On September 3, 2026, AlmaU hosted an HR Hour dedicated to the development of corporate culture and the launch of new interest-based clubs for employees and students.
Our warmest congratulations to the UMAIA winners!
The meeting began by celebrating sporting achievements. Zhasaral Kurmanbekov (PR and Media Department), Dana Zhaksylykova (Endowment Fund), and Madiyar Makatov (Institute of Education) received prizes and gifts for winning the UMAIA competition!
The unique corporate UMAIA app turns the activity of AlmaU employees into bonuses! Daily activity, walking, and completing health tracks earn Nur, the app’s internal currency.
You can download UMAIA to your smartphone using the following links: 🍏 Download for iOS (App Store) 🤖 Download for Android.
After setting up your profile, open the “Umaia” tab and select AlmaU under “Change company/community.” This will allow you to join the team ranking, collect Nur, and receive prizes!
However, this is not the only opportunity for AlmaU employees to receive gifts! The HR Department invites all colleagues to take part in the Almaty Marathon in the “Nordic Walking” category. Each participant can prepare for the race at the AlmaU Sports Complex. The complex’s head, professional coach Regina Iskanderova-Abdrakhman, will do her best to lead the team to victory! One shared start – one shared success!
Let’s achieve victories together with the AlmaU Chess Club!
On September 5-6, 2026, Almaty Management University (ALMAU) will host a city chess tournament with an opportunity to fulfill the requirements for the 2nd category, 1st category, and Candidate Master of Sport (CMS)!
The tournament format includes 9 rounds under the Swiss system, FIDE rating calculation, and a time control of 15 minutes + 10 seconds for each move, in accordance with FIDE rules.
During the AlmaU HR Hour, the club’s head, Evgeny Pak, announced that registration would remain open until September 4, 2026. Don’t miss your chance to win!
By the way, AlmaU has not one, but two chess clubs! The chess club operating permanently at AlmaU Open Library holds educational and engaging meetings with chess players. Our university library is an open space where anyone can play a game with a professional, ask an expert any questions, and simply spend their time meaningfully.
Engaging talks and discussions take place here every weekend. Residents of Almaty come together in the coworking space to exchange ideas and opinions. AlmaU Open Library also regularly hosts book club and film club meetings, MS Office courses, coaching sessions, new book presentations, transformational games, and dialogues with interesting people – our fellow citizens.
Yulia Kolchina, Director of AlmaU Library
Users of AlmaU Open Library can watch films individually or in groups in Kazakh, Russian, and English and enjoy communicating while discussing what they have watched and read over a cup of tea.
As part of the rapidly developing “Silver University” initiative, AlmaU Open Library offers digital literacy courses for senior citizens.
Older people need comprehensive care and support. The University Sports Complex offers yoga and aikune classes for senior participants. The AlmaU HR Department is currently working on expanding this initiative. We hope it will continue to grow and that wellness programs will soon be available to the parents of our employees as well. The health of our loved ones is our greatest value!
Our values are: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Integrity/Honesty, Sustainable Development, and Responsibility. We are pleased that AlmaU’s vision is shared and supported by all University employees.
During the HR Hour, we were happy to introduce our colleague, international faculty member Yusuf Kılıç. He works under an international program between Kazakhstan and Türkiye. Yusuf Kılıç attended the event with his family. Welcome to AlmaU!
AlmaU Infrastructure and Resources
The meeting also focused on the University’s spaces and available resources. Zaituna Sarsembayeva, Director of the Infrastructure Management Department, spoke about the University’s key platforms and facilities that create a comfortable environment for work and study.
AlmaU Sport & Art Zone is a sports complex covering more than 1,700 square meters. The complex offers areas for football, martial arts, table tennis, and a gym, as well as yoga, aikune, and Nordic walking activities.
As part of sports management, sections for children and adults have been launched, including judo, the children’s “Football Factory,” kendo, and the AlmaU Football School.
Spacious, bright classrooms, conference rooms, assembly halls, and event spaces allow us not only to work comfortably but also to spend our leisure time within the walls of our beloved University.
Every month, the AlmaU Mountain Club holds a film screening in room A600. Everyone who dreams of conquering mountain peaks is invited to join the film club led by Gulmira Mukhanova, a professional instructor who has climbed world-famous mountain peaks.
On weekends, members of the Mountain Club spend time outdoors. We hope that soon, during Sunday walks in the mountains and foothills around Almaty, we will also be having conversations in English, as the English Club will soon begin operating for AlmaU employees.
Dana Zhaksylykova, Head of the Endowment Fund, presented the language club during the HR Hour. English Club is a space for free English practice without language barriers, judgment, or “red pens.” Applications are already being accepted by the Organizational Development Department.
The HR Hour once again confirmed that AlmaU is not only a place for work and study, but also a space for personal development, sports, communication, and mutual support!
We are happy to welcome our colleagues, congratulate them on the beginning of the academic year, and wish everyone to enjoy their work!