Keynote speakers as Gulmira Kurganbayeva, the provost of AlmaU, and Kuanysh Shonbay, the founder of Shonbay Online University, called on the audience to brainstorm on what makes a good university in the 21st century, what needs to be changed today to keep in pace with an ever-growing technological world, and how to manage those changes and transformations. “Conventional university education where a teacher is perceived as the centre of a classroom, as the one who transfers knowledge, holds lectures and examinations is increasingly becoming unnecessary and meaningless. Instead we should be thinking on how to respond to the expectations and needs of the new generation of critical consumers whom we call our students,” summed up the first vice-provost of AlmaU, Almagul Kanagatova.
Following the keynote speeches, interactive workshop sessions were designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and different perspectives on the topics of the agenda. The participants were encouraged to reconsider their style of teaching and disciplines they teach as well as redesign their curriculums and syllabi. A distinctive feature of this year’s Winter School were the workshops on mastering emotional intelligence by developing physical and psychological self-awareness.
Previously, AlmaU Winter Schools were organized only for AlmaU faculty; however, this year’s School was attended by participants from six other Kazakhstani universities, including universities in Almaty as well as in Aktobe and Aktau. Among the core values of AlmaU is a continuous strive for the development of the quality of delivered education; therefore – to uphold its values – AlmaU aims to become a focal point of progressive discussions on the future of higher education.