Yerkin Tukumov
Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Graduated from the Institute of International Relations, Warsaw University, Poland (1997), Candidate of Political Sciences. Master of Public Administration of Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, USA (2016). Speaks Kazakh, Russian, English and Polish.
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Envoy of II class of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Since January 2022, Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
2019–2022 – Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Russia.
2018–2019 – Consul General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Kazan.
2010–2018 – Head of the Analytical Department of the Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
2008–2010 – Director of the Central Asia Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
2008 – Deputy Director of the Central Asia Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
2007–2008 – Head of the sector of strategic analysis of the Information and Analytical Center, head of the sector of the Center for Strategic Development and Analysis of the Administration of the President of the RK.
2005–2007 – Director General of Central Asian Fund for the Development of Democracy.
2000–2005 – Head of the Foreign Policy Research Department of KazISS under the President of the RK.
1997–2000 – Senior Research Fellow of KazISS under the President of the RK.
The author of the monograph “Discovering America: A View from Kazakhstan” and over 20 scientific publications in academic journals and collections of materials from republican and international conferences, as well as in the mass media.
Has extensive teaching experience at leading universities in Kazakhstan, such as Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, and Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages, for students with English as the language ofstudy.
Acts as an invited lecturer on current topics in international relations, human capital, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, terrorism, and extremism in the country’s universities.
Since June 2022 – a representative of Harvard University in Kazakhstan.
Executive Media and Communications Strategies Training Program (March, 2023).
Intensive Media Training Seminar “Making Global Media Work for You” (July, 2023).
Askar Nursha
Deputy director
Education:
- Higher education: from 1993 to 1998, in Al-Farabi Kazakh National University:
- Faculty of International Relations;
- Diploma of specialist in International Relations with distinction;
- Qualification: Country Studies (Great Britain), with knowledge of two foreign languages (English, German).
- Post-graduate study: Full-time, from 11/1998 to 11/2001, in Al-Farabi Kazakh National University;
- Chair of International Relations and Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Ph.D. in History (Candidate’s degree in Historical sciences)
- Speciality:00.15 – History of International Relations and Foreign Policy;
- Dissertation: “Diplomatic struggle around the Caspian oil in the end of the XX – beginning of the XXI centuries” (2002).
Employment History:
Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Astana, Kazakhstan):
- 09/2005–11/2007 – Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Studies
- 09/2011–06/2012 – Secretary of Scientific Council
- 2022–08.2023 – Advisor to Director
Since 09/2018 to 08/2020 – Dean, School of Public Policy and Law, Almaty Management University (AlmaU)(Almaty, Kazakhstan)
Institute of World Economy and Politics at the First President Foundation of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Almaty, Kazakhstan):
- 04/2017–02/2018 – Head of Almaty Office
- 02/2013–03/2017 – Coordinator of projects on foreign policy issues
- 01/2013–02/2013 – Head of the Center for International Studies
- 09/2012–01/2013 – Leading Research Fellow, Centre for the First President and Domestic Policy
- 12/2007-03/2009 – Head of the Center for International Studies
State Service:
Since 11/2009–04/2010 – Consultant of the Secretariat, Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Astana, Kazakhstan)
Since 04/2009 to 11/2009 – Head of the Division, Committee of Foreign Policy Analysis and Forecasts, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Astana, Kazakhstan)
Lecturer in University:
- 12/2001–07/2005 – Lecturer in Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Almaty, Kazakhstan)
- Faculty of International Relations;
- Chair of International Relations and Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
- 09/2018–12/2018 – Lecturer, School of Public Policy and Law, Almaty Management University (AlmaU)(Almaty, Kazakhstan)
Author of the monograph “Putin’s Russia: Geopolitical Revenge or Aggressive Defense?” (2018), more than 50 scholarly articles and 7 public analytical reports
Alua Zholdybalina
Deputy director
Education:
- Karaganda College of Humanities (1996 – 1998)
- Bachelor’s Degree: Buketov Karaganda State University, Department of Philosophy and Psychology (1998 – 2002)
- Master’s Degree: Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Department of Political Science (2002 – 2004)
- PhD: Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Department of Political Science (2007 – 2010)
- Scientific internship INTO University of East Anglia (UK), Central European University (Hungary). International scholarship of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Bolashak” (2013)
Academic degree: Doctor Ph.D in the specialty 23.00.00. – political science.
Research and trainings:
- Representative power and political institutions: comparative analysis, 25-29 November, 2005;
- Current Policy in Central Asia, October-November, 2008;
- PR Memleket sayasatyn tүsіndіrude tehnologiyalardyқ oldanu, 2010;
- Sociology in policy as a method of influence and manipulation, May.2011;
- Research Methodology: Theory and Practice, April .2011;
- Training and Project Management, April, 2011;
- Conflict Management”, April, 2011;
- Statistical methods of social research, January-February, 2012;
- Regional security and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (APR, March, 2012;
- Publication in peer-reviewed journals, March, 2012;
- Thomson Reuters Scientific and Scholarly Research», April, 2012;
- Political Forecasting and Modeling, April, 2014;
- Research Paradigms of Political Science by Angers Wierzbicki, University of Warsaw, March, 2014;
- Introduction to SPSS (Central European University), November 2013;
- How to write policy briefs (Central European University), November, 2013;
- College Writing 2.1x: Principle of Written English (University of California, Berkeley through edX), November, 2013 – May, 2014
- English Composition I: Achieving Expertise» (Duke University, Coursera), April-August, 2014;
- Writing for Academic Journal Publication by Professor R. Bantel (Gumilev University), October-December, 2014;
- New informational communicative methods for high school teaching – October 2014;
- Internet and politics – October, 2014;
- How to use R (stats) package in political study – November, 2014;
- Seminar: How to write a research article – November 27 2014.
Professional experience:
- 2003 – 2004 – Lecturer: S.Seifullin’s Kazakh University
- 2004 – 2006 – Lecturer: Gumilyov National Eurasian University, International Relations Department
- 2006 – 2007 – Senior Lecturer: Gumilyov National Eurasian University, International Relations Department
- 2008 – 2009 – Senior Research Fellow: Center for Military and Strategic Studies, Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan
- September 2010 – January 2015 – Assistant Professor: Gumilyov National Eurasian University, Department of Journalism and Political Science
- Since January until July 2015 – Senior Research Fellow: KazISS, Department of Social and Political Analysis.
- Since Jule 2015 – Department Head, KazISS, Department of Social and Political Analysis
- Since Februrary 2021 – Deputy Director of KazISS under the President of RK
Awards:
- Jubilee Medal “20th Anniversary of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan”, (2015)
- Anniversary medal “25th anniversary of Independence of Kazakhstan”, (2016)
- The anniversary medal “20 years of Astana”, (2018)
- Medal “25 years of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan” (Nur-Sultan, 2020)
- «Қазақстан Республикасының Тәуелсіздігіне 30 жыл» (2021)
Departmental awards:
- Breastplate “For merits in the development of science of the Republic of Kazakhstan” (2016)
- Diploma of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2016)
- Anniversary medal “25th anniversary of the KazISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan” (2018)
- Letter of thanks from the rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Nur-Sultan, June 2020);
- Letter of thanks from the Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2021)
- Letter of thanks from the First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2021)
Publications: more than thirty articles on the development of analytical centers, political technologies, domestic policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The author of the monograph «Саясаттағы сараптамалық талдау орталықтары: әлемдік тәжірибе және Қазақстан». She participated as a researcher, analyst in 17 different scientific projects of the MES of the Republic of Kazakhstan, government bodies and analytical centers.
Nurlan Sakuov
Deputy director
Education:
- Ohio University, USA, Master’s degree in Applied Economics, within the framework of the “Bolashak” program (2008)
- Kokshetau State University, “Mathematics and Computer Science” (2020)
- Kokshetau State University, “English and German Languages” (2003)
Professional experience:
07.2023 – until now – Deputy Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
02.2022–05.2023 – Executive Secretary of NCE RK “Atameken”
02.2018–02.2022 – Managing Director of the Department of Economics and Analysis and external consultant on economic issues of NCE RK “Atameken”
09.2017–12.2018 – Economist-consultant of the Asian Development Bank in the project on restoration of irrigation channels
02.2017–02.2018 – National Economist of the Asian Development Bank
11.2013–01.2017 – supervised the departments of economics and summary analysis, manufacturing industry, competition and tariff formation of NCE RK “Atameken”
05.2013–11.2013 – Senior Analyst of the Analytical Department of JSC “National Center for State Scientific and Technical Expertise”
01.2013–04.2013 – economist-consultant of “Key Partners” LLP in a project in the field of regional management development
10.2012–02.2013 – economist-consultant of “Blackstone Capital” LLP in a marketing project
03.2012–09.2012 – economist-consultant of “MAG-Consulting Kazakhstan” LLP in a project in the field of strategic management
10.2011–10.2012 – economist-analyst of the Department of Economic Strategies of JSC “National Analytical Center” under the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan
01.2010–10.2011 – leading translator of NC “KazMunayGas”
01.2009–01.2010 – chief expert of the Center for the study of financial violations of the Accounts committee for control over the execution of the republican budget of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Awards:
- Medal “For Distinguished Labour” (“Eren enbegi ushin”) (2022)
- Medal of NCE RK “Atameken” “For loyalty to the work” (2015)
Assel Nazarbetova
Head of the Representative Office of KazISS in Almaty
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree: 1995-1999 – Kazakh Ablai Khan State University of International Relations and World Languages (KazSUIR&WL), Faculty of International Relations
- Master’s Degree: 1999-2001 – KazSUIR&WL, Department of International Relations
- PhD: 2012-2015 – al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Department of Political Science and Political Technologies
SCIENTIFIC DEGREE: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) on the specialty “6D050200 – Political Science”.
TOPIC OF PhD DISSERTATION: “The political context of mass media space (the experience of political comparative studies)”
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
- 2001-2004 – KazUIR&WL, Lecturer of Department of International Relations
- 2004-2006 – KazUIR&WL, Deputy Dean of Faculty of International Relations
- 2006-2007 – KazUIR&WL, Senior Lecturer of Department of International Relations
- 2007-2010 – Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazISS), Research Fellow of the Department of Social and Political Studies
- 2010-2011 – KazISS, Senior Research Fellow of the Department of Social and Political Studies
- 2011 September – 2012 January – House of Friendship – Center for the Study of Interethnic Relations, Head of the Center.
- 2012-2013 – Institute for Philosophy, Political Science and Religion Studies of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (IPhPR), Scientific Secretary
- 2014-2017 – IPhPR, Chief Scientific Secretary
- 2014-2016 – Center for Training of Scientific Personnel “Gylym ordasy”, Head of the Center (part-time)
- March-December 2018 – KazISS, Head of the Department of Information-Analytical Work
- 2019-2022 – KazISS Head of International Studies
- From May 2022 – KazISS, Secretary for Academic and Research Affairs
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
- 2003-2006 – Central Asian Seminar on Security Studies at Higher Education Support Program of the Open Society Institute (ReSET HESP OSI)
- November 2008 – Internship in the German Society of Eastern Europe (Berlin, Germany)
- July-August 2013 – Scientific internship at the Humboldt University (Berlin, Germany)
- March-April 2015 – Scientific internship at the Humboldt University (Berlin, Germany)
AWARDS:
- «Algys» of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2016)
- Medal “80th anniversary of the al-Farabi KazNU» (2017)
- «Kurmet gramotasy» KAZISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2010)
- «Kurmet gramotasy» of the Institute for Philosophy, Political Science and Religion Studies of the Science Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2014, 2015, 2017).
- The anniversary medal “20 years of Astana” (2018)
- The anniversary medal “25th Anniversary of KazISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan” (2018)
- Certificate of Honor from the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2020)
- The anniversary medal “30 years of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan” (2021)
- Letter of thanks from the Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2021)
- Breastplate “For merits in the development of science of the Republic of Kazakhstan” (2022)
- Letter of thanks from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2022)
- The anniversary medal «30 years CICA» (2022).
PUBLICATIONS:
the author of about 80 scientific publications in academic publications and collections of materials of republican and international conferences, in the media, including co-author of 16 collective monographs.
The field of scientific interests is political institutions, political processes, mass media, global processes in the mass media, international relations, foreign policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Zhazira Taubayeva
Secretary for Academic and Research Affairs
Education:
- 2011-2014 – Doctoral Studies in “International Relations” at Eurasian National University named after L.N. Gumilyov.
- 2009-2011 – Master’s Degree in “International Relations” at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
- 2005-2009 – Bachelor’s Degree in “International Relations.” Qualification: Specialist in International Relations, Regional Studies Expertwith proficiency in two foreign languages (English, Arabic). Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
Taubayeva has completed various internships and courses, including programs at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (Honolulu, USA) in 2017 and the Asian Development Bank Institute (Tokyo, Japan) in 2023. She has worked with several international organizations and research centers in Kazakhstan. Her expertise encompasses political analysis, security issues in Central Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.
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