Rural school prosperity is a key to community wellbeing

Born on 4 March 1958 in Almaty region. In 1979 graduated from the Faculty of Chemistry of Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi.
She began her professional career in 1979 as a chemistry teacher at secondary school named after Amangeldy in Koksu district of Almaty region.
From 1981 to 1986 was on Komsomol work. From 1986 to 1991 – instructor of the Taldykorgan Regional Party Committee, secretary of the Taldykorgan City Party Committee. From 1991 to 1992 – Deputy Director of the Taldykorgan Regional Institute for Advanced Training of Teachers. From 1992 to 1996 – Director of secondary school No. 18 named after B. Zholbarysuly in Taldykorgan. From July 1996 to February 2002 – Deputy Akim of Taldykorgan.
From February 2002 to May 2005 – Vice-Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
From 2005 to 2007 – General Director of State Enterprise National Scientific and Practical Educational and Health Centre “”Bobek”” RSFE.
From April 2007 to October 2009 – Vice-Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
From October 2009 to February 2019 – Chair of the Executive Board of JSC “Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools” (since June 2011 AEO “Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools”).
From February to June 2019 – Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
From July 2019 to March 2023 – Chair of the Executive Board of AEO “Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools”.
Awarded with the Orders “Parasat” and “Kurmet”.
2022 (14 October) – awarded the honorary title “Honoured Teacher of Kazakhstan”, the award was presented from the hands of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Akorda.
In 2022 she was appointed Commissioner in the Asian Hub of the Global Commission on Education. For the first time the representative of Kazakhstan entered the ECA – the top leaders of the world educational ecosystem.
Since 2023 she holds the title of “Honourary Professor of the Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi”.

Colleen McLaughlin, PhD, Professor Emerita at the University of Cambridge, is now an independent researcher and developer. She has held various positions at the Universities of Cambridge, Special Advisor to the VC, the Director of Education Innovation at the Faculty of Education and Deputy Head of Faculty; and Head of Dept at the University of Sussex. She has worked with governments on education reform in many international contexts, including in Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Central Asia. She is a trained counsellor and ran a training course at Cambridge to quality as a psychotherapeutic counsellor.
Her interests are mental health and the school’s role, education reform, teacher development, and school-university research partnerships. Her recent publications are:
McLaughlin, C. and Ruby., A. (forthcoming). Politics And Knowledge Shaping Educational Reform: Case Studies From Around The Globe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
McLaughlin, C., Winter, l. and Yakavets, N. (2023) Mapping Educational Change in Kazakhstan. Cambridge; Cambridge University Press.
McLaughlin, C. and Ruby., A. (2021) Implementing Educational Reform: cases and challenges. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
McLaughlin, C. (2022) ‘Connecting to school and each other: Towards a new paradigm of a school response to mental health.’ Impact, Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching, Issue 15, May 2022.

Oistein Kristiansen – is a globally renowned cartoonist, author, and media personality, dedicated to teaching drawing and creative skills to children.
His TV shows for kids, such as “Learn To Draw,” “Right On Top,” and “Box Yourself,” have been broadcast in over 80 countries worldwide, reaching more than 300 million viewers. He has also engaged large audiences around the world with his live drawing shows and adventure travel journals.
Oeistein is also a public speaker on creativity, human rights, and nature conservation topics.

Darius Radkevicius is the Director of “”Post-traumatica sanitatem”” an organization dedicated to aiding children dealing with psychotrauma, an expert affiliated with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
His journey into the world of medicine began with his graduation from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tartu in Estonia, followed by a residency at Vilnius University in Lithuania. Building on his medical foundation, he expanded his expertise by delving into the realm of system management. As the former main expert at the Lithuanian Business Assistance Agency (LVPA), he played a pivotal role in evaluating the implementation of various business systems within Lithuanian companies, including methodologies like TOC and LEAN.
Since 2015, Mr. Radkevicius has been recognized as an esteemed expert by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). From 2019 to 2023, he served as a Deputy of the Vilnius City Council and was an active member of the Committee on Education and Culture.
Beyond his professional commitments, Darius Radkevicius serves as an Ambassador for HundrED, a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and disseminating innovative practices in secondary education.
In addition to his various roles, Mr. Radkevicius is the founder of the consulting firm and publishing house UAB Rgrupe in Lithuania, specializing in business books. Mr. Radkevicius is four thought-provoking projects: “”Doodles for Life,”” a book designed to guide teachers in developing emotional intelligence in children; “”God, Quantum Physics, Organizational Structure, and Management Style””; “”Awaiting the Golden Age,”” a profound exploration of yoga and the quest for meaning; and “”Style as a Mirror of the Archetype.”” He has also conducted a compelling series of interviews with leading visionaries in the field of children’s education, collectively titled “”School of the Future and/or Happiness.””

Dr. Graham Ranger is an experienced leader of change and development in school systems in the public and private, not-for-profit, sectors. He joined AKDN in January 2017 as Academic Director of The Aga Khan Academies and was interim Director of the Academies from April 2020 -July 2021, when Aga Khan Schools was created from the coalescence of Aga Khan Education Services and the Academies.
He was Director of School Support & Evaluation at The Council of International Schools (CIS) from 2012-2016, with global responsibility for all aspects of the quality assurance and development of international schools. Dr. Ranger led the research and subsequent development of the CIS International Accreditation framework and protocol.
Prior to this, Graham was Head (Director) of The British School, New Delhi, and Director of Education for the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in Hong Kong, a group of 20+ high-achieving schools, where he oversaw the introduction of the IB programmes and helped establish two new K 12 international schools. His doctorate, awarded by the University of Durham (England) in 2012, after fieldwork in India, focused on the professional development needs of leaders of international schools.

Kaiyrbek Buksukbayev currently serves as the principal of the Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Aktobe. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University in 2011. In 2023, he successfully completed his master’s degree in Pedagogy and Psychology at Mukhtar Auezov South Kazakhstan University. From 2011 to 2013, he dedicated his expertise as a chemistry teacher at Murager School in Kyzylorda. In the period from 2013 to 2018, he continued to excel in his teaching career, eventually assuming the role of vice principal at the Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Chemistry and Biology in Kyzylorda. His commitment to education led him to the Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Chemistry and Biology in Almaty, where he served as a teacher and later as vice principal from 2018 to 2021. In 2021, Mr. Buksukbayev took on the position of principal at the Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Chemistry and Biology in Shymkent, where he contributed his leadership and educational expertise to 2022.

Established the Bilimkana Public Foundation in 2011 with a vision to grow a young generation in the Kyrgyz Republic to be more competitive in the age of globalization.
Tolondu Toichubaev is an investor in healthcare area since 2007. Main regions of his investment are CIS, Asia and China.
In 2011, he also established a Tolon Museum of Modern Art.
The museum specializes in post-totalitarian art and focuses around authoritarian countries and regimes. The collection contains unique fine art paintings, graphics, objects, installations, photographs, and films.
Prior to his business experience, he was a government employee, including the Office of the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic. He has a public activity experience, which includes the UN Economic Commission for Europe.

Kate Evans has been involved in education in the UK in a variety of roles for the past 40 years. She was appointed as Headteacher of Bottisham Village College in 2005 , leading the school to be judged outstanding by Ofsted.
The school was committed to working collaboratively with other institutions, including The Faculty of Education, Cambridge University. Bottisham was the lead school in the development of Anglian Gateway Teaching School Alliance, which offered local provision for initial teacher training & continual professional development. Bottisham was subsequently identified as a National Support School and Kate was appointed as a National Leader for Education by the Department of Education.
In 2016 Kate was appointed as the founding CEO of Anglian Learning Multi Academy Trust, with responsibility for a group of primary & secondary schools.
Since 2018 Kate has worked as an educational consultant, both in the UK and through the SHARE project in Kazakhstan.

Ji Han joined CIS as an Associate Director of School Support & Evaluation in May 2023.
Ji has served international education as a teacher, school leader, educational consultant and leadership coach for over 30 years. Prior to joining CIS, Ji served as the Director of Curriculum and Learning at the Zurich International Schools and as an independent consultant for organizations such as the IB, NEASC and Carney Sandoe.
During her tenure as an international educator, her varied roles include Director of Curriculum and Learning, Campus Principal, Primary Years Programme Coordinator, Lower School Assistant Principal and Coordinator for the Early Childhood Center. Ji’s professional leadership and growth practice includes serving as an experienced course trainer for the Principals Training Center, an Accreditation Team Chair, a certified curriculum and instruction trainer and a workshop leader and school visitor for the International Baccalaureate Organization. For the past 25 years, Ji has demonstrated her strong commitment to accreditation and school improvement through her years of service as team chair for school visits. She has also served as a Commissioner at NEASC for the Commission on International Education.
Ji is deeply committed to working collaboratively with teams and brings her extensive experience in many areas of school organization including recruitment, curriculum design, inquiry, concept based instruction, accreditation, professional growth, strategic planning, and developing school culture. She is deeply committed to international education, and has strong connections to partners from around the world. In addition to her work as a consultant in leadership, strategic and curriculum development, Ji is passionate about supporting growth through coaching and mentorship.
Ji holds a B.A. from the University of California – Los Angeles, an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University, and a Certificate of International Leadership from the Principals Training Center.

Christina Salmivalli is a professor of psychology and the deputy head of the INVEST flagship research center (https://invest.utu.fi/) at the University of Turku, Finland. She has done research on school bullying and its evidence-based prevention for three decades. Her team developed the KiVa® antibullying program, which is implemented in large scale in Finland and in 23 other countries. Salmivalli has published widely on children’s peer relations and bullying in top-tier scientific journals. She received the Finnish Science Award in 2017. The award is granted by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture based on the proposal of the Board of the Academy of Finland, in recognition of significant scientific achievements. In 2020, she was a recipient the European Research Council’s (ERC) Advanced Grant for a 5-year project to study the most challenging cases of bullying. In 2021, Salmivalli received the William Thierry Prayer Award (European Association for Developmental Psychology) for excellence in research on human development.

President of “”Kazak tili”” international society, founder and head of “”Bilim Media Group”” company, developing educational content and e-learning services.
He has experience in government and diplomatic service. In different years he worked as Deputy Akim of Kyzylorda region, Director of TV and radio company, First Secretary of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Russia, columnist and bureau chief of Khabar agency in the Russian Federation.
He has an MBA degree from the Higher School of International Business and Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation.
He studied at Harvard University in 2010-2011 (Fellows Programme).