From August 17 to 28, 2026, SDU Extension Center delivered the 80-academic-hour “School-Based Academic Research” professional development course for QBIS School teachers in both offline and online formats.

During the course, teachers enhanced their knowledge of project-based learning, organizing scientific research activities with students, research methodology, assessment, and the use of digital and AI tools.

On August 21, a special open information session was organized for the course participants at SDU University. The session brought together invited experts with experience in preparing students for scientific research projects, as well as professors and lecturers from SDU University.

The course speakers were:

• Azat Qali — PhD, Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research;
• Gulbarshyn Kyrgyzkhan — PhD, Senior Lecturer;
• Bauyrzhan Qaziyev — PhD in Education, Nottingham University, UK.

Participants who successfully completed the course requirements received certificates confirming 80 academic hours of professional development, valid for teacher certification purposes.

SDU Extension Center continues to organize professional development and advanced training programs for teachers in accordance with the needs of educational institutions.

Contact information:
+7 776 702 31 34
Extension Center

From 17 to 27 August 2026, SDU Extension Center conducted an 80-hour professional development course, “Interactive Teaching Strategies,” for 20 teachers of Tamos High School.

The course was organized at the request of the school and brought together teachers from the natural sciences and humanities. The training was delivered entirely in English and in a face-to-face format, providing participants with opportunities to explore and apply practical strategies directly in the classroom context.

The course is included in the state register of professional development programmes approved by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and is recognized for teachers’ professional attestation.

The programme consisted of three core modules:

• Module 1: Lesson Planning
• Module 2: Student Engagement
• Module 3: Interactive Methods

The programme featured lectures and hands-on sessions led by experts with extensive international academic experience:

• Idriss Musa Garba, PhD — Bingham University, Nigeria;
• Meruyert Bizhanova, PhD Candidate — University of Oxford, Department of Education, UK;
• Madina Ashirimbetova, PhD Candidate — Academic Mobility, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Senior Lecturer, SDU University.

Throughout the training, participants explored effective approaches to lesson planning, strategies for increasing student engagement, and practical ways of integrating interactive teaching methods into their lessons.

All 20 participants successfully completed the course requirements and received professional development certificates valid for teacher attestation.

SDU Extension Center continues to provide professional development and upskilling programmes for educators tailored to the needs of educational institutions.

Contact Us
+7 776 702 31 34
 extension.school@sdu.edu.kz 

From August 17 to 27, 2026, SDU Extension Center, in collaboration with the STEM Center, conducted the 80-hour professional development course “STEM Integration: Systematic Development of Teachers’ Competencies. ” The course brought together 22 educators.
Participants explored modern approaches to STEM education and robotics while enhancing their practical skills. The program covered the structure and key features of FIRST competitions and included hands-on sessions in FLL Challenge, FTC, Electronics, 3D Printing, and Drone technologies.

The course speakers were:

• Timur Makazhanov — FLL Challenge;
• Dilnaz Myrzakhmet — FTC;
• Ansar Murat — Electronics;
• Zhasmin Shomekei — 3D Printing;
• Ardak Artykbayeva — Drone.
  
  Upon completion, participants received 80-hour professional development certificates registered in the official registry and valid for teacher certification purposes. We congratulate the participants on successfully completing the course! We are also pleased to announce that another cohort is being planned. The course dates and registration details will be announced soon.

On August 18, a signing ceremony was held for memoranda of cooperation between the Department of Education of Almaty city and higher education institutions. The event focused on strengthening cooperation in education, improving teacher training and student practical experience, and developing joint initiatives in scientific and methodological support.

The event was attended by the rectors of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University, Ablai Khan Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages, SDU University, and De Montfort University. The participants discussed key areas of cooperation between higher education institutions and educational organizations in Almaty.

In his speech, SDU University Rector Arman Zhumazhanov emphasized that the memorandum should be viewed not simply as a formal document, but as a concrete step toward strengthening the connection between schools and universities. He noted that the role of a university should go beyond training future teachers and awarding degrees. Universities should work closely with schools, support the professional development of teachers, and contribute to improving the quality of education.

The Rector also highlighted the importance of professional development for teachers, strengthening students’ practical experience in schools, conducting joint research, and using artificial intelligence and digital technologies effectively and responsibly in the educational process.

The event concluded with the formal signing of memoranda of cooperation between the Department of Education of Almaty city and higher education institutions.

The SQQ x SDU University team, consisting of ten students from the School of Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics at SDU University, took part in the final stage of “SHAIQAS 2026,” Kazakhstan’s first national military engineering championship.

The championship was organized by the Defence Tech Center with the support of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The final stage took place on August 14–15 at the Amandyk military training ground in Shchuchinsk, Akmola Region.

Among 17 Finalists Selected from 100 Teams

Following the qualification stages, 17 teams out of 100 advanced to the final. The SQQ x SDU University team was among the finalists representing SDU University.

The students are enrolled in the Information Systems programme. During the final stage, the team participated across all four championship categories: Air Systems, Ground Systems, Cybersecurity and Tactics.

The practical challenges gave participants an opportunity to test their engineering and technological solutions in conditions designed to closely replicate real-world scenarios.

SDU and SQQ Development Draws Particular Attention

One of the developments that attracted particular attention during the championship was a universal fire evacuation unmanned vehicle, developed with the support of SDU University and SQQ.

The vehicle attracted interest from representatives of technology companies, journalists and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The development was also specifically highlighted by the Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who noted the balance between its functionality and development cost.

According to his assessment, solutions of this kind can contribute to strengthening the country’s defence capabilities and the competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s domestic military technologies in the global market.

The development cost of the prototype was approximately KZT 20 million. The project was implemented with the support of SDU University and SQQ, giving the students an opportunity to present and test their engineering solution as part of the championship’s practical trials.

Valuable Practical Experience for Students

“SHAIQAS 2026” brought together military and civilian participants within a single programme covering air and ground systems, cybersecurity and tactical training. Participants presented their solutions and tested them through practical challenges at a specialized military training ground.

The SQQ x SDU University team did not place among the winners. However, advancing to the final as one of 17 teams selected from 100 participants represented an important result and provided valuable practical experience for the students.

Following the championship, the SDU University students received certificates of participation from the Defence Tech Center jointly with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Participation in “SHAIQAS 2026” gave SDU University students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in practice, present their own engineering development to a professional audience and gain hands-on experience with technological solutions in conditions close to real-world scenarios.

The results of the 2026 State Educational Grant competition have been announced.
The full list of grant recipients is available via this link.

This year, nearly 950 applicants were awarded state educational grants to study at SDU University.

Among the grant recipients is an applicant who achieved the highest possible score of 140 on the Unified National Testing. In addition, many grant recipients scored between 135 and 139 points, reflecting the strong academic performance of students admitted to SDU University.

Congratulations to all grant recipients, and we wish you every success in the new academic year!

The University’s Press Office announces the appointment of Arman Zhumazhanov as the Rector of SDU University.

With over 15 years of experience in higher education leadership, university governance, institutional strategy, and international cooperation, Mr. Zhumazhanov brings extensive executive expertise and a strong commitment to academic excellence and sustainable institutional development.

Below is an overview of his professional background and academic achievements.

Arman Zhumazhanov is the Rector of SDU University. He is an experienced higher education executive with more than 15 years of leadership in university governance, institutional strategy, internationalization, and higher education policy.

Prior to joining SDU University, Mr. Zhumazhanov held a number of executive and leadership positions at Nazarbayev University, including Chief of Staff to the President, Director of International Cooperation, and Acting Director of Strategy and Analysis. Throughout his career, he has contributed to institutional transformation initiatives, governance reforms, strategic planning, international partnerships, and executive decision-making, working closely with university leadership, governing boards, government authorities, international organizations, and strategic partners. He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Zhubanov University.

Mr. Zhumazhanov was awarded the prestigious International Bolashak Scholarship to pursue doctoral studies in Higher Education Administration at Indiana University Bloomington (USA). He holds a Master of Public Administration from Nazarbayev University, a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University Pueblo (USA), and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Selçuk University (Türkiye). His academic and professional interests focus on higher education governance, institutional effectiveness, university leadership, public policy, and strategic management.

In addition to his executive leadership experience, Mr. Zhumazhanov has contributed to international higher education research and policy. He co-authored a research report published by the TIAA Institute examining the role of philanthropic giving in expanding student access to higher education and promoting social mobility. He also contributed to national higher education research initiatives in the United States through the American Council on Education, supporting the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Mr. Zhumazhanov is an active member of the international higher education community. He is a member of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (USA) and the Association for Institutional Research (USA), where he regularly engages with scholars, researchers, and university leaders on issues related to higher education policy, governance, leadership, and institutional research.

As Rector of SDU University, Mr. Zhumazhanov is committed to advancing SDU’s position as a trendsetting and contemporary university in Central Asia. His leadership focuses on strengthening academic excellence, student-centered education, applied research and innovation, international engagement, effective governance, and sustainable institutional development while preparing graduates who will contribute meaningfully to Kazakhstan and the global community.

The SDU University community expresses its sincere gratitude to the University’s former Rector, Alimzhan Igenbayev, for his valuable contribution to the University’s development and wishes him every success in his future endeavors. The community also wishes Mr. Zhumazhanov every success in his new role as Rector and looks forward to the continued growth and achievements of SDU University under his leadership.

SDU University, in partnership with the BF MEREKE Public Charitable Foundation, invites 3rd- and 4th-year students to apply for the MEREKE Scholarship Program.

Scholarship:

• KZT 50,000 per month
• 30 scholarship recipients

Application period: August 1–12

Eligibility requirements:

• GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• CV and Recommendation Letter
• No disciplinary sanctions

Interview: August 26–27

For more information:
grantoffice@sdu.edu.kz

Grant Office | Room I112

DEM ALL (English Edition) – a summer language school organized by SDU Extension Center for children aged 8 – 14. The program combines intensive English classes with practical activities and the development of essential 21st-century skills.

In the summer of 2026, the program was successfully held in two seasons with 75 participants:

Season I: June 15 – 26, 2026

Season II: July 13 – 24, 2026

Each season included 40 academic hours of English instruction, along with workshops in robotics, acting, storytelling, art therapy, mobile photography, first aid, cooking, intellectual games, and other interactive activities.

The program helped participants improve their English while developing communication skills, creativity, confidence, and teamwork.

Join the next DEM ALL season!

SDU Extension Center, SDU University
+7 (707) 702-31-34
Instagram: @sdu.extension