Students from the Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Semey achieved outstanding results at the national “El Umiti Cup 2026” debate tournament, demonstrating a high level of preparation and securing top positions in both the Kazakh- and English-language leagues.

This year, the tournament brought together around 200 leading debaters from 20 regions of Kazakhstan. Participants competed in the Kazakh- and English-language leagues, showcasing their argumentation, critical thinking and public speaking skills.

The Semey students’ journey to the national stage began with an online qualifying round held on August 15–16. Following the selection process, nine students who achieved high scores earned places in the tournament. The final stage took place in Astana on October 24–25.

At the end of the competition, 11th-grade student Aruzhan Muzdybay secured third place in the English-language league, ranking among the tournament’s top three participants. She also placed second in the overall individual speaker rankings. Another student, Aizhan Akylbekova, from Grade 12, reached the final stage of the English-language league. In the Kazakh-language league, 11th-grade student Alemger Asetuly was named among the top ten speakers.

The English-language league offers particularly promising opportunities for its top performers. The ten highest-ranked speakers will undergo several months of specialised training under the guidance of professional coaches. At the end of this programme, three participants will be selected for the national team and will have the opportunity to represent Kazakhstan at the 2027 World Championship in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The students were coached by their team mentor, Daniyar Kemeshev.