On May 19, AlmaU officially launched the international educational program HDSE Leadership Intensive – a large-scale leadership intensive designed for students, young researchers, and aspiring entrepreneurs from Central Asia. The program is held in partnership with Lehigh University.
Opening remarks were delivered by AlmaU Rector Timur Buldybayev, Vice Provost for Creative Inquiry at Lehigh University Khanjan Mehta, and Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Consulate General Almaty Heera Kamboj.
As part of the opening ceremony, AlmaU Vice-Rector for Global Partnerships Sholpan Tazabek delivered a presentation about the university and the development of the partnership between AlmaU and Lehigh University, highlighting AlmaU’s international initiatives, academic collaboration, and joint educational projects.
The program is taking place at Almaty Management University from May 19 to May 29, 2026. It brings together talented, proactive, and socially driven young people from across the region to collaboratively address today’s pressing social and environmental challenges.
The program is implemented in two cohorts:
• Cohort 1 – May 19-23, 2026
• Cohort 2 – May 25-29, 2026
Each cohort includes five full days of intensive practical work from 08:30 AM to 06:00 PM, along with evening team activities, workshops, mentoring sessions, and project-based collaboration.
HDSE Leadership Intensive fosters an interdisciplinary international community of young leaders, researchers, and social entrepreneurs. Throughout the program, participants work on developing innovative and sustainable solutions in healthcare, education, food and water-energy security, environmental sustainability, and climate change.
A key feature of the program is its practice-oriented learning format that combines leadership, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and international collaboration. Participants are guided by Fellows of the Creative Inquiry-Iacocca Institute Sustainable Futures Fellows program – young social innovators and student entrepreneurs with international experience.
The program also involves experts, faculty members, business representatives, NGOs, and academic community members from Kazakhstan, the United States, and other countries who serve as mentors and advisors to project teams.
At the end of the program, participants will present their own social initiative and startup projects aimed at addressing pressing societal issues. The best teams will have the opportunity to receive seed funding and further expert mentorship to implement their initiatives.
Participation in the program is free of charge. All participants who successfully complete the program will receive official certificates from Lehigh University and AlmaU.
HDSE Leadership Intensive is aimed at developing a new generation of change leaders capable of creating sustainable solutions, uniting communities, and making a long-term positive impact on the development of Central Asia.