On October 2-3, 2018 in Astana, an intellectual competition “Student Energy Challenge” took place within the framework of the KazEnergy Youth Conference. The team of Nazarbayev University students «NU SynGas» took the 2nd place with the project: “Solid Waste Gasification”.

Over the course of two days, members of the jury narrowed the competition to the best teams, and then chose the top three teams from all of the finalists. The top three teams were from Nazarbayev University, Kazakh-British Technical University and Almaty University of Power Engineering and Telecommunications. 

The “NU SynGas” team consisted of Ruslan Polyuschk, Askarbek Pazylbekov, Danyar Zholdasbay and Telkozha Mustafa. The team thinks that their ecological project is now ready to be implemented in Kazakhstan and they plan to invest their prize of $5,000 into the project’s development. 

In addition to “NU SynGas”, Nazarbayev University had another team among the finalists –“Quadra”. Other Universities that had teams place as finalists include West Kazakhstan Agrarian and Technical University named after Zhangirhan, Ekibastuz Engineering and Technology Institute named after K. Satpayev, Caspian State University of Technology and Engineering named after Sh. Yesenov and Atyrau University of Oil and Gas. 

This was the 2nd time that the “Student Energy Challenge” competition was held, giving students of technical universities in Kazakhstan an opportunity to present their unique projects aimed at solving problems related to global energy issues.

On October 11-12, 2018, the Nazarbayev University Office of the Registrar organized the first conference on the improvement of the quality of the service provided; and the optimization and automation of the business processes of the Registrar’s Office.

Conference participants included more than 70 universities of Kazakhstan, representatives of software companies (Ellucian, Plagiat.pl, Platonus, Somnium), and the Associate Registrar of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA). 

Over the two days of the Conference, there were plenary and presentation sessions, round tables; and the discussions in various directions, such as: Office of the Registrar business model: issues and solutions; course planning in an open enrollment environment: data-driven scheduling and resource allocation; transition to a new SIS: opportunities and risks, etc. 

In 2017, the first seminar of Nazarbayev University’s Registrar’s Office, and the Kazakh National Research Technical University named after K.I. Satpayev took place in Almaty, and involved 150 participants from 5 regions of Kazakhstan and 40 universities, including the pro-rectors of universities. The objective of the seminar was to create a platform for communication, and an exchange of experience of the various offices’ employees that previously had to face the tasks alone.

On October 15, 2018 in Moscow, the Dean of the Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Business Patrick Duparcq and the President of the Moscow School of Management of Skolkovo, Andrei Sharonov, signed a memorandum of understanding in the presence of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

As part of the memorandum, it is planned to conduct one of the modules of the ЕМВА for Eurasia program in Astana. It will start next November within the framework of the strategic partnership of the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Training will be held in seven countries – Russia, China, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, USA, Israel and Armenia. At the Nazarbayev University Business School, the Operations Management module will be held, and students are also expected to attend the Khorgos program. 

In addition, the subject of cooperation will be writing business cases and joint research. The first such case will be the dry port of Khorgos, as an example of a bright project in the framework of the initiative “Belts and Roads”. The business case will be used in the EMBA for Eurasia module at Nazarbayev University.

On October 18, 2018 Nazarbayev University hosted the long-awaited Research Day. More than 100 research projects in different fields were presented by Students, Faculty and Researchers community. It was especially exciting that the project presentations were organized in the new C-4 building that will be officially opened in December 2018.

Oral presentations were presented in Biomedicine, Engineering and Science tracks and poster presentations were given by all schools. Several projects in Biomedicine were related to the diagnosis and understanding of Tuberculosis, Arthritis, respiratory and other diseases. 

Within Engineering, projects focused on Hydro-Meteorological systems, new materials and accumulators. Several projects in gender studies were also presented during Research Day, highlighting the importance of this subject in contemporary Kazakhstani society.

On October 26, 2018, Nazarbayev University hosted the final event of the Magzhan readings "Magzhan rukhy zhane 21 gasyr zhastary" dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the great Kazakh poet Magzhan Zhumabayev.

Nazarbayev University students successfully performed the “I Believe in Youth” literature-music drama in Kazakh and English languages. The performance was very touching. The organizers of the event are the Cultural Center "Ruhani Zhangyru" and the Department of the Kazakh Language and Turkic Studies at Nazarbayev University.

Magzhan researchers, public figures, writers, and Astana students participated in the event. Astana has been officially celebrating MagzhanZhumabayev’s anniversary after Turkey, Azerbaijan and Tatarstan, and followed by Macedonia.

The Nazarbayev University team won three Silver medals and Honorable mention in Al-Khorezmi International Mathematical Olympiad for University Students (AKHIMO) in Khorezm, Uzbekistan, October 26-31, 2018.

The AKHIMO contest is an initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev. This is the first international mathematical Olympiad for undergraduate students with five problems from fields of Algebra, Analysis, Number Theory, Geometry and Combinatorics. 

The NU Team was represented by Maksat Kuanyshbay (3rd year), Bakytzhan Kurmanbek (2nd year), Bakdauren Narbayev (1st year), Saddam Asmatullayev (2nd year), Azat Azamat (3rd year). Bakdauren Narbayev, Bakytzhan Kurmanbek, Maksat Kuanyshbay won Silver medals and Saddam Asmatullayev was awarded an honorable mention and Azat Azamat was received certificate. 

The Olympiad participants were from 58 universities around world including UK, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, the Czech Republic, UAE, Iran, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Malaysia, Estonia, etc.