimenova, Aizhan Shagadatova, Azat Duisembay, Sanzhar Naizabekov, Saule Mussurova, Kamilya Sydykova, Ilyas Raimkulov, Ilyas Kabimoldayev, Ainagul Abdrakhmanova, Symbat Omarkulova, Dastan Nurmukhambetov, Aliya Kudarova, and Daniyar Malgazhdar.

On November 14, in honor or World Diabetes Day, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine (NUSOM) held an outreach event at a major metropolitan shopping center to educate the public about one of the most common diseases in the world – diabetes. The campaign aimed to familiarize the Kazakhstani population about the symptoms, treatment and problems related to the disease, to overcome public indifference, to encourage early screening, and to spread a culture of blood sugar control.

Worldwide around 425 million adults (or every 11th person) suffer from diabetes. For Kazakhstan, statistically about 1.3 million people are affected, but more than half may not be diagnosed. Poor diabetes control can lead to serious complications, including heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, limb amputation, and blindness. This is why early diagnosis and treatment are essential for delaying, and in some cases preventing, these more serious life-threatening complications.

NUSOM students measured the body mass index and blood sugar level of more than 300 people, administered a brief questionnaire to assess the risk of diabetes, and then gave personal recommendations to the participants based on the results of these examinations. According to Kuralay Atageldiyeva, an Instructor in the School of Medicine “There were 8 new cases of diabetes mellitus, 13% of the surveyed had a high risk, 16% – moderate and 24% – low risk of diabetes. For 43.5% of the patients the risk of developing diabetes in the next 10 years was less than 1%.”

The event ended with a Diabetes Flash Mob to promote the role that family and loved ones can play in the prevention and education of diabetes, a disease which effects millions of people around the world daily.

World Diabetes Day was introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to the growing threat of diabetes worldwide. Since 2007, it has been held under the auspices of the United Nations.

Students of Nazarbayev University celebrated Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), a traditional Mexican holiday honoring ancestors. NU invited the community to learn more about Mexican culture by hosting the “COCO Fest”, its adaptation of the holiday. To highlight the holiday’s importance worldwide, UNESCO included it to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. This year’s COCO Fest marks the first time Nazarbayev University has celebrated Día de Muertos.

On the eve of the holiday, a “Calaveritas” poetry contest was held for students, where festival participants learned about the origins of Día de Muertos, and the traditions surrounding the celebration. All decorations, including altars and colored skulls (i.e., Calaveras), were made by students by hand. The winner of the poem competition was 9-year-old Dilara, the daughter of one of the professors at the university.

Other festival events included a trivia competition about the holiday, the cartoon “Coco” and Mexican traditions in general. Coco Fest was organized by the Spanish Club NU, the LOUD Club, the Association of International Students, the Creative Club and the Dance Club “Latino”.

On November 10, Nazarbayev University’s Student Choir held its 7th annual fall concert "Choose Love". This year’s theme – Love in its all forms – was celebrated with unforgettable musical performances including bright dances, songs, interesting stories, and ensemble numbers by the whole choir and small groups. The choir provided a wonderful Saturday evening of entertainment, and conveyed this timely and universal message by singing about four different types of love – the love for one’s self, one’s beloved work, one’s significant other and the entire world.

First time in Kazakhstan. Library 24/7
Now the library has become even more accessible and comfortable. New halls and rooms with a total area of 10 000 sq.m. offer incredible conditions for the NU community. With the launching of 24/7 mode, the library will provide its patrons with four new halls and 400 seats: Science Room, Astana Room, Aliya room, Quiet Room – this is the first library of this type in Kazakhstan. Additionally, a coffee machine will soon be installed.
The infrastructure of the updated library includes new computer rooms, multimedia rooms, classrooms for group activities and individual study, equipment for inclusive education, a conference room, an audio-visual studio, a visual communications room and much more. In order to encourage and support young readers, furniture and play areas will soon appear in the children's room. Moreover, the library is especially proud of its innovative relaxation room with areas for rest and sleep. 

Dear NU community,

We are happy to present the latest issue of the CAC News Digest.

Click here