On April 23, 2020, within the framework of the International Scientific- Practical Conference “Auezov Readings – 18: Spiritual Heritage of the Great Abai”, devoted to the 175h anniversary of Abai Kunanbayev, the international webinar on section 10 “The contribution of the Erasmus + Program to Improving the competitiveness of universities and their integration into the world scientific space” was held. The webinar was attended by 40 people from universities in different countries, such as Finland, Spain, Denmark, Russia, Kazakhstan. The moderator of the webinar organized by the participants of the project «585761-EPP-1-2017-1-FI-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP Enhancing Competences of Sustainable Waste Management in Russian and Kazakh HEIs / EduEnvi on the basis of M. Auezov SKSU, was Botagoz Mutaliyeva, candidate of chemical sciences, Associate Professor of the “Biotechnology” department. The purpose of the webinar was not only to disseminate the results of the project, but also to exchange experience in the field of education and science, to reveal the pressing problems of the modern world.

Ella Kallio presented a report prepared jointly with colleagues from the Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Finland, and KazNU named after Al-Farabi, Kazakhstan, where she shared the results of piloting the project courses, with the developing online pedagogy in the field of sustainable waste management in Kazakh and Russsian HEIs.

The results of the course development within the framework of the project were made by Almira Saparbekova, Ph.D., Associate Professor of the “Biotechnology” department, and Aigul Kurmanbaeva, Associate Professor of Sh. Ualikhanov KokSU, who shared the results of a sociological survey conducted with respondents regarding the sorting of municipal solid waste in the Kokshetau city, as well as the need to improve environmental literacy of the population.

Scientists from the University of Applied Sciences in Odense, Denmark, Elizabeth Agerbek and Ellen Houmoller made a presentation on the importance of professional training of the future teachers for innovative activities in the field of education, making young adult students aware of their potential and encourage and motivate them to develop their competencies is a challenge for both teachers and the learners themselves.

Silvia Bolado and Pedro Garcia from the University of Valladolid, Spain, shared with the results of their scientific research in the field of biotechnology, namely, with study of the effect of pretreatments and enzymatic hydrolysis on cell wall of microalgae grown in piggery wastewater treatment plants to optimize downstream processing.

Colleagues from Russia, from the “ITMO national research University, St. Petersburg, Russia, such as Sergeeva I., Kovalenko B., Orlova O., Dinkelaker N. made a number of reports, such as the disclosure and solution of a number of problems of distance and online learning, which cause a need in connection with the relevance of the modern world, researches of entrepreneurship in the digital economy,  study of the protective function of aquatic vegetation communities of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea with regard to the conservation of the quality of abiotic components of local coastal ecosystems, as well as investigation of heaby metals content in wild berries and mushrooms at various distances from industrial facilities.

Themes of reports of Professor Sergei Polbitsyn from Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, UrFU, Russia, as well as Dmitry Rudenko from Tyumen State University, Russia, were associated with the problems and opportunities of science and education, with institutional aspects in the study of municipal waste management in educational programs. Perizat Parmankulova from M. Auezov SKSU drew the attention of the audience to the creation of an inclusive environment for distance learning for people with disabilities, and that the courses of the EduEnvi project can be applied to such people.

An interesting report was made by teachers from Shymkent Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Chemistry and Biology, Shymkent, Kazakhstan, Assylzhan Zhunuskhojayev, who spoke about the Microsoft Teams platform is an effective for organizing distance and online learning in educational institutions, and Mira Beisenova, who highlighted the topic related to the development of students critical thinking by use of STEAM training elements at project works creation.

Thus, many issues were discussed at the webinar, especially in light of the application of innovative technologies in the field of education, science, etc.

Webinar titled “Formation of IT competence of students in the field of natural sciences”, carried out within the framework of the Republican forum “Digital education: features and development process” was held on November 13, 2019, organized between  Arkalyk state pedagogical Institute named after I. Altynsarin, M. Auezov South Kazakhstan State University, al-Farabi Kazakh national University, Abay Kazakh national pedagogical University, South Kazakhstan State Pedagogical University, Taraz State Pedagogical University, Dosmukhamedov Atyrau State University.

M. Auezov SKSU as a country coordinator of the Project 585761-EPP-1-2017-1-FI-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP “Enhancing Competence in Sustainable Waste Management in Universities of Russia and Kazakhstan / EduEnvi” took an active part in a webinar with the involvement for participation of project partner universities, at which the project coordinator from M. Auezov SKSU, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of “Biotechnology” Botagoz Mutaliyeva represented results of the project with a report titled “Development of online courses in Sustainable Waste Management in Universities of Russia and Kazakhstan in the framework of the EduEnvi project ”. Information about readiness of the courses for the start of piloting, which will take place in the end of November and that finished by analysis in early January 2020 have been presented. In addition, a video about the project was shown. The participants in the webinar took an active part in the discussion, so questions were asked about the introduction of courses in the educational process. Developed courses is now under piloting process, and it is planned to be introdused into existing Master degree programs after the complete readiness for use in the next educational year.

On October 14, 2019 at the M. Auezov South-Kazakhstan State university, Center of Bologna process and Academic Mobility with active participation of EduEnvi project was organized a round table on the topic “Good experience and opportunity of Erasmus+program” . M. Auezov SKSU is an active participant of various programs of Erasmus+:International credit mobility of students and teaching staff, realization of projects. Representatives of EduEnvi project Mutaliyeva Botagoz and Madybekova Galiya discussed with student about EduEnvi project aim, objectives, and courses. 

On April 26, 2019, the II International Forum of Innovative Teachers “Modern Education: Challenges, Trends and Strategies” was completed their work at M.Auezov South Kazakhstan State University.

The Forum covered all the links of the educational institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan: school-college-HEI, as the Forum proved to be recognized as a permanent discussion platform for discussing topical issues of education development and mutual transfer   of the best teaching experience in the education area.

The Chairman of the Committee for Control in the Field of Education and Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan T.I. Eshankulov and the foreign deputy director of the Nazarbayev Intellectual School (South Africa) Jennifer MacKenzie made  welcoming   addresses.

Within the Forum framework as part of the Erasmus + Program a webinar was held with the participation of teachers from Finland – University of Applied Sciences  of Tampere, Tampere city, Denmark ; University of Applied Knowledge, Odense city; Spain – Valladolid University, Valladolid; Russia – St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics; B.N. Yeltsin (the First President of Russia) Ural Federal University and Kazakhstan – Sh.Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University; Al-Farabi Kazakh National university, E.A. Buketov Karaganda State University, and Belgium – Modern Education and also Research Institute in Brussels, People’s Republic of China – Confucius Institute in Xinjiang.

The 3rd workshop on intensive teacher training and curriculum planning was held at the University of Valladolid, Spain, from 14 to 18 May 2019, according to WP 4.1.2, in which all the partner universities participated. During the workshop, modules 4, 5, 6 and 7 were reviewed, master classes on assessment for training and assessment methods, as well as the application of new pedagogical methodologies in the courses being developed were held.

In the period from 28th of January till 1st of February the International workshop within the framework of the international program Erasmus + on theme “Intensive Teacher Training and Curriculum Content Planning for e-learning” took place in the M. Auezov South-Kazakhstan State University, with participation of the leading International scientists from Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Finland, Lillebaelt Academy of Applied Sciences, Denmark, Valladolid University, Spain, Saint Petersburg National Research University of Information technologies, Mechanics and Optics, Tyumen State University, Russia, al-Farabi Kazakh National university, Sh. Ualikhanov Kokshetau State university by project «Enhancing Competence in Sustainable Waste Management in Universities of Russia and Kazakhstan /EduEnvi».

The seminar was also attended by representatives of other universities of Kazakhstan who are not members of the project consortium, as well as schools, representatives of enterprises, students, Master and Ph.D students who took an active part in teaching master classes. The aim of the seminar was intensive teacher training and curriculum planning, according to WP 4.1.1, in which modules 1, 2, 3, 8 were discussed in detail, and recommendations were made on courses, mainly on how to apply a student-centered approach in courses developed.

27.02.2009 14.00 workshop with further webinar connection at 15.00 between partner universities on the project   585761-EPP 1-2017-1-FI-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP «Enhancing competition in Sustainable Waste Management in Universities of Russia and Kazakhstan» took place in M. Auezov South-Kazakhstan State university with participation of the Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, UrFU, Russia, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Sh.Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University, South-Kazakhstan State Pedagogical university, as well as representatives of enterprises. During discussion were noted that in Kazakhstan, as in the world, the problem of safe disposal of production and consumption waste has always been one of the most important environmental problems. Currently, an important task is set-waste disposal – the use of waste as secondary material or energy resources.  Kazakhstan has accumulated more than 45 billion tons of production and consumption waste, of which only 5 percent is recycled. With such huge amounts of garbage, waste processing plants do not have enough raw materials for processing, since there is no culture of separate waste collection in the country. According to the statistics Committee, about 500 specialized companies in the field of waste management are registered in Kazakhstan. The largest industry is the “Altyn – TET” complex, which operates in Astana and is engaged in sorting and processing of jointly collected municipal solid waste. Other companies, which works in Kazakhstan are called “KazakhstanWasteRecycling” (paper and cardboard), SAF (glass), Kazkauchuk (tires and rubber waste), WestDala (oily waste, integrated waste management), “Promtehresurs KZ” and “Recycling” (electronic waste).

Therefore, the use of scientific and technological progress for the introduction of environmentally friendly technologies is of paramount importance for the sustainable development of the economy.

In Kazakhstan, manufacturers of environmentally friendly products are planning to issue special certificates within the framework of the Concept for the transition to a “green” economy.

One of the innovations of the document is the concept of “green” purchases, which will stimulate those processing enterprises that produce products, for example, in the construction of roads and bridges. Now a lot of different thermal insulation materials, there are a lot of materials that are used in finishing works.

Many initiatives are needed to implement an effective waste management system:

– training of qualified specialists in waste management system;

– conduct a thorough audit and environmental monitoring of all large landfills and identify measures for their remediation;

– updating of standards of work, processing and storage of solid domestic wastes;

– waste processing should be carried out by enterprises-producers of waste;

– reduction of taxes of enterprises engaged in waste processing.

27.02.2019 y. the seminar on the theme: “Development and modernization of the curriculum, quality assurance of the educational process” took place in the Sh. Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University.  

During the workshop were noted that establishment of an effective regional and local waste management system is not possible without qualified and trained personnel in this area. Since 2018, the international project: «Enhancing Competences of Sustainable Waste Management in Russian and Kazakh HEIs / EduEnvi. The project coordinator is Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Finland (Tampere University of Applied Sciences – TAMK). The project is implemented under the Erasmus + programme funded by the European Commission.

Within the seminar, associate professor of Sh. Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University Kurmanbayeva Aigul and manager of LLP “LS Kokshetau” Sergey Beznosikov gave reports. The main environmental problems of the region in the field of waste management were considered. As a result of the discussion, the following resolution was adopted.

RESOLUTION for the webinar between universities

1. Development and implementation of new electronic educational programs in the field of waste processing in the higher education system will improve the skills of specialists and improve waste management.
2. Prepared modules are practice-oriented and increase the competence of future specialists in the field of waste management.
3. The training program should include practical training in office management in the field of waste management. Development of project documentation, protocols, acts and other documents.
4. The Union of workers in the waste management industry with production workers, environmentalists and University teachers is necessary to solve the urgent problems of the region related to waste.
5. Teach students to work with the population. To carry out propaganda and explanatory work among the population and activities for environmental education and upbringing. To involve the collection and disposal of garbage for all residents, through the preparation of propaganda leaflets, promotional videos, banners, etc to use for this social network.
6. Write an appeal to the local executive bodies on the need to support processors of recyclable materials and assist in the rapid solution of production problems:

– allocation of land for reception points;

– permission of installation of garbage containers for separate collection of secondary raw materials on garbage sites of the city;

– issuing low-interest loans, grants, compensations and subsidies to waste processors for the purchase of modern equipment or modernization of existing technologies.

Sustainable waste management is an extremely important task of the state environmental policy. Currently, the industry of collection and processing of secondary raw materials in our country is only being formed and requires support from both, the state and the population.