On February 1, 2025, the School of Sciences and Humanities (SSH) at NU proudly participated in the Jastar Forum, which is a gathering of young academic talents, held at Spectrum International School in Astana. Organized in collaboration with AWSD, non-profit student union, the forum brought together bright minds from across Kazakhstan for an educational fair and a highly competitive project competition.
The event saw an impressive turnout, with 715 registrations, 32 speakers, and 353 project applications submitted by aspiring young innovators. After the selection process, 45 projects advanced to the finals, showcasing their ideas across three categories:
- Startup Projects
- Social Projects
- STEM Projects
NU SSH professors played an important role in the forum, serving as judges for the competition. The panel included:
Jenni Lehtinen (LLL), Ferdinand Molnar (Biology) judging Startup projects;
Alejandro Melo Ponce (Economics), Maja Savevska (PSIR) judging Social Projects;
Roza Oztopcu (Chemistry), and Daniele Malafarina (Physics) judging STEM projects.
Their expertise and dedication were instrumental in evaluating the projects and selecting three winners in each category, highlighting the exceptional talent and creativity of Kazakhstan’s youth.
The event saw an impressive turnout, with 715 registrations, 32 speakers, and 353 project applications submitted by aspiring young innovators. After the selection process, 45 projects advanced to the finals, showcasing their ideas across three categories:
- Startup Projects
- Social Projects
- STEM Projects
NU SSH professors played an important role in the forum, serving as judges for the competition. The panel included:
Jenni Lehtinen (LLL), Ferdinand Molnar (Biology) judging Startup projects;
Alejandro Melo Ponce (Economics), Maja Savevska (PSIR) judging Social Projects;
Roza Oztopcu (Chemistry), and Daniele Malafarina (Physics) judging STEM projects.
Their expertise and dedication were instrumental in evaluating the projects and selecting three winners in each category, highlighting the exceptional talent and creativity of Kazakhstan’s youth.


The forum, which spanned six hours, was a vibrant platform for knowledge exchange and innovation. Participants from eight cities across Kazakhstan came together to share their ideas, network, and inspire one another. The event underscored the rapid growth of scientific and entrepreneurial movements among the country’s youth, a trend that NU SSH is proud to support and encourage.
The winners in each category are:
Startup
Social
STEM
Reflecting on the event, the School of Sciences and Humanities expresses its gratitude to AWSD and Spectrum International School for organizing such an impactful and well-coordinated forum. The school also reiterated its commitment to fostering academic excellence and innovation, both within and beyond the university.
Stay tuned for more updates on our participation in future events!
The winners in each category are:
Startup
- Big Macs
- Qairym
- MEZU
Social
- EverSafe
- Cherry Tiggo
- Steppe sisters
STEM
- SafeEye
- SafeSan
- PolyGraph
Reflecting on the event, the School of Sciences and Humanities expresses its gratitude to AWSD and Spectrum International School for organizing such an impactful and well-coordinated forum. The school also reiterated its commitment to fostering academic excellence and innovation, both within and beyond the university.
Stay tuned for more updates on our participation in future events!