UCL Global

Nazarbayev University, formerly the New University of Astana, was opened in July 2010 in Astana with the aim of being the leading university in Kazakhstan, the wider Central Asian region and beyond.

NU has a unique vision to work in partnership with a number of the world’s most outstanding universities to introduce a new approach to university education and research in Kazakhstan.

Centre for Preparatory Studies (CPS)

Since September 2010, around 500 students per year are admitted into the university’s Foundation Programme which is being delivered in partnership with the UCL Language Centre. 

At the CPS, UCL delivers its University Preparatory Certificate (UPC) which is virtually identical to the UPC programme delivered at UCL in London. It provides bright secondary/high school leavers with intensive preparation for the academic, research and linguistic challenges of an undergraduate degree programme at Nazarbayev University. Students receive a UCL award upon successful completion.

The agreement for UCL to deliver the UPC at NU was signed in February 2010.

School of Engineering

UCL is the international partner for NU's School of Engineering. The school accepted its first students on to its Bachelor degree programmes in September 2011. The school’s teaching and research activity is in chemical, civil, mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering.

The signing in March 2011 of the agreement between UCL and NU, covering the start-up phase of the School of Engineering, marked the continuation of an exciting partnership between the two universities.

Signing the School of Engineering agreement

The work on the Engineering strand of the partnership was initiated in March 2010 when Nazarbayev University invited UCL to undertake a feasibility study and set out preliminary plans for the development of a School of Engineering.

After a scoping visit to Astana and interviewing leading academics, industrialists, and government and business representatives, both inside and outside Kazakhstan, UCL submitted its final report in summer 2010.

In November 2010, a UCL delegation was once again invited to visit NU to continue its work to support the development of the School of Engineering. This provided a great opportunity for colleagues from both universities to meet and exchange ideas, not only on the development of a School of Engineering, but also on the development of the university as a whole. A number of impressive presentations from NU staff made clear it was very focused on establishing itself as an institution that will support the future development of Kazakhstan.

After the November visit, and continuing evaluation and consultation, UCL presented a further report to NU in January 2011. This report detailed a number of academic, structural, IT, library, human resources and governance related recommendations aimed at supporting the achievement of NU’s objectives. It is this report that formed the basis of the agreement signed in March 2011.

This continues to be an exciting partnership between two universities who both share the aim of creating a prestigious highly-regarded School of Engineering and an internationally respected university in Kazakhstan.

UCL has undertaken a number of projects at Nazarbayev University’s (NU) School of Engineering over the past few months as part of its partnership with the university which is based in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. Projects include a visit to NU by an academic team led by Professor Anthony Finkelstein, UCL Dean of Engineering Sciences; an academic collaboration workshop run by UCL chemical engineers Dan Brett and Paul Shearing; and HR courses developed specifically for the needs of NU.

Recently, UCL experts in learning and development delivered a team-building week for NU School of Engineering staff.

The week included a two-day workshop for the School’s senior academic staff which focused on the School’s vision, values, culture and strategy. A second workshop got together the School’s non-academic staff to discuss similar topics.

The workshops, which were run by UCL’s Richard Laughlin, Organisational and Staff Development Consultant, and Bob Carey, Senior HR Consultant, focused heavily on team work and working together to achieve the aims of the School.

Richard said: “Developing and delivering customer service and team working events in a different culture and context challenged us to think about our approach and how to make this accessible to people from a wide range of backgrounds, and whose day-to-day living and working environments differ from those we are used to working in London at UCL. The NU team were great to work with; it was a productive and rewarding week for all involved.”

Aizhan Jeldikbayeva, Operational Manager at the NU School of Engineering, said: “The workshop gave us a lot of food-for-thought and brought the team together to talk about important issues in the School. Everyone learned something new from this workshop, but the main idea was to identify ways to work together as a team more effectively and to deliver a better customer service. It was a very productive workshop for all of us.”

UCL became a strategic partner of NU’s School of Engineering in 2010. Both universities share the aim of creating a prestigious and highly-regarded School of Engineering and an internationally respected university in Kazakhstan.

Find out more about UCL’s partnership with Nazarbayev University at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/global/europe-central-asia/kazakhstan or contact Julia Dawson, Partnership Manager for Kazakhstan, at julia.dawson@ucl.ac.uk.

1. What is your role at UCL and what does it involve?

Hello! I’m Matt and I work for UCL at the Centre for Preparatory Studies (CPS) at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. I am the co-ordinator for technology enhanced learning and it is my job to embed technology into the education process for over 500 students and around 70 tutors. I hold regular training sessions for colleagues to share information about using software and hardware in their classes. I also work directly with students delivering classroom and Self Access Centre sessions on how they can improve on their technology skills.

2.   Tell us a bit more about the work you and your team are doing at Nazarbayev University

I am a member of the IT working group which consists of seven tutors. For the last year, the group has been working on introducing technology to staff and students at the CPS. Many of the staff have been working on a learning support Moodle course to help students with their exam performance. The course was built using only open source software. Students can practice their English skills with interactive activities that were built using an authoring tool called Hot Potatoes. This has been around for years, but the team has adapted and updated the abilities of Hot Potatoes by adding their own codes, and enhancing what it can do. Because of their hard work, we are now getting a thousand hits a day from students on the learning support site.

In the Self Access Centre, we have a local manager and five student workers who were CPS students in previous years. We work together closely to produce face-to-face workshops and also electronic materials to help support students with their academic progress.

I share an office with a Kazakh colleague called Gani who is a technical wizard. He can find a solution to any electronic problem, and can often be found, soldering iron in hand with his head in the carcass of a computer. Last year, over the holidays, our computer cluster room was completely flooded by melting snow, but Gani got everything back working within a day. He is also extremely popular with all the staff and students.

3.   What working achievement are you most proud of from your time at NU?

Probably the one thing that has had the most direct impact on the lives of student is the Self Access Centre. It is open for 12 hours a day, and although we have 50 computer terminals, a working area and a chill out zone, it is often standing room only. It took a lot of work to put the centre together, but the results have been worth it.

Also, our Virtual Learning Environment is an important resource for students. From a collection of 90 courses, around 50 are live at any one time. The courses have been so popular that this year Nazarbayev University has agreed to double the server capacity for the CPS.

4.   What is it like to live and work in Kazakhstan?

I have been here for almost three years and I can say Kazakhstan is a great place. I first came here over ten years ago to give a series of training sessions when I worked for the British Council. I asked for a transfer, but unfortunately it never came about until I started working for UCL. Astana, the new capital where Nazarbayev University is located, is a rapidly expanding city with new amenities developing all the time. The only drawback is the temperature. The winter can last for up to six months with temperatures dropping below minus 40 at the coldest points.

Kazakhs are very outgoing, and are quick to welcome you to their country. I have quite a few Kazakh friends who are always inviting me to parties and gatherings. It is guaranteed that there will always be at least one group with a guitar, as they are very good musicians and singers. There are usually a few bottles of beer in the fridge too.

5.   Anything else you would like to mention?

I really enjoy working at the CPS in Kazakhstan, and one of the main reasons for this is the people I work with. My colleagues are, in my opinion, very good people, both at work and also socially. If the time ever comes where we all have to part company, I know I will take some very happy memories with me.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the Bolashak programme which has seen many Kazakh students study at UCL.

Bolashak which means ‘the future’ in Kazakh, provides scholarships to the most talented young Kazakhs to study at universities around the world. The programme is designed to train Kazakhstan’s future leaders in fields such as business, law, science and engineering.

Through Bolashak, UCL has admitted students on to its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. This year, there are 120 Kazakh students studying at UCL, 61 of whom have Bolashak scholarships.

The programme has played a key role in UCL’s engagement in Kazakhstan, which began in the early 1990s and in 2010, UCL became a strategic partner of Nazarbayev University (NU), Kazakhstan’s leading university. Through this partnership UCL supports NU’s School of Engineering and Centre for Preparatory Studies (CPS). At the CPS, the UCL Centre for Languages and International Education delivers its University Preparatory Certificate.

Julia Dawson, UCL Partnership Manager for Kazakhstan, said: “The Bolashak programme really demonstrates Kazakhstan’s commitment to educating its next generation. The Kazakh students who are selected to come to UCL are very talented, promising individuals who go on to achieve great success.

“Through the relationships that UCL has built in Kazakhstan over the years and our involvement in the Bolashak programme we have developed an important partnership with Nazarbayev University which sees our two universities strive to create a prestigious and highly-regarded School of Engineering and Centre for Preparatory Studies at NU. Kazakhstan’s commitment to advancing higher education is something UCL is excited about and committed to support.”

Find out more about UCL’s partnership with Nazarbayev University.

Students from Nazarbayev University’s (NU) School of Engineering visited Tsesna Astyk, a producer of flour, cereals, bread, bakery products, confectionery and pasta, to learn about the engineering involved when producing such products in a factory.

Around 35 students attended the trip, which included a tour of the flour mill and the macaroni factory. The company’s chief engineer explained to the students about the equipment involved in making these products from sifting the flour to packaging the macaroni.

The field trip was one of a series of trips organised by the School of Engineering.

Jeff Brown, Chief Operating Officer seconded to NU by UCL, said: “Field trips are a great way for students to see what they are learning put into practice. This trip provided our students with a great insight into the work of an engineer in a real-life environment.”

UCL is the international strategic partner of the NU School of Engineering.

UCL and Nazarbayev University (NU) have signed an agreement to conduct a study on ageing in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

The research collaboration will be conducted by UCL’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health and NU’s Center for Life Sciences. It will study around 500 people aged 50 and above, focusing on major chronic diseases, risk factors, health behaviours, and demographic, social and psychosocial factors.

UCL’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health was approached by NU following previous successful collaborations with countries in the region.

UCL will assist in designing the study, training field workers, supervising the quality of field work and data, analysing the data and interpreting the results.

The NU Center for Life Sciences has a long-term ambition to conduct a national study of ageing in Kazakhstan. The study on ageing in Astana will act as a pilot, which if successful will lead to a large scale national study.

A three-year Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two universities by Professor Michael Worton, UCL Vice-Provost (International) and Professor Zhumadilov, Head of NU Center for Life Sciences in August. Work on the study will begin immediately.

Professor Martin Bobak, who is leading the study for UCL’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for UCL and NU to work collaboratively together on an issue of great importance to Kazakhstan.

“UCL has a wealth of experience in studies of ageing, including the establishment of a large population-based cohort study in Russia, Poland, Lithuania and Czech Republic. This experience combined with NU’s ambition will hopefully lead to a long and successful research collaboration.”

UCL is also the international strategic partner for NU’s School of Engineering and Center for Preparatory Studies.

Students studying at Nazarbayev University’s (NU) School of Engineering celebrated finishing the academic year in style.

The party, which was held in the university’s Atrium, saw 140 students, plus staff members, enjoy music, dancing, refreshments and a slideshow showcasing the year’s activities.

Jeff Brown, Chief Operating Officer seconded to NU by UCL, said: “Social events like these are an important part of the student experience. It was great to see the students enjoying themselves after a year of hard work. My congratulations to all of the students and staff on a very successful year.”

UCL is the international strategic partner of the NU School of Engineering.

Representatives from Nazarbayev University’s (NU) School of Engineering participated in the Astana Mining and Metallurgy Conference held at the Palace of Independence from 4-6 July. Sergey Mikhalovsky, Vice Dean Research, and Jeff Brown, Chief Operating Officer seconded to NU by UCL, were accompanied by Anatoly Vakhguelt, Zhumabay Bakenov and Serik Khairaliyev on the NU School of Engineering stand at the event.

Other major stakeholders included some of the biggest commercial companies operating in Kazakhstan’s mining sector: Kazzinc, Hambledon Mining Group, Worley Parsons, REMZ, Russkaya Mednaya Companiya, ENRC and ArcelorMittal.

During a hectic three-day schedule, the delegates heard about the government’s industrial vision from Serik Akhmetov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic, and Asset Issekeshev, Minister of Industry and New Technologies.

School of Engineering staff also took part in specialist round-table sessions, focusing mainly on innovation and skills development. “This was a most worthwhile venture into networking,” commented Jeff Brown who coordinated the exercise on behalf of the school. “Although we do not offer mining as part of our curriculum some of our staff have extensive practical experience gained in the industry. This was an invaluable opportunity to meet the key players in this sector and establish sustainable relationships that could prove beneficial in the future.”

UCL is the international strategic partner of the NU School of Engineering.

Nazarbayev University (NU) in Astana, Kazakhstan, has been at the centre of a number of high-profile visits to the country recently.

Last week, the Lord Mayor of London Alderman David Wootton visited NU as part of his wider mission to promote UK-based financial and professional services. In his speech he recognised the importance of strategic partnerships between universities like NU and UCL and the importance of strengthening partnerships with the UK in the areas of education and science.

During his visit he met with representatives from the NU School of Engineering, whose international strategic partner is UCL.

In May, Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the UK, delivered a lecture at NU on ‘challenges and opportunities in the global world’. The lecture was attended by students and staff from across the university.

Mr Blair commented: “I am delighted to come to this new and exciting place of learning. The future is in the education of young people for an open mind. Nazarbayev University can show how this is done in Kazakhstan.”

A group of UCL representatives recently visited Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan and home to Nazarbayev University (NU). The purpose of the visit was to view the progress of the partnership between the two universities and to consider the next stage in the development of the NU School of Engineering.

The UCL team was led by Professor Anthony Finkelstein, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences, and included Dr Alastair Greig, Senior Lecturer and MSc Mechanical Engineering Course Director; Nigel Percival, Operations Director in the Office for International Affairs; Alan Goulbourne, Partnerships Manager; and John-george Nicholson, Project Officer.

For Professor Finkelstein it was a particularly special occasion after being involved in the initial School of Engineering feasibility study in 2010. “I was incredibly impressed at the progress NU has made since its opening just two years ago. So much has been achieved across the university and it was great to see the School of Engineering going strong in such a short space of time,” said Professor Finkelstein.

During the visit, the group met with senior NU staff to discuss the next stages of the partnership. The group were also introduced to the staff and students at the School of Engineering.

“The visit was a great success and saw all parties keen to take the next steps in the partnership and develop a long-term relationship. It was great to see enthusiastic and engaged students. Students are at the heart of any university and the NU School of Engineering can be very proud of its,” said Professor Finkelstein.

Representatives from Nazarbayev University (NU) in Kazakhstan, recently spent time in London discussing how UCL operates, paying particular attention to its research and facilities. The purpose of the visit, which took place in April, was to provide expertise to NU which is keen to establish an international reputation for research. NU, which opened in 2010, has recently established Research Centres in energy and life sciences. The umbrella Central Research Office supports each of the centres’ research activities. During the three-day visit, the 16 NU representatives met with various UCL faculties and offices, including the London Centre for Nanotechnology (a joint venture between UCL and Imperial College London), UCL Business, Capital Projects and the European Research and Development Office.

In addition to understanding how UCL conducts its research, the group were also given information and tours of UCL’s facilities. Particular interest was given to nanotechnology, IT and the science labs. Another key part of the visit was focused on how UCL secures research funds.

UCL’s existing relationship with NU is focused on the Centre for Preparatory Studies (CPS) and the School of Engineering. In the long term, there may be opportunities for UCL and NU to establish sustainable academic and research collaborative activity.

Gani Nygymetov, Director of NU’s Central Research Office who led the team from NU, commented afterwards: “The group strongly benefitted from the three-day visit. The meetings were very productive and useful for everyone’s daily operations and will help us strive to work efficiently to meet high standards inherent to UCL.”

Over 150 prospective students attended Nazarbayev University’s School of Engineering Open Day on the 2 May.

Led by an enthusiastic team of first year students, who were keen to share their experiences, the event comprised presentations on reasons to become an engineer, 3D modeling design, displays of robotic vehicles, Tic-Tac-Toe games. In addition, tours of fully operational thermodynamics and fluid mechanics laboratories were given and hands on advice about wind tunnels, fridges, pumps and heat transfer systems was provided by the school’s technical staff.

Each of the academic disciplines - electrical, mechanical, chemical and civil engineering were showcased and a question and answer session led by Professor Menicucci to help the potential students decide their initial subject preferences.

"We got a very positive response," said Peter Johnson, a key organiser of the Open Day, "many of the managers and teaching staff from NU’s Centre for Preparatory Studies (CPS) foundation programme attended and were eager to ensure their students achieved the exacting standards demanded by the new school, which is partnered by UCL."

Lesley Price, Head of the CPS and responsible for the foundation programme which provides bright secondary/high school leavers with intensive preparation for the academic, research and linguistic challenges of an undergraduate degree programme at NU, agreed: “This was a successful blue-print for all future events.”

“It was great to be part of organising everything,” commented Ardak Akhatova, a first year student studying a degree in Electrical Engineering. “The student Engineering Society had t-shirts printed, balloons, photo montages and examples of our first-year work for these future engineers to touch and feel.”

Jeff Brown, the school’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “This was merely the start of a major awareness-raising strategy both here in Kazakhstan and internationally. We want this school to gain recognition for its teaching, research and the spirit of its student body,” he explained. “The talent here is just amazing!”

UCL is the international partner for NU's School of Engineering. The school accepted its first students on to its Bachelor degree programmes in September 2011. The school’s teaching and research activity is in chemical, civil, mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering.

Students studying Chemical Engineering at Nazarbayev University’s School of Engineering took part in a competition which saw them programme robots to race through a maze.

The eight teams were demonstrating what they had learnt in their engineering systems design project.

The students had five hours to prepare algorithms, problem solving programmes, so that their robot machines could actively compete in a head-to-head knockout competition held in the grounds of the university.

The event drew a large crowd of supporters, including students from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the School of Science and Technology, as well as members of staff and the University President, Shigeo Katsu.

The mazes consisted of three concentric squares and there was one connector between each square. The location of the connector was essentially random and changed between different rounds of the competition. The time it took to escape the maze depended on the position of the connectors. Typically, a well-programmed robot escaped in around one minute, but in one unusual round the winning team escaped in just 18 seconds. The winning students were Tamirlan Seidakhmetov, Marzhanna Omarova, Omirkhan Aigerim and Paiyzrakhman Nazym.

Peter Johnson, School of Engineering Lecturer, said: “The challenge tested their teamwork, creativity, practicality and logical thinking. All of which are essential elements for becoming an engineer.”

Dennis de Tray, Nazarbayev University’s International Advisor, commented: “It was impossible not to get drawn into the very well-staged competition. Well done to all involved.”

The School of Engineering, in partnership with UCL, offers undergraduate degrees in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Its aim is to be the leading centre in Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region for advanced education and professional formation in engineering.

Researchers at Nazarbayev University’s School of Engineering have made a break-through in research which could lead to the development of a more efficient and cost-effective treatment of water contaminated with mercury – a pollutant very dangerous to human health.

Sergey Mikhalovsky, Vice Dean of Research at Nazarbayev University’s School of Engineering, has gained significant recognition from experts after publishing a paper on Hyperstoichiometric Interaction Between Silver and Mercury at the Nanoscale.

Working with a range of other scholars, including Kseniia Katok, a Marie Curie Fellow and a native of Mikhalovsky’s hometown, Kiev, the study was published in high impact journals including Angewandte Chemie and was the editor’s choice in February’s issue of Science.

Developing and using a range of highly sensitive analytical techniques, the project’s collaborators have discovered a previously unknown interaction between silver and mercury whereby silver absorbs mercury at a higher rate than has previously been observed. This discovery could lead to the development of a more efficient and cost-effective treatment of water contaminated with mercury as well as to destroy pesticides.

“Our research shows great promise for the development of removing harmful pollutants from our environment,” said Mikhalovsky. “The interactions we discovered in this study revealed that silver nanoparticles could be used as an antimicrobial agent to destroy pesticides and to remove mercury from industrial effluents and other waters.”

“This is just the sort of practical research the School of Engineering was founded to develop,” commented Professor Stefaan Simons, Dean of the School of Engineering. “What Mikhalovsky and his colleagues have achieved is not only academically impressive but in tune with the mission of the school through its chemical engineering specialism. Applying the physical, chemical and biological sciences to the process of converting raw materials and chemicals into more useful and valuable forms and then using these to remove harmful pollutants from the environment is of particular relevance to Kazakhstan and across the world.”

The School of Engineering’s aim is to be the leading centre in Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region for advanced education and professional formation in engineering in the broadest context.

UCL is the international partner for the School of Engineering which offers undergraduate degrees in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Students at the Nazarbayev University School of Engineering (SoE) spent their first week undergoing what was for them a truly unique experience. Led by David Faraday, direct descendant of the famed Michael Faraday, who established the basis of how electricity is generated from a magnet and who also, defined the laws of electrolysis, the young Kazakhstanis embarked on an intensive team working skills course.

It was David’s first visit to Kazakhstan and the experience was one he clearly enjoyed,

“It was a great opportunity to work with the engineering undergraduates at NU. They proved to be enthusiastic and very creative – a thoroughly stimulating experience.”

The course focused on effective team working, and communication, emphasizing the key abilities and behaviours necessary to achieve this. The course also highlighted the characteristics of effective teams. Pro-active learning took the form of building towers, designing posters and problem solving. ‘What was particularly positive said Professor Stefaan Simons (Dean of the SoE), was that our newly appointed group of teaching assistants could support someone as experienced and well versed as David. So besides being mentored by an expert they were also being exposed to innovative teaching techniques, which they themselves can deploy in the future’.

‘It was a really exciting experience for both the students and the teaching assistants,’ commented Sayara Saliyeva (SoE Teaching Assistant), ‘I really enjoyed observing the students designing their posters, since it showed that engineering can be a creative and imaginative process ‘.

David Faraday will be returning to Kazakhstan in October to deliver further support and training to the SoE students.