I’m an MBA '25 alumni. I'm a Head of Marketing with over 5 years of experience promoting educational products in both B2C and B2B sectors across the CIS market. Throughout my career, I have launched over five educational products from scratch, generating a total revenue of $20,000+. I develop marketing strategies, build and manage teams, make strategic and tactical decisions, and work closely with funnel analytics and performance data.

I am Zeeshan Mohammad, a Full-Time Master of Business Student 2025, and after completing my MBA I am currently working as a Manager in the Reserve Bank of India in Mumbai (India). Reserve Bank of India is equivalent to the National Bank of Kazakhstan

Aliya is an Executive MBA graduate of Nazarbayev University, having completed the program with honors. A recipient of the prestigious Bolashak international scholarship, she also holds a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from the United Kingdom.

Currently, she leads the HR Projects and Policies function at Tengizchevroil, Kazakhstan’s largest oil and gas company. She is an ICF-certified coach and a certified change management professional, with a strong focus on talent development, internal capability building, and knowledge sharing. Aliya is a frequent speaker at professional conferences and an advocate for continuous learning in the workplace. Beyond her corporate role, she is deeply committed to volunteer work supporting educational, environmental and social initiatives of the community. Aliya coaches and mentors young professionals helping them to unleash their potential and inspire them to further development. She actively promotes diversity and inclusion principles within and outside her workplace.

As part of her EMBA journey, Aliya co-authored a capstone project focused on launching a poultry farm in Astana — a socially impactful and economically viable business model aimed at supporting food security and regional development. The project attracted immediate interest from potential investors and demonstrated how academic insight can translate into real-world entrepreneurial solutions.

She regards the EMBA program as a transformative experience — one that deepened her strategic perspective, enhanced her leadership effectiveness, and connected her with a diverse, high-impact professional network.

Altynay Nashirali graduated with honors from the Master’s in Finance program at Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Business (NU GSB), earning a perfect 4.0 GPA. She previously completed her undergraduate studies in Mathematics at NU.

Her master’s thesis explored how Kazakhstan’s stock market responds to monetary and fiscal policy signals - an interest sparked during her internship at the National Bank of Kazakhstan. As part of the master’s program, she also attended the Summer School at the London School of Economics. Currently working as a research assistant at NU GSB, her research interests include asset pricing and climate finance. She aspires to pursue a PhD and a career in academia.

Aigerim is an alumna of the Multilingual Education program at Nazarbayev University and holds a second Master’s degree in Gender Studies from Spain. Her research on curriculum ideologies among Kazakh language teacher educators, framed through a Third Space perspective, earned her the LISIG Thesis Award. She promotes digital literacy through a local NGO, supporting both children and elderly learners. Fluent in five languages, she explores how education fosters identity, belonging, and care. Aigerim is committed to building inclusive, reflective learning environments in both classrooms and broader communities.

Alumna of Nazarbayev University’s Graduate School of Education, Aigerim Kazhigaliyeva holds an MA in Multilingual Education and a PhD in Education. Her doctoral thesis on English-medium instruction in Kazakhstani universities now guides the bilingual teaching model she oversees as Deputy Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Astana International University. Aigerim founded the volunteer initiative University Bridge in 2020; through 13 multilingual research-sharing sessions it has linked nearly 1000 early-career scholars from fifteen Kazakhstani and several partner overseas universities, catalysing cross-border collaboration and mentorship . She represented NU at the Asian Universities Alliance Youth Forum in Malaysia, championed student interests as class representative, and continues to advance equitable, innovative practice across Kazakhstan’s higher-education landscape.

I began my career as a physics teacher and spent many years in the classroom before taking on a leadership role as a vice principal. During this time, our students achieved outstanding success in international science Olympiads, winning medals in nearly every top competition available to school students. Thanks to these results, our school was recognized as “The Best Olympiad School” for ten consecutive years.

Currently, I serve as the Head of the Project Department at the "Bilim-Innovation" International Social Foundation. Our department works to share the best practices of our schools by supporting and training teachers across the country. Over the past three years, we have trained nearly 20,000 teachers in more than 350 schools and equipped 137 schools, mainly science classrooms, with high-quality educational tools and equipment. Our work integrates teacher training, classroom improvement, and ongoing mentoring.

In 2014, I completed an internship in Education Management at the University of Leicester in the UK through the Bolashak program. After ten years, just as I encouraged my students to pursue excellence, I also chose to continue my own learning. In my 40s, I enrolled in the MSc in Education Leadership program at NUGSE as part of my professional growth. My thesis focuses on the professional development of rural teachers—an area that combines both my field experience and long-standing commitment to supporting educators in rural areas. In addition to my thesis work, we have also published two academic journal articles on rural education. Based on these articles, we have subsequently published a guidebook, further contributing to the growing body of knowledge in this important area.

Slyamzhar Akhmetzharov is a graduate of the PhD program in Public Policy at the Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University. He has worked in several analytical institutions, including serving as a department head at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He currently works in public sector. The knowledge and experience he gained at the university have provided a solid foundation for his dedicated service to the country.

Aneliya Kassymova is a student from Graduate School of Public Policy (MPP, 1st Year). She recently achieved first place at both the regional and global levels of the NASPAA Student Simulation Competition 2025, distinguishing herself among top public policy students from leading institutions, including New York University and Cornell University. Her outstanding performance demonstrated advanced policy analysis, data-driven decision-making, and collaborative leadership in addressing urgent global challenges. Recognized for her high academic standing, Aneliya also leads impactful sustainability initiatives with SDSN Youth Kazakhstan and conducts research on public-private partnerships in waste management. Her drive, leadership, and accomplishments continue to position her as a rising force in public policy and sustainable development.

Dastan Kosherbayev is a distinguished graduate of the Graduate School of Public Policy at Nazarbayev University (MPA, 2022). He currently serves as Chief Strategy and International Development Officer and Member of the Management Board at NAC Kazatomprom JSC.

Dastan began his career in investment policy before transitioning into the nuclear industry in 2016. Over the years, he has held several key leadership roles at Kazatomprom, including Deputy Executive Director of JV KATCO, Director of the Sales Department, and Chief Commercial Officer. Since 2023, he is a Member of the company’s Management Board.

With a strong foundation in both business and public administration, Dastan exemplifies the values of leadership, strategic thinking, and public service fostered at GSPP.

Ayana Karakozhayeva, graduating with a Master’s in Mining Engineering, has made remarkable contributions to environmental sustainability through her research on mine tailings. Her work harnesses machine learning and geostatistics to tackle the critical challenge of acid mine drainage (AMD)—helping to transform mine tailings from an environmental risk into an opportunity for responsible mining. Ayana presented her innovative research at GeoEnv 2024 in Greece and co-authored a paper in a top-tier Q1 journal. She is a rising leader in data-driven solutions for mine waste management and sustainable mining.

Saule Kassymova is a PhD graduate from the Graduate School of Public Policy of 2024. Her research focused on vaccine hesitancy and public trust in health systems. Her dissertation examined the role of trust in COVID-19 vaccination in Kazakhstan from 2020 to 2022, employing discourse analysis, social media content analysis, secondary quantitative data analysis, and observational research. She currently works at the World Health Organization Country Office in Kazakhstan, supporting efforts to improve vaccine demand and acceptance.

Yermukhan Zhuniskenov has published 5 journal articles and 6 conference papers indexed in Scopus between 2022 and 2025, accumulating a total of 51 citations and achieving an h-index of 4—all before completing his Master’s degree. Yermukhan actively participated in two international conferences, and was in the list of main presenters in one the conferences held in Kuala Lumpur. His research focuses on the utilization of natural polymers and nanoparticles to enhance oil recovery, contributing innovative approaches to the field.

Adiya Muratkhozhina was an integral member of our research team in several industrial projects. She contributed to projects with Kazmunaygas and Kazgermunay focused on enhancing oil recovery from fields in Kazakhstan. She was also the main researcher in a joint research project between Nazarbayev University and KBTU. Adiya also co-authored a Q1 journal publication, based on her research. Beyond academics, she served as the president of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) student chapter and actively participated in various university activities and committees at the school level.

Aruzhan Anuarbekova as the best student of the MMM program. Academically, she is at the top of her class. Aruzhan is a fine thinker who appreciates the complexity of biomedical matters. She is always punctual on assignments and performed very well in all MMM courses. She has a bright future in front of her and will certainly become a talented scientist.

Akniyet Kenzheshova is studying biomarkers of bladder cancer, and has published an article in Current Medicinal Chemistry journal - the neuroprotective role of the novel GLP-1R agonist in Alzheimer’s disease.

Zhalaliddin Makhammajanov published 6 papers during his PhD, 3 of them as first author, all of which are Q1. In the course of his PhD he has become the NUSOM expert in mass spectrometry and managed to finish his thesis early.

After a summer working as a waiter during Work and Travel —while classmates interned—I felt behind and vowed to transform adversity into opportunity. I taught myself Python and AI, winning the DataSaur Hackathon with a fake‑vehicle detection model. At ISSAI, I developed a YOLOv8 wildfire model to save lives and co‑created the OpenThermalPose dataset. I consistently maintained a 3.77 GPA, ranked first in my cohort since year one, earning five Dean’s List honors. I led a team at AI FOR BI to build an AI tender platform, winning the BI Synergy Sprint. At MBZUAI, I advanced multilingual zero‑shot encoder models.

Meruyert Toleuova consistently ranked among the top Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering students throughout her studies at NU and contributed to the WICAN research group, developing an IGABEM-based framework for identifying nanoelement shapes from electromagnetic scattering. In 2024, she founded the NU Aeromodelling Club to promote competitive aerospace engineering at NU. Under her leadership, team LASHYN became the first NU team to qualify for the Teknofest International UAV Competition. Recognized for her academic excellence, research contribution, and leadership, Meruyert received graduate program offers from JHU, UPenn, the University of Padua, and more.

Tomiris is ranked top 1 in her class, has been awarded Dean's List 6 times, and is a member of the University Volleyball team. She has been working as an RA since junior year and have participated in several International Conferences, including International Conference on Smart and Advanced Manufacturing 2024 (ICSAM’24) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and 74th International Astronautical Congress in Baku, Azerbaijan. She has also participated in the 2024 ”Zhi-Hong” International Summer School of Advanced Materials in Shanghai, China, and is now working on a paper as a first author under the supervision of Professor Shriff Gouda. Tomiris was accepted for a Master’s degree at Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and the University of Padua for a full-ride scholarship, and decided to continue her education at KAIST in the Fall.

Alumnus of the School of Sciences and Humanities at Nazarbayev University with a degree in Anthropology. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Archaeological Anthropology at New York University. As a research assistant, he worked with Dr. Paula Dupuy, Dr. Reed Coil, Dr. Katherine Erdman, and Dr. Abay Namen on multiple archaeological projects across Kazakhstan and Georgia. During his undergraduate studies, Miras participated in excavations at seven archaeological sites. His research interest lies in studying human migration and adaptation to steppe and mountains of Central Asia by analysing ancient stone tools found in different parts of Kazakhstan. Beyond academics, Miras served as president of the NU Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Grappling Club.

PhD student of the School of Sciences and Humanities majoring in Physics. She is a research assistant of Associate Professor Zhandos Utegulov and currently studies heat transfer phenomena in insulators and semiconductors irradiated with swift heavy ions and has spoken at international conferences in the field of radiation damage in materials. She received the Dean’s list award twice. In addition, Anna is an active member of the Women in Science club, which organizes various career guidance events for schoolchildren in Kazakhstan and helps young women scientists develop their professional skills in a comfortable environment.

Aida Anderson is a poet, translator, and literary scholar. A graduate of Nazarbayev University and an MA student in Eurasian Studies, she explores Kazakhstani Russophone literature at the intersection of language, identity, and marginalization. Her poetry and essays have appeared in Angime, Daktil, and Polutona, while her translations have been published in international journals such as Turkoslavia and Tule Review. Aida’s latest poetry cycle, “hunger” (Daktil, 2024), was shortlisted for the Qalamdas Literary Prize named after Olga Markova. Aida was repeatedly named to the Dean’s List for academic excellence and presented her research at the international CESS/ESCAS Conference in Lisbon. In Fall 2025, she will begin her PhD in Slavic and Eurasian Languages and Literatures at Yale University. Aida’s academic work focuses on the emergence of a distinctive Kazakhstani literary tradition in the wake of Independence. This research foregrounds the cultural contributions of marginalized voices, especially in the midst of social, cultural, and political change.

School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Bachelor in Chemical Engineering

Founder of Aqua Point

School of Engineering,

Bachelor in Chemical Engineering

Lead Data Scientist, Apple

School of Science and Technology, Bachelor in Biological Sciences

Human Microbiome Laboratory in the National Laboratory Astana

Graduate School of Education, PhD in Education

Chair of the Board “ORLEU” National Teacher Professional Development Center

School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bachelor in Economics

Entrepreneur, CEO of “Health Project”

School of Science and Humanities, Bachelor in Mathematics

Deputy head of the Center for Analysis and Monitoring of Socio-Economic Reforms under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Bachelor in Chemical Engineering

Field Engineer, Schlumberger, South Sakhalin, Russia

School of Medicine, Master in Public Health

Deputy Chairperson, National Research Cardiac Surgery Center

Graduate School of Business,

Executive MBA

Deputy Governor of the National Bank of RK

Graduate School of Education, PhD in Education

Rector of K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University

School of Medicine, Molecular Medicine

Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Embryologist

School of Engineering,

Master in Engineering Management

Direct Sourcing Manager, Electrovoz Kurastyru Zauyty LLP

Graduate School of Education, Master in Educational Leadership

PhD student at the University of Cambridge, the chair of the "Education For All" non-profit foundation

School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Bachelor in

Electrical Engineering

Founder of AERO Startup

School of Medicine, MD

UNV Laboratory Specialist, WHO

Graduate School of Public Policy,

Master in Public Policy

CEO of SmarTest Prep Educational Company (small enterprise) and founder of the project "Aiyel Bolsam

Graduate School of Public Policy, Master in Public Administration

Vice-Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry

Graduate School of Business, Master in Business Administration

Developer of hybrid FocusED now-SaaS smartphone platform development to be integrated with a virtual classroom mobile application

School of Sciences and Humanities, Bachelor in Physics

PhD student in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University

School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Bachelor in Computer Science and Master in Engineering Management

Founder and CEO of Alpha Design IT Company

School of Mining and Geosciences
Master of Science in Mining Engineering
PhD student at the University of Adelaide

Australian Government-Funded Scholarship holder
The ARC Training Centre for Integrated Operations for Complex Resources member
Publications in Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment (SERRA)

Graduate School of Education
MA in Multilingual Education
PhD student at the Education University of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme recipient by Research Grants Council
Publications in top-tier academic journals: ReCALL, EUROCALL conference proceedings

School of Engineering and Digital Sciences
Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering

PhD student at the University of Arizona

School of Engineering and Digital Sciences
Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Master’s student at the University of Tsukuba

School of Medicine
Master of Public Health

The Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+) PhD grant holder
PhD student at the University of Basel

School of Engineering and Digital Sciences
Master of Science in Robotics

Director for data science department at Jusan Bank

School of Engineering and Digital Sciences
Bachelor of Civil Engineering

Schwarzman Scholars
Founder of Dixi School

School of Sciences and Humanities
Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences

Technical Research Associate at Harvard Medical School
Yessenov Research Scholar