These days, Astana has transformed into the technological epicenter of Central Asia: ALEM TECH FEST 2026 is taking place here, with the joint-stock company Samruk-Kazyna serving as the генераль sponsor. The largest festival in the region has brought together 5,000 delegates from seven countries across 15,000 square meters. Behind the impressive concentration of engineering talent and cutting-edge developments stand inspiring stories of personal transformation from participants whose journey into the high-tech industry began only recently, DKNews.kz reports.
The “STEM Hanym” Effect: A Career Reboot
The story of Gularman Kabdulla, a physics and computer science teacher from Atyrau, is a vivid example of how systemic investment in education can change lives. After working at school for three years, she felt the need for change. The opportunity came in the form of the STEM Hanym project.
“I had just started thinking that maybe it was time to change something. And literally a week later, I learned about the launch of STEM Hanym. Everything started moving at once: online training, tests, hackathons. Before this project, I had never worked in robotics at all,” the teacher admits.
The STEM Hanym project was implemented by the USTEM Foundation with the support of the Samruk-Kazyna Trust on behalf of the Samruk-Kazyna group of companies and ExxonMobil Kazakhstan. For the region, the initiative became unprecedented: out of more than 1,000 applications, only 300 participants passed through a rigorous selection process and intensive training to become certified STEM trainers. They attended lectures delivered by founders of successful IT startups and winners of international competitions. During the program, the women mastered working with LEGO Education kits, the basics of programming, teamwork, and methods for solving real engineering challenges.
From Hackathon to the Central Asia FIRST Championship
The journey from assembling the first construction set to participating in the Central Asia FIRST Championship - the central event of the festival - took Gularman and her students just four months. Today, she is presenting three teams in Astana: Silkway Saraishyq (Explore category), as well as Jaiyq Legos and Jaiyq Atyrau (Challenge category).
Replacing the familiar chalk and blackboard with programming was not without anxiety, but the results exceeded expectations.
“In these four months, we learned not only how to build robots, but also how to unlock each child’s abilities in a new way. Passing the selection for the Central Asia Championship is already a huge victory. And honestly, I think my junior team has every chance of winning a ticket to Houston for the world final of the FIRST Championship!”
Investing in the Future: The Female Face of Engineering
The success of teachers from the Atyrau region is part of a broader national strategy. The project has proven that women educators can master highly complex and in-demand skills in a short period of time. The festival organizers are placing emphasis on inclusivity and equal access to high technologies for all regions of the country.
Among the participants of ALEM TECH FEST 2026 are five teams led by graduates of the STEM Hanym program. For five teachers and 40 students from remote settlements of the Atyrau region, this is their first experience competing at the international level. Nevertheless, they are competing on equal footing with experienced robotics clubs.
This result confirms one key point: a lack of prior experience is not a barrier when a strong educational foundation is created and when synergy between state support and the private sector is ensured. For Gularman Kabdulla and her colleagues, the championship in Astana is not a final destination, but a powerful starting point.
