Summary
- Born on 18 May 1981 in Semipalatinsk (now Semey), Kazakhstan.
- Founder of education projects: Ecole 42 partner school, National School of Public Policy, National Skills Foresight school.
- Foresight certificates: UNESCO Futures Studies Program (2019), International Labor Organization (2018).
- Led education programs with an annual budget of USD 100 million.
- Over 1,000 public lectures and talks; social media audience of over 100,000.
Professional experience
June 2022 – Present
Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan
February 2022 – June 2022
Member of Parliament
Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Key results
- Received his mandate from the Nur Otan (AMANAT) party list
- Member of the Committee on Social and Cultural Development (March–April 2022), then of the Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security (April–June 2022)
- Head of the AMANAT party’s Republican Public Council on Education and Healthcare (from April 2022)
October 2019 – February 2022
Chief Executive Officer
BTS Education LLP — an education technology company
Key results
- Secured Round A/B investment of USD 5 million from Eurasian Digital Ventures Fund
- Product manager for national EdTech and labor market projects: the National Atlas of New Professions (a skills and competencies foresight study), the student voice assistant Up.Ai, the national career guidance service Edunavigator.kz, the online tutoring service 2tors.online and the national education marketplace EdMarket.kz
- Managed a team of 45 education and AI/ML experts and engineers
August 2018 – October 2019
Head of Education Projects
BTS Digital — a technology company of the Eurasian Resources Group
Key results
- Secured USD 1 million in funding from Eurasian Resources Group (ERG)
- Designed the organizational and course structure of the ERG Corporate University (USD 2 million)
- Built B2G partnerships with the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Education, the OSCE, the World Bank, ADB, EBRD and UNDP (USD 1.5 million)
- Built B2B partnerships with Khan Academy (regional partner, USD 500,000), Microsoft Education (education partner, USD 100,000), Khosla Ventures CK-12 Foundation (country partner, USD 300,000) and Burning Glass (country partner, USD 200,000)
January 2019 – 2022
Chairman of the Board
Umit Fund — non-profit founder and sponsor of the alem programming school
Key results
- Established the alem programming school in partnership with Nicolas Sadirac, co-founder of Epitech, Web@cademie, 42 and 01 Edu System
- Secured USD 2 million in sponsorship from a private investor
- Supervised a staff of 15+ tutors and mentors
- Supervised the design of a digital learning platform (Python, BigData, AI/ML, NLP, CyberSec, DevOps, KernelDev, Web, Kotlin, PWA, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Raspberry Pi, Arduino)
January 2019 – 2022
National Coordinator
Atlas of New Professions and Competencies of Kazakhstan
Key results
- Initiated a nationwide foresight study of skills and professions in 9 key sectors of the economy. The study set out to show which industries would grow, which new technologies, products and management practices would emerge, which skills and competencies would be in demand, which industries, professions and skills would become obsolete, and which groups of workers would need retraining, upskilling or a move to other sectors and jobs.
- Product manager for a mobile career guidance app built on forecasts of labor market trends (release planned for April 2020)
- Secured funding: USD 100,000 from a private investor and USD 1 million from the Ministry of Labor and the World Bank
- Supervised a staff of 15+ researchers and a team of 30+ foresight moderators
- Supervised a pool of 1,500+ experts in 9 sectors (oil and gas, mining, machinery, tourism, construction, agriculture, energy, IT and telecom, transportation and logistics)
December 2017 – 2022
Goodwill Ambassador
National Geographic Kazakhstan
Key results
- Supervised a team of 20+ staff translating National Geographic magazine into Kazakh
- Secured USD 150,000 in sponsorship and partnership funding from public and private organizations
- Supervised 10+ expeditions with National Geographic
- Supervised 20+ NatGeo master classes and trainings with local scientists and photographers
- Designed K-12 education programs based on the NatGeo research database
- Supervised the creation of a NatGeo textbook reader for secondary schools (biology, geography, chemistry, physics)
July 2016 – November 2017
Managing Director and Board Member
Astana International Financial Centre Authority JSC
Key results
- Took part in developing the AIFC Development Strategy; developed the AIFC HR and Education Strategy
- Supervised a staff of 20+ HR and education specialists
- Designed professional development programs in partnership with Harvard University, NYU, UC Berkeley, Cornell Business School, Oxford University and Said Business School (50+ key staff trained)
- Supervised the design and development of the AIFC Bureau for Continuing Professional Development (BCPD)
- Supervised the design of 20+ professional programs for the core pillars of the AIFC, including Islamic finance, fintech, capital markets, green finance, and asset and wealth management
- 500+ mid-career professionals in Kazakhstan and the region trained in accounting, finance, law, human resources, information and communication technology (ICT) and corporate governance
2015 – 2016
Acting Head of the Internal Policy Department
Akimat of Almaty
September 2013 – August 2015
Director
Institute of Public Policy of the Nur Otan party
Key results
- In the 2018 Global Go To Think Tank Index (University of Pennsylvania), the institute, by then renamed the Center for Political Analysis and Strategic Studies, ranked 51st among think tanks in Central Asia
- Supervised a staff of 30+ researchers and experts
- Secured USD 200,000 in sponsorship funding from public and private organizations
- Designed the research framework and methodology of a national values study and conducted it
- Designed and conducted a national Corruption Perception Index
November 2010 – September 2013
President
Center for International Programs JSC, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan — administrator of the Bolashak International Scholarship of the President of Kazakhstan
Key results
- Managed a national scholarship program with an annual budget of USD 100 million
- Managed a staff of 150 education experts
- Designed and ran professional education programs with 200+ of the world’s top colleges and universities (THE, Shanghai Jiao Tong, US News Report rankings)
- Chaired the Admissions Committee (10,000 applications and 2,500 scholarships a year)
- 12,000+ undergraduate and graduate students trained for BA, BSc, MA, MSc, PhD, LLM, MBA and doctoral degrees in 150+ fields
September 2009 – October 2010
Director
National School of Public Policy, Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Key results
- Established the school of public policy and policy analysis
- Established partnership programs with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Duke Sanford School, Maxwell School of Public Administration, China National School of Administration, London School of Economics, Peking University School of Government, Royal Dutch ROI Institute, Moscow School of Public Administration, Russian Academy of Public Administration and Moscow School of Management Skolkovo
- Supervised a staff of 15+ faculty and researchers
- Secured USD 100,000 in sponsorship funding from public and private organizations
- Designed and developed an MA (Master of Arts) program in Public Policy and Analysis
December 2008 – August 2009
Director of the HR Policy and Personnel Management Department; Executive Director for HR Policy and Personnel Management
Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna JSC
Key results
- Took part in developing the Fund’s Development Strategy; developed the HR and Corporate Education Strategy
- Designed and implemented the Samruk-Kazyna HR policy covering 38 portfolio companies with 250,000+ employees
- Designed KPIs and a corporate competency framework for portfolio companies (recruitment, assessment, incentives, training and upskilling, performance management, corporate culture, talent pool)
- Designed and implemented competitive recruitment procedures for the Fund and its portfolio companies
- Supervised the design of corporate and individual training programs
- Introduced corporate rules on pay and social support in portfolio companies
- Designed and implemented the Fund’s Code of Business Ethics and corporate culture
- Supervised a staff of 20+ HR and education experts
- Designed professional development programs in partnership with GE Corporate University, Temasek Business Leadership Center, Duke Corporate Education and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise
- Supervised the design and development of the Samruk-Kazyna Corporate University (SKCU)
- 1,000+ mid-career professionals trained in accounting, finance, law, human resources and corporate governance
2008
Vice-Rector for International Cooperation and Research
Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Key results
- Supervised international partnership programs with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Duke Sanford School, London School of Economics (LSE), Vienna Diplomatic Academy, École nationale d’administration (ENA), Russian Academy of Justice, Hanns Seidel Stiftung, EBRD, ADB, UNDP and OSCE
- Introduced dual degree programs with LSE, ENA, the Russian Academy of Justice and Ulster University (Ireland)
- Supervised a staff of 10+ faculty and researchers
- Supervised visiting lectures by 20+ foreign faculty and 40+ lectures by members of the diplomatic corps
- 46 Academy students (Master of Arts) trained abroad on dual degree programs (LSE, ENA, Russian Academy of Justice, Ulster University)
2008
Head of Sector, Personnel Policy Department
Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Key results
- Coordinated the working group on a new model of the national civil service, developed in partnership with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise
- Designed and introduced a new model of civil service training in partnership with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
- Designed the academic and organizational framework of the National School of Public Policy in partnership with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
- Supervised a staff of 10+ HR policy experts
- Implemented amendments to 10+ legal acts (laws, presidential decrees)
November 2006 – February 2008
Manager and Chief Manager, Investment Projects Department; Adviser to the CEO
Sustainable Development Fund Kazyna JSC
Key results
- Managed 10+ investment projects in agriculture, bioethanol production, transportation, energy, alternative energy and construction
- Advised the CEO on government relations and assisted him in his role as Deputy Chairman of the ruling Nur Otan party
- Designed reporting standards for investment projects, including detailed project performance indicators (NPV, IRR, ROI)
- Total value of the managed investment portfolio: USD 1.5 million
December 2002 – December 2003
Head of the Department for Social, Economic and Regional Development
Youth Congress of Kazakhstan, Executive Directorate
Key results
- Built 10+ partnerships with local and international NGOs
- Member of the Youth Council under the President of Kazakhstan
- Supervised advocacy for the Youth Law bill in the Parliament of Kazakhstan
August 2001 – August 2004
Electronics Technician
Information and Computing Center, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
Key results
- Provided technical support to 2,000+ faculty members as part of the IT helpdesk team
- Maintained and repaired 2,000+ PCs, laptops and video conferencing units
- Designed and developed the university website www.enu.kz
2001
Staff Member, Innovative Technologies Division
Information Technology Department, Government of the State of Iowa, USA
Key results
- Web and graphic designer for IOWAccess, the State of Iowa’s e-government portal
- Assistant to Clint Clark, Director of Website Development
August 2000 – December 2000
Personal Assistant
Election campaign of Mark Smith, Democratic candidate for the Iowa House of Representatives, USA
Key results
- Took part in 50+ campaign events, fundraisers and voter meetings
1998 – 2000
Assistant to the Head of the Road Works Department
Irtysh River Bridge Construction Project, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Ltd. (Japan) and Alsim Alarko (Turkey)
Key results
- Interpreter for the project’s chief executive and senior management
- Translated 500+ memos, letters and technical papers
Councils and commissions
January 2023 – Present
Member
Commission on Human Rights under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
2022
Member of the Political Council
Nur Otan (AMANAT) party
July 2019 – 2022
Member
National Council of Public Trust under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Teaching
2014 – 2022
Visiting Lecturer in Public Policy and Analysis
Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy
2013 – 2022
Visiting Lecturer in Strategy and Management
Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Business
February 2013 – September 2016
Lecturer, Business Administration Department
Graduate School of Business Almaty Management University
September 2010 – February 2011
Associate Professor, Department of Law and International Law
Turan-Astana University
March 2010 – August 2015
Lecturer in HR Management
Kazakh Humanities and Law University MBA School
October 2008 – May 2010
Associate Professor, Institute of Public and Local Administration
Academy of Public Administration
February 2006
Visiting Lecturer
I.P.E. (Istituto per ricerche ed attività educative), Naples, Italy
Education
2019, certificate
UNESCO Futures Studies Program
Futures Thinking and Strategy
2018, certificate
International Labor Organization (ILO)
Rapid Foresight and Skills Technology Foresight
2013, certificate
Brunel University, London
Strategic Planning and Change in Higher Education
2010, executive diploma
The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore
Public Administration and Policy
2008 – 2010, BA in psychology
Kokshe Academy
Concentration – Socionics, psychometrics, designed an applied MBTI testing methodology in Kazakh
2010, executive diploma
Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, NC, USA
Public Policy and Analysis
2008, executive diploma
Singapore Civil Service College, Singapore
HR Management in Public Service
2005 – 2006, MA in geopolitics
Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Geopolitics and International Security (soft power, public diplomacy)
1999 – 2004, BA in international law
L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana
International Intellectual Property law, WIPO
2003, certificate
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Youth Invitation Program, Tokyo
Mass Media and Communications Management
2001, FSA Undergraduate Program, political science
Marshalltown College, IA, USA
Public administration and policy analysis
Skills
- Education Strategy & Management
- Product Development
- Labor market framework and policies
- Multilingual Communicator and Public Speaker
- Large-scale Project Management
- Foresight and Future studies
- Human Resources Management
- Knowledge management and Learning organization design
Languages
Kazakh
Native
Russian
Native
English
C2 Proficient
Turkish
C2 Proficient
Italian
C1 Advanced
Spanish
B1 Intermediate
Latin
B1 Intermediate
Japanese
A2 Elementary
Arabic
A2 Elementary
Awards and medals
- Order of Kurmet (2021)
- Badge “Honorary Worker of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan” (2021)
- Certificate of Honour of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2020)
- Letter of Gratitude from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan with a breast badge (2019)
- Medal for the 20th anniversary of Astana (2018)
- Jubilee medal of Marat Ospanov West Kazakhstan State Medical University (2013)
- Medal for the 20th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2011)
- Medal “Eren Enbegi Ushin”
- Badge of honor KazGUU
- Medal for the 15th anniversary of the ENU Law Faculty (2014)
- Medal for the 20th anniversary of the KATEV foundation (2013)
- Medal for the 25th anniversary of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan