The History of KazSociety
Previous teams -
So you may ask: Where did it all begin? How was KazSociety born?
It all started at LSE in October 2002. LSE students Adil Shakirov (Bsc Economics 2004), together with Aliya Maulesheva (Bsc Geography and Economics 2004), Elvira Mami (Bsc Economics 2003) and Zhanara Rahmet
(Bsc Government and Economics 2004), have started a first ever Kazakh
society, registering it at LSE as a student society “Kazakh Society”.
However, the four founders and many students have affectionately
referred to the society as “KazSociety”, and soon the name has caught
on and was on the lips of many excited Kazakhstani students across the
UK. The mission was promotion of Kazakh culture in the UK, and
providing support and events to Kazakhstani students in UK. This small
group were the only Kazakhstani students in LSE, and we have them to
thank for giving birth to the society we are proud to serve.
Year One
Adil Shakirov describes the initial phase as frantic: «We designed
the logos in 2 days, and spent some time in the printing office in
order to print business cards for our members. We also scrambled to
find enough signatures from members in order to register our society at
LSE, and to find sponsorship. We approached Mittal, a large mining
company active in Kazakhstan, but without success. However, in the end
we secured the LSE registration and received funds from LSE. We
overcame the difficulties, and started things rolling»
The first events came soon after the creation, with help of UCL
student Aldiyar Balzhanov. At LSE, the Adil, Aliya, Elvira and Zhanara
have promoted Kazakh national cuisine at an LSE student society event.
Each of the four officers of KazSociety has cooked whatever they could,
and were proud to display Kazakh food delicasies to enthusiastic
students and staff at LSE.
The Embassy of Kazakhstan in United Kingdom, headed by Mr Erlan Idrissov, was a powerful and supportive force in the creation and growth of KazSociety. Mr Idrissov has for years provided advice and
support to KazSociety. He hosted regular meetings at the Embassy with
students. KazSociety, in turn has strived to assist the Embassy in any
way possible, and has helped organise the World Travel Market at the
Excel centres in 2002 and 2003, promoting Kazakh culture with national
costumes and music. With the help of the embassy, KazSociety has hosted
famous musician Asylbek Ensepov at LSE’s old theatre, resulting in a
successful event promoting Kazakh culture and attracting students. Over
the years, Batyrhan Shukenov, Ulitau and Orda have all also performed
for KazSociety, and KazSociety hosted free film evenings with
distinguished director Serik Aprimov displaying his film «Three
Brothers» at LSE’s St Clemens theatre, and KazSociety has also hosted
film «Abai».
The organization grew quickly, attracting hundreds of students to
entertainment events at the now defunct ‘Tokyo Joe’s’ nightclub, and
the ‘Millenium’ Nightclub. Adil describes the planning and organization
of these events as «difficult» and «exciting», but he was overjoyed by
the positive energy and support the students have provided each other,
and the enthusiasm with which these events were met by the students.
Even though the four founders have registed KazSociety as an LSE
student society, they were conscious of the need to expand the
activities beyond LSE and think big. The society needed to promote
Kazakhstan not only in London but across the whole of UK, and host
events for Kazakhstani students all across the country. In 2003,
KazSociety has affiliated itself with ‘KazAKT’, an informal group of
Kazakh students from other universities who could not become members of
the KazSociety because they were not students of LSE, due to LSE union
regulations. KazAKT was headed by Aldiyar Balzhanov (UCL BSc SSEES
2004), Baurzhan Sauranbekov and Bakhtiyar Balzhanov. Aldiyar Balzhanov
has played a very important role in KazSociety’s activities in 2003,
and has supported KazSociety in many ways.
A New Level
The relentless passing of time has meant that the roster of
KazSociety was updated each year. By September 2004, the original
super-4 founding team has graduated, and new people have put themselves
forward, keen to keep KazSociety going. And in the following 5 years,
the wheel of time kept turning, and the team kept growing and changing:
2004/05 and 2005/06, team: Yermek Zhanassov (LSE BSc Economic
History 2006), Karima Akayeva (LSE BSc Economics 2006), Askar
Biskultanov (UCL BSc Economics 2006), Aldiyar Balzhanov (UCL SSEES
2006), Vadim Lyu, Arthur Abdullin.
2006/07 team: Adina Almas (LSE 2009 International Relations), Adil
Alshimbaev (LSE 2009 Mathematics), Temujin Nukenov (Cass Business
School BSc Business 2009), Elnar Adaibekov (KCL)
2007/08 team: as in 2006/07, + Saltanat Kusherbay (LSE BSc
Management 2009), Azhar Safinova (LCF BSc Fashion Management 2009),
Eywon Kang (AA Architecture 2011), Meruert Kalieva (UCL BSc History of
Art 2009), Alua Stamkulova (Cass BSc 2008), Nurzhan Marabayev (ICL BSc
2009), Zhanar Smailova (UCL BSc Psychology 2009)
2008/09 team: Nurzhan Marabayev (ICL BSc 2009), Bekzhan Safinov
(LSE BSc Politics and Economics 2009), Erik Karabayev (UCL BSc Eastern
European Studies with Economics 2010), Aiganym Murzina (KCL BSc
Engineering 2010), Arsen Akhatov (LSE LLB Law 2011), Aiym Almas (LSE
BSc Management 2011), Katya Hegai (LSE BSc Management 2011) Zhan
Temerkhanov (LSS 2009), Aida Tashenova (UCL Bsc Engineering with
Finance 2010)
In 2004, under the leadership of new members Yermek Zhanassov and
Karima Akayeva, the society was registered across the whole of UK as
“Kazakhstan Society in UK”, a non-profit student organization which was
a logical next step for KazSociety. Therefore, KazSociety has entered a
whole new level, where it could more effectively serve the needs of
students. Thanks to a grant from KazMunaiGas Trade House and technical
support by PS Solutions, a new website was launched at
www.kazsociety.org.uk. The launch of the website was a crucial
milestone, allowing to a more efficient organization of events and
interaction with students. Ambassador Erlan Idrissov’s support has also
helped KazSociety’s reputation to grow, and to invite Grigori Marchenko
(Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Central Bank, and also of Halyk Bank) to give
a highly-attended and very successful public speech at LSE in 2005,
analyzing Kazakhstan’s development in the period of growth of financial
markets.
Looking back
So it is clear that what Adil, Aliya, Elvira and Zhanara have
started back in 2002 just grew and grew and attracted many more members
into the team since. KazSociety today is different than KazSociety
before, and it will keep changing each year as members graduate and
leave for home and new members arrive, fresh with new ideas. However,
we aim to always remember how it all started and keep the spirit of
friendship and mutual support which has been at KazSociety since its
inception.
We asked the founder Adil for his recollections on the society:
A good memory:
«I remember the first party not going as smoothly as planned. Our
students have waited outside the nightclub in very cold weather. Inside
the club, we didn’t get our hands on the microphone. But once the music
started, everyone just started jumping and chanting «Kazakhstan».
Despite some problems with organization and planning of the event, the
good energy and excitement of the first ever «Kazakhparty» was there.
Another funny memory is the ‘sumatoha’ in our first week. We had 2
days to design a logo and print membership cards for our students, and
create a stand for the freshers week at LSE. We were scrambling around
the printing agency. It was frenetic and fun».
Best event:
«Asylbek Ensepov performing at LSE Old Theatre after the World
Travel Market. This was a good musical and cultural Kazakh showcase. He
introduced the Dombyra to London. We hired people to wear traditional
national Kazakh clothes, inlcuding the traditional wedding clothes. It
was a very good feeling to be in the middle of your own culture whilst
thousands of miles away abroad».
What do I miss the most:
«I miss my friends from that time. I miss the excitement of
discussing the society matters, and working towards uniting students».
Biggest challenges:
«Searching for venues for our events. It was not easy to juggle
KazSociety and my studies, but in the end the time spent on KazSociety
was very well worth it».
Why did I go back to Kazakhstan upon graduation:
«I lived abroad for a long time. Before UK, I also spent a long
time in India. I wanted to come home, to my roots. However, I would
advise current students to try and get some work experience in the UK;
it is very beneficial. However, to our students in UK who are
interested in starting a business I would advise that it may be best to
come back to Kazakhstan straight after uni».
Where Are They Know?
So what did previous KazSociety members do after finishing?
Adil Shakirov: Adil has worked for Ernst and Young in Almaty, and
is now engaged in business and investing in Kazakhstan, Almaty.
Elvira Mami: gone back to LSE to complete an MSc in Development
Economics in 2006, and worked for the World Bank and other agencies as
an economist in Kazakhstan.
Zhanara Rahmet: is in Kazakhstan. Znahara is working for a Big Four consulting and audit firm.
Aliya Maulesheva: has lived in New York and Almaty, and completed
an MSc in International Finance at Columbia University in the United
States. Aliya has worked for Deutsche Bank in New York for two years,
and is currently in the Middle East.
Yermek Zhanassov: has been active in the banking and energy
sectors, and is currently working for the Metallurgic Company ‘Ertai’.
Yermek is in Kazakhstan.
Karima Akaeva: Karima has worked for Kazkommertsbank in Project Finance, and is currently a volunteer for UNDP in Kazakhstan.
Aldiyar Balzhanov: is in Kazakhstan. Aldiyar has worked for Visor Capital and KazMunaiGas Exploration&Production.
KazSociety Today
KazSociety was the first ever society for Kazakhstani students here
in UK, but it was not the last. With the help and kind support of the
highly respected ex-Ambassador Erlan Abulfaizovich Idrissov, the
general environment for students and young Kazakhstanis in UK has
improved dramatically, and public consciousness of KazSociety’s
attempts to unite students has solidified. Mr Idrissov was very
generous and approachable, and KazSociety owes him a large debt of
gratitude. Mr Idrissov is currently Kazakhstan’s Ambassador in USA, and
we extend him our warmest regards and wish him good luck on his new
mission in the States.
Many more university societies have opened across the UK, and many
of them are affiliated with KazSociety. There are currently roughly
3000 Kazakhstani students in the United Kingdom. Thanks to the great
work done by previous KazSociety teams before us, many of those 3000
students have been to at least one of KazSociety’s events or have heard
of KazSociety.
KazSociety today is thriving, and constantly evolving. Our internal
motto is to “keep our heads down. instead of talking, keep doing”, and
we intend to do just that.
Today KazSociety is maintaining close links with the Embassy and
Ambassador Kairat Abusseitov’s kind support has been unwavering. We are
also receiving a lot of support and encouragement from many former
students and KazSociety veterans Adil Shakirov, Karima Akayeva, Elvira
Mami and Aliya Maulesheva, as well as others. Nurlan Kiyassov, the
founder of Moscow Kazakhstani student society and a legend among many
students in Russia, is also our advisor and has helped us in many ways.
For all this, we are eternally grateful.
A New Chapter
And now it’s the turn of the new team. Soon we too will graduate,
and fresh enthusiastic faces will replace us. We aim to keep doing the
good work which Adil, Elvira, Aliya and Zhanara have started all those
years ago, and to leave behind a legacy of satisfied students who
visited our events, and only bright memories of friendship and support.
It is important for us, the current team, to recognise the contribution
and sacrifices of each and every member of KazSociety before us, and to
be grateful for it. KazSociety exists only on the enthusiasm of
students who attend our events, and the unshakeable belief of
team-members that they can make lives of Kazakhstani students in UK a
little brighter, and that they can promote Kazakhstan in a lasting and
positive way.
We want to leave behind something that lasts, and ensure that
KazSociety lives forever, and that future teams of KazSociety never
forget where it all started.
Yours sincerely,
Miras Mami
a proud member of KazSociety
UCL MSc Economics 2010