Graduate School of Public Policy

The PAE Conference 2022 took place on 2 April 2022 at the Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy.

38 senior students of the School’s Master in Public Policy program (MPP) presented the main findings and recommendations on specific policy cases, developed during the Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE).

13 projects with a wide range of topics have been presented during the Conference. Many topics covered COVID-19 related issues, including the passenger flight activities changes, “Ashyq” service, transition to online learning, etc.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes in the learning process of the current cohort. They had classes online during Semesters 1 and 2 and experienced the Hy-Flex education format during Semester 3, and went back to campus during Semester 4.  

Valikhan Bakhretdinov MPP 2nd year student noted: “We can firmly say that despite all the restrictions and external stresses caused by the pandemic, Nazarbayev University and NU GSPP in particular maintain a high standard of the education process. It is important to note the high level of qualification of the School’s Faculty staff, as well as their dedication to the teaching process, aimed at nurturing a new generation of managers in Kazakhstan and abroad”.

Zhanna Kapenova gave birth to a child a week before the PAE conference. However, this did not stop her from taking part in the defense of the project on which she and the group worked for more than a year: “I want to thank all our classmates for their support. Many worried about us more than we ourselves did”.

Kamila Sharypkhanova, MPP 2nd year student stressed: “The Master’s PAE defense is truly an exciting experience. All MPP students have been waiting for that day! Finally, we did it! We are grateful for the valuable feedback and recommendations to improve our final papers”. 

NU GSPP is the only school in Central Asia where the Masters’ programs for Public Policy and Public Administration are fully accredited by the European Association for Public Administration Accreditation (EAPAA).

The School’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the region by training managers and leaders to improve governance through understanding and implementing sound public policy and effective management.