Since September 16 this year, the Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan has resumed its two-day online training seminars under the programme “Kazakhstan in a New Reality: Youth in an Era of Change.” Students from general education schools in the Aktobe, Kyzylorda, West Kazakhstan and Turkistan regions took part in the first interactive sessions of the new academic year.
The main objective of the course is to foster an active civic mindset, leadership skills and a set of values among the younger generation that are essential for successful self-realisation in a rapidly changing world.
As part of the two-day online programme, school students were introduced to the key areas of government reforms and the current challenges of building a Just Kazakhstan, while also discussing the role of young people in the modernization of contemporary society. Alongside theoretical lectures, the programme featured a range of interactive activities: participants completed practical assignments, analysed case studies and took part in team-based exercises aimed at developing critical thinking and project management skills.
The relevance and high effectiveness of the events were confirmed by feedback from both participants and members of the teaching community. Anar Makhanbetova, a methodologist at the Daryn Centre, shared her expert perspective:
“The seminar provided an in-depth discussion of students’ active civic engagement, their pursuit of knowledge and innovation, as well as the importance of supporting their abilities. Particular attention was paid to developing students’ civic and social responsibility: participation in public initiatives, care for the environment, respect for the rights and opinions of others, and concern for social issues. The seminar gave the younger generation tremendous motivation to assess their capabilities, feel a sense of responsibility towards the country and strive for new ideas.”
The young participants themselves also actively shared their impressions. Alinur Kaliolla, a ninth-grade student at K. Zhumaliyev Karatobe School-Gymnasium in the West Kazakhstan Region, noted:
“We received important information about the political course of ‘Just Kazakhstan,’ institutional reforms and a new public ethic. I not only learned a great deal, but was also able to form my own perspective on the changes taking place in society.”
Meanwhile, Togzhan Tolegen, a student at Regional Specialised Boarding School No. 4 for Gifted Children in Kyzylorda, highlighted the course’s focus on values:
“We paid particular attention to how the principles of ‘Adal Azamat’ and the ideas of ‘Birtutas Tarbie’ are closely connected with the everyday lives of young people. The emphasis on such values as honesty, responsibility, diligence and service to the Motherland left a particularly strong impression on me. This seminar helped us realise how important it is to be an active citizen in order to contribute to the country’s future.”
