On 13–14 October 2026, the SDU University Extension Center, in collaboration with ELIPRO, hosted SDU Pre-Conference 2026, a two-day professional development event held within the framework of the 12th International Conference “Building Cultural Bridges” (ICBCB 2026) and the 4th Annual ELIPRO Conference.

The programme focused on strengthening professional competencies in academic research, scholarly writing, and publishing in international academic journals. Practical sessions helped participants explore research methodologies, present findings from quantitative studies, and improve their academic manuscript preparation and publication skills.

Five international experts contributed to the event:

• Dr. Mona Nishizaki — ELIPRO Coordinator, Executive Director of its Scientific Committee, and tenure-track researcher at the University of Genoa.
  Session: Content Analysis as a Research Method.
• Dr. Peter Kemp — Computing educator and researcher at King’s College London.
  Session: A Brief History of Computing Education: From Electronic Brains to a National Curriculum.
• Asst. Prof. Dr. Pattharaporn Thongnim — Faculty member at Burapha University, Thailand, specialising in statistical modelling and AI in education.
  Session: Turning Numbers into Knowledge: Writing Methods and Results in Quantitative ELT Studies.
• Professor Sender Dovchin — Senior Principal Research Fellow and Dean International at Curtin University, Australia.
  Session: Writing and Publishing for Academic Journals.
• Professor Sarah Hopkyns — Assistant Professor at the University of St Andrews and University College London, specialising in multilingualism and Global Englishes.
  Session: Publishing and Belonging: Contributing to Journals and Their Communities.

Over the two days, participants strengthened their academic writing skills, explored international research practices, and expanded their professional networks.

Participants who successfully completed the full programme received 36-hour certificates issued by SDU University and ELIPRO. The programme included practical sessions, academic literature analysis, independent research, training in RStudio, and methods for analysing and interpreting PISA results for research purposes.

The SDU University Extension Center remains committed to supporting professional development, advancing research competencies, and fostering international collaboration within the academic community.

If you have any questions or are interested in organising similar educational seminars and conferences, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to collaborating with you!

Email: extension.school@sdu.edu.kz
Tel.: +7 706 702 31 34