Kazakh Youths Proud Of Country's Development

By Norsyafawati Ab Wahab ASTANA (Kazakhstan), March 17 (Bernama) -- Scholars say that a nation's future is in the hands of its youths. Therefore, measuring and evaluating the lifestyle and mindset of the younger generation can be used to chart the future direction of a country. Kazakhstan that gained independence on Dec 16, 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, though considered a newbie compared with many other countries, has seen tremendous achievements in terms of development. A short two-day trip to Astana, Kazakhstan at end of February gave this writer an insight on the development and progress achieved by the country within 25 years, something out of the ordinary. ASPIRATION OF KAZAKH YOUTHS During her stay, the writer got acquainted with 28-year-old Dawuren Murzabekov, who was her interpreter when she covered the EXPO 2017 Second International Participants meeting in Astana, to find out the aspirations of local youths on national development. According to Dawuren, Kazakhstan, especially Astana, has undergone a lot of changes in 20 years during the administration of President Nursultan Nazarbayev since 1989. The new administrative centre of Astana replaced Almaty since 1997 and is now surrounded by development projects as well as grand, modern and luxurious buildings. "Nazarbayev is sharp and a great thinker. He is one of the best leaders the people of Kazakhstan has ever had," he said beaming. The holder of a PhD in social studies from the University of Pittsburgh, United States, is confident that the aspirations of leaders have motivated youths to succeed and work together to further develop their country. "Nazarbayev also provided incentives to youths who excelled academically to continue their studies abroad and return to serve their country," he continued. In fact, Dawuren himself used to work for an international company Procter & Gamble and is now giving back by working at Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. WOMEN AND GENDER EQUALITY During a visit to the construction site of the pavilion for the EXPO 2017 to be held for three months starting June 2017, the writer met its architect Zaure Aitayeva, 33. As manager of EXPO 2017, she is one of the locals contributing to the mega project on 25 hectares of land. The project also involves 49 other foreign companies. "Kazakhstan is experiencing a boom now and we are happy that our expertise is being used for massive projects like this," she said. Zaure, a graduate in architecture from a local university, was grateful to the country for giving women the opportunity to play a part in high impact projects. "In fact, there are almost equal number of women and men in our team," she claimed. RESPECTED BY YOUTHS In Astana, the writer was taken to the Library of the President which was specially built to accommodate books, speeches, photos and collections of gifts Nazarbayev received from foreign leaders and personalities. According to the explanation given, the leader also put his own artistic touch to Kazakhstan's national anthem, My Kazakhstan. Though Nazarbayev has come under some criticism by some quarters on his prolonged rule of the country, Murzabekov said he felt it was not a problem if the leader brought positive changes to the people. "They criticise, but they do not offer options or plans that are as good as Nazarbayev's. This is why the majority of the people are comfortable with what they have got," he added. HOPE FOR THE FUTURE "But what he has done so far is much appreciated by the people of Kazakhstan, which includes attracting foreign investors here," he said. In spite of that, improvements were necessary to boost relationships in terms of transport between regions in the world's ninth largest country, especially in rural areas. "This will directly help the people get a feel of the development planned by the government," he said while also commending policies under the leadership which provides free education to citizens pursuing technical and vocational fields. Moreover, it is undeniable that Nazarbayev who is an engineer, has successfully designed a new Kazakhstan which is now known to the world. This includes organising the upcoming EXPO 2017. Themed Power of the Future, the international expo has confirmed participation from 70 countries and organisations so far, including Malaysia. The government of Kazakhstan is confident that participation will exceed 100 countries and organisations by next year. --BERNAMA