Photo2709

Olzhas Beisenbayev, research analyst of the Center for China studies, KF "NAC Analytica" in the 2020-2021 academic year involved in several international conferences, round-table discussions and contests of analytical reports. He published an article on the topic of “Implementation and new challenges of BRI during COVID-19 pandemics” in the electronic journal “edu.e-history.kz” (No. 2 (22), 2020). Also in 2020, IFES RAS prepared a monograph "East Asia: Past, Present, Future" following a conference of young orientalists in Moscow. This monograph also includes his article "Cooperation between Kazakhstan, Russia and China in the development of the Digital Silk Road: new challenges and perspectives' . He took 1st place in the international competition "Best Young Scientist-2021" for his report "One belt, One road" – new grand strategy of China”. O.Beisenbayev was also awarded with the "Best Young Scientist - 2021" medal for his contribution to science and education among young scholars of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In September 2021, he also published paper on the role of the “Community of the Common Destiny” (人类 命运 共同体) in the foreign policy of the PRC in the journal “Kogam & Dauir” (No. 3, 2021) of the KazISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Overall, over the past 3 years, he has published 12 articles in the journals of Kazakhstani and international conferences, of KKSON, RSCI, and the Scopus database.

In addition, O. Beisenbayev actively engages in the social activities of NU. In 2020, he took the 1st place in the video contest "Abai is in our hearts" which was dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the Kazakh poet and philosopher A. Kunanbayuly. This online competition was attended not only by students and staff of Nazarbayev University but also by all interested Kazakhstan people. In 2021, January O. Beisenbayev gave an interview to the program “Tuski format” of the “Atameken business channel” about the railway industry in China and Kazakhstan. On May 2, 2021, O. Beisenbayev participated in an expert discussion of the Association of Chinese University Graduates and made a presentation on the educational integration of Silk Road countries. For his analytical materials on Internet platforms, he received several prizes: the 3rd place in the international competition of articles "Elbasy and Independence" of the Library of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; 3rd place in the competition "Modern Education" dedicated to the 180th anniversary of Y. Altynsarin within the framework of the 30th anniversary of independence of Kazakhstan. The organizers of the competition are the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Y. Altynsarin National Academy of Education. Besides, in 2021, he became a nominee for the republican competition "Education in a New Reality" of the NIS Nur-Sultan.

The Survey Centre in conjunction with the University of Michigan Survey Research Center from February 24 to 27, 2020, held a four-day “Qualitative Interviewing workshop” dedicated to aspects of conducting cognitive interview and focus groups.

The workshop was led by Julie de Jong, survey methodologist at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, which is one of the world's best centers specializing in this field.

During the seminar, the specifics of conducting qualitative interview by various methods (cognitive interviews, focus groups, semi-structured surveys) were discussed in detail, including the development of a research design, scenario, and all organizational work.

mas1A senior researcher of the Economic Modeling Development Center, Zhandos Ybrayev (PhD), presented his research work titled "Real exchange rate management and economic growth: export performance in Kazakhstan, 2009-2019” at the 2020 Eastern Economic Association Meetings in Boston, USA. The conference gathers together researchers from various fields of economics to present their recent advances in the field and exchange ideas on hard-pressed issues in contemporary research.

The research work presented at the conference concentrates on evaluating the effect of stable and competitive real exchange rate management on economic growth by analyzing the export performance of tradable goods sector in Kazakhstan over 2009-2019. The results show that maintaining an undervalued exchange rate supports high-tech exports sector, and a higly volatile exchange rate regime leads to unfavourable conditions for capital-intensive sectors.

Page 2 of 9