Schoolchildren from Ridder town participated in the III International Scientific Forum for Schoolchildren “Youth, Science Education and Innovation for Sustainable Future”

On 9-11 April, 2025, Al-Farabi Palace of Schoolchildren of Astana city hosted the III International Scientific Forum for Schoolchildren “Youth, Science Education and Innovation for Sustainable Future” with the participation of the winners of International competitions, scientific projects, innovations and technologies. The event brought together talented students from Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries. The forum served as a platform for sharing scientific ideas, presenting innovative developments, establishing international cooperation and promoting school science.

The following students from Lyceum School No. 1 of Ridder town were invited to represent East Kazakhstan region at the forum: Amir Bazylkhanov, Sergey Malakhov, Vasily Ushanov and Gleb Guslyakov. Earlier this year on 21-27 March, they participated in the International Festival of Engineering Science and Technology “I-FEST2 2025” in Moknin (Tunisia), organized by the Tunisian Association for the Future of Science and Technology (ATAST). Competing among 400 projects from 40 countries, our students won bronze medals in the Multimedia category, and also received an Honorable Mention Award in Computer Science. It should be noted that earlier, in 2023, Amir Bazylkhanov won a gold medal at the International Robotics Competition in Chongqing, China.

Other our students Ivan Gribanshchikov and Artemy Nechayev are the winners and prize-winners of various International Olympiads and scientific competitions, also worthily represented our region. In 2022, they won gold medals at the World Innovative Science Project Olympiad (WISPO), held in Indonesia. In 2023, they were awarded silver medals at the International Universiade “Glimpse into the Future”, held in Russia. In 2024, students won gold medals at the International Competition of Educational Projects “EDUCATION IS LIFE” in Switzerland, at the International Olympiad of Inventive Creativity “WICO” in South Korea, as well as at the International Competition of Scientific Projects “CIPP”, held in December in China.

They weren’t just attendees of the forum - they acted as speakers, sharing their own experience of participating in international competitions, presenting their projects and actively engaging with other participants. Their presentations fostered an atmosphere of constructive dialogue and mutual support.

The forum’s honorary guests and experts were leading representatives of the international scientific community:

Hyang Ping Wu, President of BRISEC, Professor at Peking University, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences;

Pierre Lena, Honorary Professor at Paris Observatory and University of Paris-Cité, a member of the French Academy of Sciences;

Dato Lee Yee Cheong, Academician of the Malaysian Academy of Engineering Sciences, a member of the International Academy Partnership Science Education Programme (IAP-SEP);

Manzoor Somro –Vice-President of BRISEC, Professor at BTBU (China), Advisor to the Scientific Foundation of Economic Cooperation Countries;

Hatem Slimane, President of ATAST (Tunisia), Vice-President of BRISEC, CEO of I-FEST;

Professors Kiah Ju Ong and Gulnaziya Izbasarova from UTAR Tunku Abdul Rahman University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

These esteemed experts provided students with detailed feedback, guidance, and helped identify areas for improving their projects, making a significant contribution to developing schoolchildren’ research potential. This experience proved to be inspiring and confirmed the importance of the developments of young scientists for practical applications.

As part of the forum, schoolchildren participated in a fruitful educational program, including scientific tours to the laboratories of Nazarbayev University, Coventry University and Astana Hub, along with expert-led thematic master classes.

The forum concluded with a solemn ceremony, where Education Administration of Astana city presented letters of appreciation to the participants, who thanked the experts, and organizers of the forum. However, the main value of the event was the motivation and confidence the students took home, inspired by the prospects of scientific and engineering creativity. The International Scientific Forum once again demonstrated the high interest of schoolchildren in scientific and innovative activities and proved that young people have everything they need to realize their most ambitious ideas: knowledge, energy and mentors’ support.

Yuri B. Kotvitsky – a team mentor, a teacher of physics and robotics of Lyceum School No. 1.