ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated the Bolashak international scholarship program graduates on the program’s 30th anniversary in a welcoming address at the jubilee forum on Dec. 8 in Astana, reported the Akorda press service.
Tokayev highlighted that thousands of the program’s graduates are working for the benefit of Kazakhstan, acting as agents of positive change in many areas. This comes at a time when Kazakhstan is in a period when it needs to make a powerful breakthrough in its development, he added.
“We are setting ambitious goals for restructuring of the economy, modernization of the political system, and building a truly fair and inclusive society. Investments in education and the creation of ample opportunities for self-realization of citizens are of particular importance,” he said in the address.
Tokayev assured that the country will continue to provide support to talented and hardworking youth who embody the ideals of ‘adal azamat’, which means ‘honest citizen’ in the Kazakh language.
“I am confident that graduates of the Bolashak program and all young professionals in the country will contribute to the large-scale and comprehensive transformation of Kazakhstan,” he said.
The Bolashak program was established on Nov. 5, 1993, enabling more than 12,000 young people to study abroad over three decades. The scholarship covers all expenses from tuition fees to accommodation and air travel.