“ALUMNI UZDIK”: 13 NIS Alumni Honored for Outstanding Impact

On July 12, 2026, the Alumni NIS community introduced the first recipients of the new “ALUMNI UZDIK” award at Royal Legacy Ball in Astana. The distinction honors alumni who combine professional excellence with public impact and contribute to education, science, technology, diplomacy, and social development in Kazakhstan and internationally.

The inaugural “ALUMNI UZDIK” recipients are:

Laura Vaigorova: CEO and co-founder of SmarTestPrep. Her work has helped students secure more than USD 5 million in grants and scholarships, while over 5,400 learners have gained admission to leading universities abroad. In 2025, Laura also supported the NIS community by providing 5,000 students with free access to the SmarTestPrep platform, valued at USD 105,000.

Sabyrzhan Mustafin: founder and CEO of CYBERPACK.AI and Rolab Academy. He raised USD 300,000 to develop a Kazakhstan-based AI platform for school students. Rolab students regularly win national and international robotics competitions, while CYBERPACK.AI has been introduced in 65 schools across Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and is used by more than 35,000 students.

Kamila Saken: co-founder of weglobal.ai, a platform used in more than 2,000 schools across Kazakhstan with over 1 million mobile-app users, and of MentorsHub, which provides free English classes to 170 students from rural communities. For several years, she has also offered full SAT-preparation scholarships to NIS students from socially vulnerable backgrounds.

Yernur Akzhol: founder of Master Education, one of Kazakhstan’s leading SAT and IELTS preparation companies. Every year, he allocates approximately KZT 8 million in educational grants for NIS students, covering full SAT preparation and university-application support. The company has helped talented students from Kazakhstan gain admission to leading universities worldwide.

Sholpan Arzhan: represented the United Nations in diplomatic work and participated in international missions across Eastern Europe and the Balkans. She coordinated grant support for non-governmental organizations in more than 120 countries assisting victims of torture and contemporary forms of slavery. Her experience also includes work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in human-rights protection at the UN Office in Geneva.

Zeinur Uali: the first representative of Kazakhstan appointed to the international judging panel of the FIRST World Championship 2026. Since 2024, he has served as a judge, commentator, and organizer at robotics tournaments in Kazakhstan and the UAE before being invited to judge the World Championship in Houston.

Assel Amangeldi: a Harvard Graduate School of Education alumna and full-scholarship recipient, as well as a Harvard Teacher Fellow. She is co-founder and president of Predictive Learning Insights, a US EdTech company developing AI solutions for schools, and founder of TILU, an education platform that has served more than 30,000 students. Each year, she provides 20 educational grants worth a total of KZT 4.5 million to rural school students, expanding access to international education and advancing EdTech innovation.

Meruert Bizhanova: became a doctoral researcher and instructor at the University of Oxford at the age of 24. She was the first Kazakhstani woman in the University of Pennsylvania’s 284-year history to receive the Penn Global Citizenship Award. As president of the Graduate & Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA), she represented more than 20,000 graduate and professional students at Penn. Her research advances higher education and international education policy while strengthening Kazakhstan’s presence in the global academic community.

Assel Ibadulla: the first Kazakhstani woman selected as a Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholar, receiving a full scholarship valued at approximately KZT 350 million. She is a researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and one of two international students awarded full funding for Stanford doctoral study in medical-technology modeling. She founded Mind Matters and Aspire Admissions and was named to Forbes Kazakhstan’s “30 Under 30” list.

Nazgul Sakenova: a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School specializing in biomedicine and antimicrobial resistance. She received a USD 234,000 research grant and was among 25 scientists selected from more than 600 applicants for a prestigious Harvard research program. She mentors students and early-career researchers while addressing antimicrobial resistance, one of the world’s most urgent health challenges.

Yerbolat Niyatbay: the first NIS alumnus appointed as a school principal within the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools system. He develops international education programs, including preparation for the German DSD diploma, which opens pathways to leading European universities. Through academic leadership and international cooperation, he creates opportunities for students to succeed in international olympiads, research projects, and university admissions.

Alinur Dzhaboldinov: the first student from Kazakhstan admitted to Hamilton College with a full scholarship worth USD 91,000. As an MIT researcher, he studies mechanisms that make malignant tumors resistant to therapy in one of the world’s leading laboratories. He has contributed to oncology and vaccinology projects at research centers in the United States and Australia and is developing new approaches that could improve treatment effectiveness.

Almukhamed Amitov: CEO of KOZ AI, which serves more than 20 corporate clients and over 100,000 users across more than 10 countries. He won AI SANA awards for “AI Leader of the Year” and “Best AI Project in Healthcare.” He created OncoZero.AI, an early cancer-detection system that won NURIS Demo Day and ITFEST and placed in the top two among 10,000 teams at Hult Prize Dubai. He also contributes to AI education in Kazakhstan and, while serving in the Armed Forces, developed defense-focused AI solutions presented to the national leadership and the Minister of Defense.

Beyond celebrating individual success, the “ALUMNI UZDIK” award highlights the values at the heart of the NIS alumni community: using knowledge for the public good, leading with purpose, and creating opportunities for the next generation.