More than 20,000 people attended the first Tilu Fest in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on September 13, according to organizers. The free festival combined discussions about international education and careers—all held in Kazakh—with an evening concert, DKNews.kz reports.
International experts, teachers and students joined young Kazakhstanis with connections to leading universities abroad. Access to education for rural communities was a central theme, with participants in the Tilu Ауыл Грант programme sharing how free English lessons had helped them.
International education, discussed in Kazakh
All educational and panel sessions took place in Kazakh. Speakers discussed language learning, admission to leading universities, international study programmes and the role of English in building a career.
Kazakhstanis connected to Stanford, Oxford, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania shared their experiences. Their accounts gave visitors a personal perspective on pursuing education abroad.
The festival’s special guest was Indian educator Ranjitsinh Disale, winner of the 2020 Global Teacher Prize. He spoke about education’s potential to influence lives and drive change.
A separate part of the programme featured Tilu students who had achieved strong results in English, won academic competitions and gained access to international educational opportunities.
From a grant recipient to a village teacher
Tilu Auyl Grant, a free English-learning programme for young people in rural Kazakhstan. Participants took to the stage to explain how they were putting that learning to use.
One was Dina Oralbekkyzy, a former grant recipient who now teaches English in her own village. Her experience illustrates how support for one learner can benefit others in the same community.
The festival also recognized teachers and students for academic achievement. Organizers sought to give educational success the public recognition more commonly associated with accomplishments in sport, music and culture.
An evening concert on Abai Square
The programme continued with a concert on Almaty’s Abai Square. Performers included YENLIK, Alisher Konysbayev, Aidana Medenova, Zattybek Kopbosynuly, ADIL, ALPHA, Kazybek Kuraiysh, Kairat Tuntekov, Yerke Yessmakhan and RAIM.
The attendance figure of more than 20,000 covers the festival as a whole, including its educational activities and concert.
Tilu Fest was initiated by Tilu founder Assel Amangeldi, who holds a master’s degree in education management from Harvard University. Founded in 2022, the school has taught more than 15,000 students over four years, according to organizers.
Other initiatives are also expanding access to teachers outside Kazakhstan’s major cities. Our earlier report explains how students at ten rural schools began joining lessons taught remotely by educators in Astana.
