Professor Bakhyt Yessekina Appointed to the University of Central Asia’s Board of Trustees

The University of Central Asia (UCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Bakhyt Yessekina to its Board of Trustees. She joins the Board as the nominee of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, appointed by Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education.

Professor Yessekina is an internationally recognised expert in public administration, sustainable development, and climate policy. Since 2013, she has served as CEO and Director of the “Green Academy” Scientific Education Centre in Astana. With more than two decades of experience, she has led numerous national and international initiatives addressing the green economy, climate change, and environmental sustainability.

Her distinguished career includes serving as Rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Kazakhstan, the first Director of the High Party School under the Presidential Party, and Member of the Green Economy Council under the President. She has also served as an Advisor to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and is currently a Member of the Public Council under the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms under the President of Kazakhstan.

Alongside her policy work, Professor Yessekina maintains an active academic profile. She has authored more than 180 publications, including four monographs on sustainable development and the decarbonisation of the extractive industries. She currently supervises eight PhD candidates in the fields of public administration, economics, and environmental policy.

Over the past year, Professor Yessekina has actively engaged with UCA through its support for Kazakhstan’s climate and net zero priorities. This has included co-organising a workshop in Tekeli, participating in a panel session at the Astana International Forum 2025, and contributing to UCA’s planned engagement at COP 29.

Professor Yessekina attended UCA’s Convocation ceremony on 21 June in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, celebrating the graduation of the University’s fifth cohort of undergraduate students. Ceremonies were held simultaneously at UCA’s residential campuses in Naryn and Khorog, Tajikistan. Sixty-five graduates from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, as well as from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Russia, received degrees in Computer Science, Communications and Media, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Global Economics. Later that day, she participated in her first meeting of the Board of Trustees, chaired by Dr Shamsh Kassim-Lakha and attended in person by several Trustees.

UCA warmly welcomes Professor Yessekina to the Board and looks forward to her contributions as the University deepens its engagement in sustainable development across the region.