Start Change with Yourself!

On November 12, 2024, the Department of General Education Disciplines at Kazakh National Agrarian Research University organized and held an event titled "Start Change with Yourself!". The event aimed to enhance students' legal literacy, promote their ideas through public organizations, and develop leadership skills in building the "New Kazakhstan."

The event consisted of three stages:

1. Preparatory Stage (November 4–11, 2024, offline):
   Students worked on creating organizations based on their interests and ideas. They developed programs, brochures, and received expert advice on improving them. The organizer of this stage was Merei Sharipbekovna Nazarova, a lecturer of the "Social Political Science" module.

2. Campaigning Stage (November 12, 2024, offline):
   Groups presented their organizations, conducted campaigning activities, and sought to gain voters' support. The organizers were Associate Professor, Candidate of Historical Sciences Zaure Salkekyzy Aktamberdiyeva, Associate Professor, Candidate of Historical Sciences Akylbek Bedelkhanovich Sarsenbayev, and Merei Sharipbekovna Nazarova, a lecturer of the "Social Political Science" module.

Оrganizations, their goals and main ideas:

• KazUniCare — aimed to help international students adapt to university life by assisting them in settling into their new academic environment, overcoming cultural and language barriers, and providing information and resources for comfortable living and studying in Kazakhstan.

• EcoPlay — addressed environmental issues and offered participation in eco-activities through a special app, where users could complete tasks, earn points, and exchange them for useful bonuses.

• Unity Works — raised issues of comfort in universities, such as unstable internet, lack of educational equipment, and sanitation problems, proposing potential solutions to these issues.

• Next12 — addressed the issue of students studying in fields they did not choose, offering solutions to this problem. The organization aimed to help students find the right career path by providing consultations and resources to assist them in changing their study direction and career development.

• Taza Bolashak — proposed a solution to environmental issues through the use of innovative robots. The organization focused on utilizing high-tech solutions to clean the environment by collecting and recycling waste using specialized robots to improve the ecological situation in the country.

• Qadam — focused on youth issues, helping them adapt to adult life. The organization offered various programs aimed at developing personal and professional skills, as well as providing psychological support to help young people successfully integrate into society and the workforce.

At the opening ceremony, speeches were delivered by the Head of the Department of General Education Disciplines, Candidate of Philological Sciences Baurzhan Seysenbekovich Zhonkeshov, the Head of Humanities at the Department, Associate Professor, Candidate of Historical Sciences Zaure Salkekyzy Aktamberdiyeva, and guest speaker Maiya Baktybekovna Abisatova, a leading specialist at the Public Development Center of Almaty. They emphasized the importance of the event, highlighting the need for students to understand their rights and responsibilities.

3. Voting Stage (November 14, 2024, online):

Students participated in the voting process by choosing the organizations they liked the most.

Voting Results:

The organization EcoPlay emerged victorious, receiving the highest number of votes. The success of the project was due to its innovative approach to solving environmental issues. A standout proposal was the idea of creating a mobile app that allows users to participate in eco-activities, earn points, and exchange them for useful bonuses, such as discounts at cinemas or gym memberships.

The event provided students with the opportunity to implement their ideas, express their views on social issues, and showcase leadership skills. The participants’ enthusiasm and creativity were key to the success of the event.

We extend our gratitude to all participants and hope that new initiatives and achievements will continue in the future.