On June 12, 2025, as part of the project – "Bridging Environmental Concerns, Societal Needs, and Good Governance in Central Asian Education and Employment Sectors"/ ESGCA...

On June 12, 2025, as part of the project – "Bridging Environmental Concerns, Societal Needs, and Good Governance in Central Asian Education and Employment Sectors"/ ESGCA, a seminar on ESG issues was held for bank employees and representatives of the business sector.

The seminar was opened by members of the project working group: Acting Vice-Rector for Internationalization and Infrastructure Development, Kurmanbayeva A.S., and local project coordinator Utegenova Zh.S., Head of the Department of Business and Services. They welcomed the participants, outlined the objectives of the event, and highlighted the importance of integrating environmental and social responsibility principles, as well as corporate governance, into the operations of the banking and business sectors in Central Asia.

As part of the main section of the seminar, members of the project working group — Kurmanbayeva A.S., Utegenova Zh.S., Belgibayeva A.S., Bayazitova Z.E., and Baikenova G.E. — delivered reports and presentations on the following topics: a brief overview of the activities of the Center for International Project Management; the goals and expected outcomes of the ESGCA project; the development and implementation of an ESG strategy in a commercial bank; and the design of a master’s degree program aligned with ESG standards.

Following the presentations, a discussion session took place, during which participants exchanged practical experiences in implementing ESG standards across various organizations, identified existing barriers, and proposed ways to overcome them.

During the seminar, a survey was also conducted among participants on the following topics: “Assessment of ESG Practice Maturity in Business Companies” and “Development of ESG Strategies in the Banking Sector.” The purpose of the survey was to identify the key competencies required of an ESG specialist. The collected data will be used in the development of a master’s degree program aimed at training qualified professionals in sustainable development and ESG implementation.

Following the event, the outcomes of the discussions were summarized. The organizers highlighted the high level of participant engagement and interest, expressed their gratitude to all attendees, and emphasized the importance of further developing cooperation within the ESGCA project to enhance ESG practices across Central Asian countries.