On September 13-16, 2021, in Nur-Sultan, graduates of the Capstone Project human Rights research Competition and representatives of Kazakh higher educational institutions met to discuss the prospects for the development and further improvement of human rights research in the country.
Deputy Head of the Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Republic of Kazakhstan Naut van Waudenberg, Head of the Representative Office of the International Prison Reform (PRI) in Central Asia Nazarova Zh. B., Provost of the University of KAZGUU named after M. S. Narikbayev Pen S. G. addressed the participants of the event with a welcoming speech.
The methodology and results of the Capstone Project, implemented in Kazakhstan by Penal Reform International (PRI) in Central Asia with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Republic of Kazakhstan for five years, were presented to the audience. Representatives of the universities participating in the project shared their experience of participating in the Capstone Project, discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the program, made recommendations for further promotion of the topic of human rights among young people.
It should be noted that the pilot universities of the project were L. N. Gumilev ENU and KazGUU University. The Capstone Project provides for the writing of research papers by graduate and senior students in the project format. This practice is widely used abroad and was first tested in national universities of Kazakhstan.
At the invitation of PRI, the event was attended by PhD of the Department of International Law of the L. N. Gumilyov ENU M. Zh. Kulikpaeva, who shared her experience of conducting research by ENU students within the Capstone Project in 2016, as well as graduates of the project Asset Baisakalov and Sultan Panov.
From ENU, 9 students took part in the project, mainly majoring in "International Law", as well as "Jurisprudence" and "International Relations", whose leaders were Doctor of Law, Professor of the Department of Criminal Law Disciplines A. B. Skakov (project manager) and PhD, acting associate Professor of the Department of International Law M. Zh.Kulikpaeva (assistant manager).
Each of the teams worked on their own project and conducted research on the following topics:
- Team No. 1-Sultan Panov, Asset Baisakalov, Anel Kamieva (specialty "International Relations" - "50 years of the International Covenants on Human Rights".
- Team No. 2-Aybar Seidimbek, Marhabat Tursyngali, Zhibek Karibayeva – "Implementation of novelties of international documents on the protection of children's rights in the criminal legislation of Kazakhstan".
- Team No. 3-Sabina Bukharbayeva, Aigerim Ermekova, Aitolkyn Berdimuratova – "Somatic human rights: international legal aspects of euthanasia".
During 2016, the students were accompanied by eminent professors of Radboud University (the Netherlands) Piet Hein Van Kempen and Maria Fedorova, and Middlesex University (UK) David Keen,
According to the results of the final presentations in 2016, the ENU team consisting of students of the specialty "International Law" Sabina Bukharbayeva, Aigerim Yermekova, Aitalyn Berdimuratova won in the nomination "The most creative project".
I would like to note that during 2016, a number of informative and useful events were implemented within the framework of the Capstone Project, in particular, cooperation was established and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between ENU and PRI; guest lectures were organized and held at the ENU site by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France Francis Etienne, professor at Radboud University (the Netherlands) Piet Hein Van Kempen; the project participants visited the Center for the Adaptation of Minors in Nur-Sultan (Astana), took part in various open lectures of foreign representatives; Training sessions were organized for teachers, conducted by professors Piet Hein Van Kempen and David Keen, and many others.
We take this opportunity to express our gratitude for the cooperation to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Republic of Kazakhstan – Mr. Dirk Jan Kop, Mr. Naut van Waudenberg and Ms. Irina Buchinskaya; to the Representative Office of the International Prison Reform (PRI) in Central Asia-Azamat Shambilov, Zhanna Nazarova, Inkara Mukatova, Aidana Isaeva, Syrym Yelubaev, Nurlan Kapashev, Aidana Asykpaeva; to foreign professors-Piet Hein Van Kempen, Maria Fedorova, David Keen; as well as L. N. Gumilyov ENU-Rector's Office and Dean's Office of the Faculty of Law, Departments of International Law and Criminal Law Disciplines.
