Faculty of Social Sciences: international summer environmental school opened

The international summer school opened in the online (2.06.2020. – 18.06.2020) format at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the L.N Gumilyov Eurasian National University. Jointly with the Department of social pedagogy and self knowledge the event are co-organized by the UN development Program (UNDP) in Kazakhstan, the Public Council of the Basic organization for environmental education of the CIS countries, and the UNESCO Network chair of the Institute for development strategy of the Russian Academy of Education.

Dean of the faculty of social Sciences of the L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian national University B. B. Kashkynbay addressed the participants of the international online platform with a welcome speech. He noted that the summer school is a free space where scientists, teachers, students, and schoolchildren can freely communicate, share their research, and present scientific projects. It is extremely important for the development of academic and cultural relations. He also thanked the organizers-volunteers of the faculty of social Sciences, speakers and listeners from different countries for their interest in holding this event at our University. Also with welcome speech at the opening of the summer school made Head of the Department of Social Pedagogy and Self-Knowledge T.S. Slambekova, Director of the Sakharov International state ecological Institute of the Belarusian state University, Chairman of the public Council of the basic organization for environmental education of the CIS countries Maskevich S. A. and Professor of the Department of social pedagogy Dlimbetova G. K.  They noted that this event, as a summer environmental school, is extremely important for the development of youth competence in environmental education, and is also a source of new environmental ideas and their practical implementation.

The first day of the school started with a master class by the coordinator of UNDP in Kazakhstan, doctor of philosophy PhD A. Beliy. He touched upon the problems of low-carbon development in the process of establishment of a "green" University.  “Green University is a university with a low carbon footprint. In Kazakhstan, this concept is gradually finding its place, there is a growing understanding of the importance of low-carbon development of the country," the representative of UNDP in Kazakhstan said in his speech.

Then continued the professor of the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation A.V. Gagarin. The audience was presented an interactive webinar "Personality-Nature-Society".

The second day of the International School's work was continued by the speech of the Chairman of the Board of the Association of Practicing Ecologists of the Republic of Kazakhstan L. Malikova, which described the role of training for the Kazakhstan labor market, the development trends of this issue taking into account the new Environmental Code.

This was followed by a presentation by the Senior Technical Advisor of UNDP in the Republic of Kazakhstan F. Ibrogimov. The audience was presented a Master class: “Climate box: an innovative guide for exploring the topic“ Climate Change (Republic of Kazakhstan) ”.

Abrahаm Althonayan is British scientist from the United Kingdom, Director of Executive development, a teacher of the Department of strategic management at the business school of London Brunel University joined to the work of the International Summer School. Speaker delivered an interactive lecture «The Strategic Role of Technology in the improvement and Protection of Ecology and Environmental Education». Professor told students about technologies for environmental sustainability of universities. According to the English scientist, e-learning is one of the most important ways of greening the university.

The second day of the summer school ended with a speech by Asel Kuspanova, an eco-activist, volunteer and founder of the Ecoclub Sparta Astana eco-movement. This presentation was held in the form of a master class “Eco Lifestyle and Conscious Consumption”.

In the first week of the summer school, an average of about 140 students took part. This training format was accepted with great interest by the audience, who actively answered questions online and shared feedback with the speakers.

International summer school on the theme "Greening the activities of educational organizations" is dedicated to the year of volunteers of the Republic of Kazakhstan and it is carried out in the scientific project "Ecologization of the University education system as an innovative approach to the modernization of students 'spiritual consciousness" of the Department of social pedagogy and self-knowledge of the L. N. Gumilyov ENU (head of the PhD, Professor G. K. Dlimbetova).