Graduate School of Public Policy
Graduate School of Public Policy
Ru
Kz
Graduate School of Public Policy
Graduate School of Public Policy
En
Kz
Graduate School of Public Policy
Graduate School of Public Policy
En
Ru
Advisory Board
Role of GSPP Advisory Board

The Advisory Board plays an important role in the governance and strategic development of the School. Its primary objectives include offering strategic guidance, conducting thorough reviews, and serving as advocates to advance the School's mission and vision. By leveraging their expertise and networks, Advisory Board members ensure that the School remains responsive to emerging trends, adheres to best practices, and sustains its commitment to excellence in education and research.

The Advisory Board's functions include advising the School on its mission and strategy in the following ways:
1. Guiding the strategic planning process by identifying short- and long-term goals to promote the School and enhance its reputation.
2. Fostering collaborations and engagement between the School and key stakeholders in the public sector, the community, and global partnerships.
3. Identifying opportunities for students to interact with public, private, and nonprofit organizations through internships, mentoring, and experiential learning.
4. Supporting the School in its student recruitment and job placement efforts across various programs
5. Identifying emerging trends to provide feedback and professional expertise on quality improvements and the development of programs offered by the School.
6. Advising and supporting the School in outreach, financial sustainability, and fundraising efforts.

NU GSPP Advisory Board Meeting – Driving Strategic Excellence in Public Policy Education

We are pleased to share that the Graduate School of Public Policy (GSPP) Nazarbayev University held its 2nd Advisory Board Meeting on April 10, 2025. Established in August 2024, the GSPP Advisory Board plays a vital role in shaping the School’s strategic direction and enhancing its impact in education, research, and public service. The Board provides valuable guidance, supports innovation, and champions GSPP’s mission to remain at the forefront of global public policy trends. At the recent meeting, we had the pleasure of:
  • welcoming our new Advisory Board members;
  • sharing recent GSPP initiatives and NU developments;
  • engaging in insightful discussions to guide the School’s advancement and address emerging challenges.

We are proud to introduce our 2025 Advisory Board Members:

  • Yerkin Tukumov

    Chair of the Advisory Board, Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
    Yerkin Tukumov is the Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a position he has held since January 2022. A seasoned diplomat and political analyst, he graduated from Warsaw University (Poland) with a degree in international relations and holds the academic title of Candidate of Political Sciences. He also earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School (USA, 2016).
    Yerkin Tukumov has built a distinguished career in public service and diplomacy. His previous roles include Minister-Counselor at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Russia, Consul General in Kazan, and Head of the Analytical Department of the Security Council of Kazakhstan. He also served as Deputy Director of the Central Asia Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held key positions in the Presidential Administration related to strategic analysis and development.
    Earlier in his career, Mr. Tukumov worked with KazISS as Head of the Foreign Policy Research Department and Senior Research Fellow, contributing to the country's strategic thinking and foreign policy analysis. From 2005 to 2007, he was involved with the Central Asian Fund for the Development of Democracy.
    He holds the diplomatic rank of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Envoy of the II class and has represented Harvard University in Kazakhstan since June 2022. Mr. Tukumov is fluent in Kazakh, Russian, English, and Polish.
  • Andrei Mikhnev
    Vice-Chair of the Advisory Board, World Bank Country Manager for Kazakhstan
    Andrei Mikhnev has been the World Bank’s Country Manager for Kazakhstan since February 1, 2023. Dr. Mikhnev is leading the World Bank policy dialogue with counterparts in Kazakhstan, managing the country program and the team based in Astana.
    Dr. Mikhnev has more than twenty years of international experience focusing on economic development. Most recently, he has led the World Bank Country Office Mongolia. And prior to that he led programs in Middle East and the Gulf countries aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and private-sector led growth in that region. During his career he has been working on economic reforms in many countries in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Europe and Central Asia.
    Dr. Mikhnev holds a Ph.D. degree in international economics from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine.
    Dr. Mikhnev, a Ukrainian national, is married and has a son. He speaks English, Ukrainian and Russian fluently and is conversant in Spanish.

  • Meirzhan Yussupov

    Advisory Board Member, Chief Executive Officer of Kazatomprom
    Meirzhan Yussupov is the Chief Executive Officer of NAC Kazatomprom JSC, appointed on October 2, 2023. He brings over two decades of leadership experience across the public, quasi-governmental, and private sectors, with a strong background in finance, investment, and economic development.
    Mr. Yussupov holds a degree in Economics and Management from Middle East Technical University (2001), a master’s degree in Economic Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2007), and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University (2015).
    He began his career in 2001 at the Turkuaz Group of Companies and went on to hold key roles at Demir Kazakhstan Bank and the Samruk-Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund. He also served as Deputy Director for Investment Policy at the Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning of Kazakhstan.
    Mr. Yussupov joined Kazatomprom in 2010 as Director of Corporate Finance and Treasury, later becoming Chief Financial Officer in 2015. From 2020 to 2021, he served as Vice Minister of National Economy, and from 2021 to 2023, as CEO of NC Kazakh Invest JSC.
  • Rashed Mustafa Sarwar
    Advisory Board Member, UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan
    Rashed Mustafa Sarwar is the UNICEF Representative to Kazakhstan. With over 25 years of experience within the UN system—including 18 years with UNICEF—Dr. Sarwar has served in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
    Before his current assignment in Kazakhstan, he led UNICEF’s Refugee Response operation in Poland for two years. From 2020 to 2022, he served as the UNICEF Representative to Malaysia and Special Representative to Brunei Darussalam. Prior to that, he was the UNICEF Representative to the Republic of Belarus (2015–2020) and Deputy Representative to Azerbaijan. Earlier in his career, Dr. Sarwar served as Chief of the UNICEF Office for the North Caucasus, where he oversaw programs across five Russian federal subjects: Dagestan, Chechnya, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, and Kabardino-Balkaria.
    Throughout these roles, Dr. Sarwar has provided strategic leadership and oversight for UNICEF’s country programs—developing priority strategies, ensuring compliance and performance standards, and fostering partnerships with governments, civil society, international organizations, and the private sector.
    A national of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dr. Sarwar holds an advanced medical degree and is fluent in Bangla, English, and Russian. He is married and has two children.

  • Naim Kapucu

    Advisory Board Member, Professor & Associate Dean at University of Central Florida
    Naim Kapucu is Pegasus Professor of Public Administration and Policy and an Associate Dean, Interim, Research and Innovation, College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
    Dr. Kapucu also holds joint faculty appointments at UCF’s School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, and the Center for Resilient, Intelligent, and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES).
    An internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Kapucu’s research focuses on emergency and crisis management, collaborative governance, network leadership, and decision-making in complex environments. He has authored and edited ten books and numerous peer-reviewed publications in public administration and policy, crisis leadership, and disaster resilience. He serves on the editorial boards of more than 20 academic journals in his field.
    Dr. Kapucu is a recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the Pegasus Professor Award—UCF’s highest faculty honor—and the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Applied Public Policy (2021). He is also an elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and has secured significant research funding from organizations such as the NSF, USDA, HHS, and the U.S. Department of Education.
    He holds a Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master’s in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to joining UCF in 2003, he taught at several institutions including the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University.
  • Yuri Fenopetov
    Advisory Board Member, Acting Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana
    Yuri Fenopetov is the Acting Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana as of March 2025. In September 2022, he joined the OSCE Programme Office in Astana as its Deputy Head. Before this assignment, he served as Senior Political Adviser to the Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from 2018 to 2022. He is from and seconded by Austria.
    From 2016 to 2018, he served in the Austrian Foreign Ministry, in various functions, including as a Desk Officer covering the Council of Europe, as well as in the OSCE Department, where he covered Central Asia and OSCE election observation activities. During Austria’s 2017 OSCE Chairpersonship, he served in the Austrian Permanent Mission to the OSCE, where his primary functions included advising the Head of Mission on political issues related to the Central Asian region.
    Previously, Mr. Fenopetov worked in various functions for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Information Services, the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre (Central Asia Desk), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the Central Asia Drug Action Programme (European Commission). He holds a Master’s Degree from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, also completing its Diploma Programme, where he specialized in international relations, international law, and history, and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Webster University Vienna. He is fluent in English, German, and Russian, and has proficiency in French.
  • Talgat Chinikeyev
    Advisory Board Member, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Singapore in Kazakhstan
    Talgat Chinikeyev is a Kazakhstani entrepreneur, public figure, and current Honorary Consul of the Republic of Singapore in Kazakhstan. He brings over two decades of leadership experience in investment, international business development, and public-private initiatives.
    Mr. Chinikeyev holds a diverse academic background across economics, management, public administration, engineering, and international relations. He is currently pursuing a PhD in International Relations at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. He earned an MBA from Nanyang Business School (Singapore) through a fellowship program conducted in collaboration with MIT Sloan and Wharton School of Business, with a focus on strategic planning and corporate finance. He also studied Public and Municipal Administration at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, holds a degree in Economics and Management from Kazakh Economic University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Radio Communication, Broadcasting, and Television from the Almaty Institute of Power Engineering.
    He is the founder of QSANDYQ, a platform for preserving and promoting Kazakh musical heritage, as well as investment firms Prosperous Invest and Property Invest. His previous leadership roles include Chairman of KazMedTech JSC and executive positions at KMG Trading Singapore and Interexim Private Limited. He currently serves as General Partner for Business Development at DKG-Development in Greece.
    Fluent in Kazakh, Russian, and English, Mr. Chinikeyev is passionate about traditional music and plays the dombyra, in addition to being an avid supporter of sports and cultural initiatives.
  • Alikhan Baimenov
    Advisory Board Member, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Astana Civil Service Hub
    Alikhan Baimenov is the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Astana Civil Service Hub.
    He is a distinguished public figure, who has held leading public posts in the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In his political career has served as the Head of the Executive Office of the President, Head of the Office of the Prime Minister, Chairman of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs, Minister of Labour and Social Protection and as a member of the Parliament of Kazakhstan. Dr. Baimenov headed two stages of civil service reforms. In the result, the first “Law on Civil Service” and the competition-based recruitment of civil servants were implemented. In addition to other initiatives, it included introduction of Senior Executive Service – Corps “A” and professionalization of HR departments.
    Under his leadership, for the first time among the CIS countries, the concept of three-level model of social protection and model of implementation of social insurance were developed in Kazakhstan. Dr. Baimenov is the author of the series of publications on issues on social protection, public management and civil service, as well as political and party building.
  • Altair Akhmetov
    Advisory Board Member, Coordinator at the MIND Analytical Center at MNU
    Altair Akhmetov is the Coordinator at the MIND Analytical Center at MNU. He is an accomplished public administration expert with over two decades of experience in government, policy development, and institutional reform. He currently serves as Coordinator at the MIND Analytical Center at Maxut Narikbayev University, where he leads research and analysis initiatives in governance and policymaking.
    Dr. Akhmetov previously held several high-level positions within the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan, including Head of the Department of Public Administration and Rector of the Academy of Public Administration. He played a central role in the development and implementation of key national reforms, such as the “Public Administration Development Concept 2030,” the decentralization of government functions, and the introduction of proactive digital governance through the “Invisible Government” initiative.
    His expertise spans strategic planning, legislative reform, public service optimization, and international collaboration. He has worked closely with organizations such as the World Bank to modernize Kazakhstan’s civil service and wage policies.
    Dr. Akhmetov holds a PhD in Law, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Birmingham (UK), and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the Kazakh State Law Academy. He is fluent in Kazakh, Russian, and English, and has been recognized with several national awards, including the Presidential Gratitude of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
  • Tilektes Adambekov
    Advisory Board Member, Deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan
    Tilektes Adambekov is a Member of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan (VIII convocation) and serves on the Committee on Economic Reform and Regional Development. He represents a new generation of public officials with a background in public policy, technology, and investment.
    He holds a degree in telecommunications from Tongji University in Shanghai, China (Bolashak Scholar), and a Master of Public Administration from the Graduate School of Public Policy at Nazarbayev University.
    Mr. Adambekov has worked on various national and international projects focused on economic development, innovation, and attracting investment. He previously held roles such as CEO of the Kazakhstan-China Silk Road Center, Managing Director for Investments at Astana Innovations, Deputy CEO at Astana Invest, and Executive Director for IT Infrastructure at Kazpost. From 2018 to 2020, he led Eurasia Blockchain Fintech Group Limited.
    He was a finalist of the Presidential Youth Personnel Reserve in 2019. From 2021 to 2023, he also served as a Member of Parliament on the Committee on International Affairs, Defense, and Security.
    He speaks Kazakh, Russian, English, and Chinese.
  • Weng Tat Hui
    Advisory Board Member, Dean of NU GSPP (Ex-officio)
    Weng Tat Hui is the Dean of the NU Graduate School of Public Policy. He specializes in the impact of globalization on labor markets, economic issues of migration, education, ageing and retirement, and labor market policies in Singapore. Dr. Hui has also taught at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and in the Department of Economics at the National University of Singapore before joining the Graduate School of Public Policy in 2015. He has acted as a consultant to the Ministry of Manpower, the International Labor Organization, UNCTAD and was the Associate Research Fellow of the then Singapore Institute of Labor Studies from 1991-1994. He has held various appointments which include Deputy Director of the Public Policy Program (1997 – 1998), Deputy and Acting Head of the Department of Economics (1998 – 2000), Vice Dean (Research & Graduate Studies) of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (2000 – 2003) and founding Vice Dean (Academic Affairs) of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (2004 – 2008) at the National University of Singapore.