Three stories about how young people are moving Kazakhstan's science forward by creating international projects and participating in conferences at the global level.
Ayana Batyrbayeva, 19 years old, Astana city, student, @ayanabayy
About me
I am in my second year at Nazarbayev University, majoring in Mathematics.
Interest in science arose in childhood, thanks to his parents. They nurtured in me the desire to learn new things through books, encyclopedias, documentary programs. We have always talked about the importance of education and supported any initiatives, be it a school science project or an Olympiad.
Science is an immortal melody that constantly changes its mood, tempo and rhythm. Having heard and understood it once, you will want to move with it in time.
About scientific activity
In 2021, when I enrolled in the Foundation program, the training took place online. That's why I joined a research group in Taraz. Our main goal was to identify the acute problems of the water sector in Kazakhstan, the causes of their occurrence, as well as solutions. There were six people in the group, including me. In 2022, two of our scientific articles were published in Scopus Elsevier in the series of Geology and Engineering Sciences. Scopus Elsevier is one of the most reputable international databases of scientific literature.
At the moment, I am a member of the Green Energy and Environment research group headed by Professor Woojin Lee at Nazarbayev University. We are studying the amount of microplastics and nanoplastics in drinking water and its effect on the human body.
I collect water samples and analyze them under a light microscope to understand the color, size, shape and possible amount of microplastics. I also conduct an analysis using Raman spectroscopy, which allows us to determine the structure of particles and understand whether they are microplastics or not.
Science at Nazarbayev University
The development of the scientific potential of students is one of the key tasks of Nazarbayev University. Most of our professors, in addition to teaching, are actively engaged in conducting their own scientific research. Students can join them as research assistants. This is a popular practice. Usually, in the second or third year, you can work like this on a paid basis.
There is an active information activity at the university, thanks to which students can learn about open vacancies and various opportunities.
In matters of scientific activity, the financial and logistical component is important, since high-quality equipment is needed to conduct experiments and obtain accurate results. In this regard, I can say that the university has reagents, laboratories and equipment that are important for our research group in general.
Even at the university, there is an opportunity to join academic student clubs that conduct their own research, participate in international prestigious competitions, and take prizes.
Prospects for young scientists
The scientific community of our country is gradually increasing. More and more prospects are opening up for young scientists: scientific foundations that help improve their qualifications and gain experience abroad, grants for master's and doctoral degree programs, paid internships.
I hope that the scientific sector will develop further, and we, the younger generation, will increasingly find ourselves in this area.
About the plans
After graduation, I will apply for a master's degree.
For now, I continue to combine my studies and work on studying micro and nanoplastics in water. I will share research results, publish articles with my colleagues and professor, participate in scientific conferences, seminars and symposiums.
Zhamila Kulchukova, 24 years old, Astana city, student, research assistant, @nnioax
About me
I am a first-year student of the Master's degree program in physics at Nazarbayev University.
I've always wanted to be a scientist. As a child, I loved documentaries on National Geographic and Discovery, and read encyclopedias to the holes. Therefore, when I entered Nazarbayev University for the Foundation program in 2017, I already had a goal — to join the research group. At that time, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. I was fascinated by everything: geography, medicine, astronomy, programming.
For a long time I thought about studying to be a meteorologist and researching the climate. But there is no such specialty at the university, so I went to physics — this is a fundamental science.
About scientific activity
I am engaged in singular optics and topological photonics: I study phase singularities in the optical field, analyze the topological reactions associated with them, and study the effect of symmetry in the system.
The main subject of my work is vortex rings. It's like smoke rings, but instead of smoke, there's light. My work is theoretical. I don't touch the hardware, but I do my experiments on a computer: I create simulations, generate animations, draw graphs and analyze them.
I started seriously working on the project in my last year of undergraduate studies. Before that, I delved into the topic: I read articles, took several courses in mathematics, communicated with my supervisor, and was preparing to write a bachelor's thesis.
At the moment, I have been working on my project for almost two years. Even in my master's degree, I stayed at Nazarbayev University: partly to continue my work.
In February, my first article was published in Q1 magazine, where I am the first author. This is a huge achievement for me. I recently won the Optica Women Scholars 2024 grant from the Optica Foundation. It is awarded annually to 20 girls from all over the world who are engaged in research in the field of optics and photonics. Thanks to the grant, I will be able to pay for visits to foreign laboratories and conferences where I was invited to speak as a speaker.
Science at Nazarbayev University
There are many opportunities at Nazarbayev University. It is easy for us to get in touch with professors, ask them to become your supervisor, which is often mentioned at meetings with students. Fairs and exhibitions are held where professors invite themselves to themselves.
Every year in October, NU Research Days are held, where you can learn more about projects and research groups.
Computer labs are always available. In them you can find the program that you need, and if it is not there, it will be installed specifically for you.
Nazarbayev University provides a good base for starting a scientific career.
Prospects for young scientists
The scientific community in Kazakhstan is only developing. So far, we do not have the same authority as Western scientists. But we're going for it.
It is always nice to hear how a Kazakhstani scientist has made a discovery, published in a good journal, won an award or grant at the international level. Because this is new to us. It's great that this is happening more often.
Young scientists have good prospects, but there is a big problem — financing. We can talk about this endlessly, and I hope that in the future there will be no need to worry about the availability of funds.
About the plans
After the master's degree, I will go to get a PhD degree. I have a couple of good research groups in mind that I can join.
At the moment, I am focused on creating a good portfolio. I am working on my next article, which we plan to complete by the end of the year.
Thanks to the grant I won, I will have a busy summer: two conferences and an internship in laboratories in Europe are planned. We plan to start a third article if the results of the internships allow us to do this. By the end of the year, I will begin work on my master's thesis and focus on successfully completing my degree.
I want to become a professor. This is my childhood dream.
Galymzhan Serikov, 24 years old, Astana city, Assistant Professor for Scientific Research
About me
I'm a scientist. My work is related to natural resources, mainly oil and environmentally friendly ways of extracting them.
Everyone knows that our country is rich in oil. But few people know how it is extracted. Many people imagine oil as a black viscous substance. In fact, depending on the quality and composition, it can be green, yellow and even white. And oil is stored not just in the bowels of the earth, but in the pores of stones.
There are many interesting aspects to oil production. That's why I'm studying eco-friendly methods and methods.
About scientific activity
Four years ago, I began to actively engage in science. During this time, my colleagues and I have written 12 scientific papers, 4 of which were published in reputable journals included in the Q1 list. This category includes the most prestigious publications with the highest number of citations.
My first project was related to the Karaganda coal basin and consisted in the utilization of carbon dioxide. Coal is mined in Karaganda, but in parallel with this process, methane production can be established. It is a natural and explosive gas. It will be safer to extract it after pumping out methane. And carbon dioxide can be pumped into the formed faults. I used different software to simulate this process in a virtual way to see possible development scenarios.
Now I am actively working on a polymer injection project. This is one of the alternative ways to extract oil. The easiest way is when oil comes to the surface due to high natural pressure underground. It is also possible to extract oil by pumping water or gas into wells. We have been working to do this with natural polymers. Polymers are like toy constructors made of molecules. Like LEGO, they can be connected in long chains to make the material flexible, durable or viscous, as in our case.
For our research, we have found several good alternatives to synthetic polymers. The advantage of natural polymers is that they can decompose without harm to the environment.
We presented this project at the Offshore Technology Conference. Every year, scientists from all over the world gather at this site to discuss ideas and discoveries in the field of hydrocarbon production. Our project has received wide recognition among experts, and the British oil and gas company Shell, one of the main players in the industry, has shown special interest in it.
Science at Nazarbayev University
The laboratories of Nazarbayev University have all the necessary conditions and equipment at the level of international centers. This plays an important role in the development of the scientific potential of students.
My development was influenced by professors. My supervisor, Azza Hashim, worked with both theory and practice.
The financing covers the necessary materials, for example, polymers for experiments. Additional expenses are also covered: software subscriptions, participation in conferences, contributions for publication in journals.
We can assemble teams and not be limited to scientists from our university only. This is important, because several people from different parts of the world can work on similar ideas at the same time.
Prospects for young scientists
I didn't think I would become a scientist. In society, this profession is not associated with high incomes, authority or a social package. Therefore, much depends on the enthusiasm of the young scientists themselves, who are burning with their projects.
Usually, the career path of a young scientist looks like this: start as a laboratory assistant or junior researcher during the bachelor's degree. Then work together with the professor to learn the methods of research work. With experience, the range of tasks and responsibilities will increase. Next — participation in international conferences, teamwork with other scientists. This scheme is suitable for those who want to find a starting point for their scientific activities.
About the plans
I plan to complete my master's degree and enroll in doctoral studies. I am considering universities in the Middle East and a research institute in Australia.
