Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Almaty Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary!

The Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Almaty has turned 10 years old. To mark the milestone, a grand celebratory concert was held, featuring an exhibition of the best student projects, robotics, and innovative technologies, along with a presentation of the schoo

Currently, the school educates over a thousand students. It boasts 75 classrooms, including spaces for mathematics, STEM, technical modeling, nanobiotechnology, robotics, physics, chemistry, and biology, as well as rooms for individual lessons and psychological relaxation. Students also have access to the TWIG online platform, which offers 1,500 educational videos on biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics in Kazakh, Russian, and English.

The teaching staff includes experts, moderators, teachers, and trainees, with highly qualified specialists among them, including holders of master’s and doctoral degrees, candidates of science, and graduates of international programs and leading educational institutions. In 2018, the school received accreditation from the Council of International Schools (CIS) and successfully passed national accreditation in 2019. The school’s average IELTS score is an impressive 7.2.

"An anniversary is not just a reason to celebrate; it’s an opportunity to reflect on the journey so far and chart new horizons for growth. Every year, the school reaffirms its status as a leading educational institution, inspiring youth to pursue knowledge and achieve global excellence," noted the school’s director, Yermek Paizov.

As part of the “Capacity Development of Anchor Schools in Rural Areas” project, three rural schools have been assigned to NIS Almaty. Since the beginning of the 2023–2024 academic year, the school has hosted internships for teachers and librarians. Additionally, off-site seminars have been conducted for subject teachers and psychologists from anchor schools, focusing on subject knowledge, research skills, and functional literacy.

From 2015 to 2022, the school earned the title of “Best Olympiad School in Science and Mathematics” in Kazakhstan. Over the past 10 years, its students have won approximately 800 prizes in national and international Olympiads.

To date, 1,304 students have graduated from NIS Almaty. Nine alumni are studying at Harvard, MIT, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, and Williams College. A total of 409 graduates are pursuing higher education in the USA, UK, Hungary, Italy, Canada, South Korea, the UAE, and France. Meanwhile, 295 graduates have enrolled at Nazarbayev University, and 440 are studying at other leading universities in Kazakhstan.

The school also hosts an annual intellectual tournament in memory of its talented student Akhazar Kazhymurat. This year, thanks to a partnership with the “Almaty Daryny” center, the event was officially recognized as an Olympiad. The school emphasizes the development of students’ personal qualities, leadership skills, and creativity, with over 20 organizations dedicated to sports and the arts operating on campus.

Notably, the NIS Almaty robotics team is a three-time world champion. The team claimed gold at the First Global Challenge in Geneva in 2022, Singapore in 2023, and Athens in 2024, outshining competitors from 190 countries.

The “Aenoica” project, developed by NIS Almaty students, won an international NASA competition for young rocket scientists. The students designed a station capable of housing 300,000 people and a life support system using quantum communications and advanced agricultural technology.

Student Symbat Barsagazy completed a two-week internship at NASA through the United Space School program in Houston. During the program, she collaborated with a team to design a manned mission to Mars.