In 2010, by the initiative of the President of KIMEP, the Executive Education Center launched the Leadership Development Program (LDP). As part of an innovative curriculum redesign, LDP’s focus is on personal leadership awareness and the development of skills.

The Program brings an academic focus to the study of leadership by:

  • providing students with opportunities to learn about leadership frameworks, challenges, skills and development practices;
  • partnering with faculty on research relating to leadership for use by the academic and business communities;
  • assembling recognized leaders and experts to stimulate thinking and identify leadership development needs.

Message From The President

“Since KIMEP was founded in 1992 under the vision of President Nazarbayev, the development of leadership skills has been a top priority. We created the Leadership Development Program to further develop our activities in this area. I am proud of the tremendous success of the LDP.

The program is unique in several respects. It:
– develops extensive international linkages;
– stimulates interdisciplinary research, because significant new ideas, techniques and discoveries often arise at the boundaries between disciplines;
-encourages students who are expected to play an important role in the further development of Kazakhstan, at an early stage in their life.

Dear students, I know that you will be the future leaders of this great country. KIMEP is deeply committed to an education that can best be described as affordable excellence. We have an accessible faculty dedicated to teaching and an educational model that encourages real world experiences. I hope that you enjoy your classes and lectures, but more importantly, I hope the lessons you received as students of the LDP will stay with you for the rest of your life.

I would like to thank all LDP students for their active participation and invaluable contribution to life at KIMEP. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm in organizing this unique program. I am very proud of you. It is you, the students of KIMEP, who will soon become the successful leaders that will drive the further development of Kazakhstan in the future.”

Program Description

Teaching Methodology
Students start by learning theory and business fundamentals in the classroom. Appealing to the best academic practices, KIMEP faculty extensively employs the case study methodology to help students understand the theory in the context of a business problem. Professors encourage debate of ideas and opinions, giving students the chance to benefit from the wealth of experience and perspectives that classmates with diverse backgrounds have to share.

By visiting the weekly LDP lectures, students have the opportunity to meet and discuss the major topics of leadership with top international and Kazakhstani business leaders.

Among LDP speakers, there are top managers from Samruk-Kazyna, the Big 4, the Big 3, P&G, HSBC, Microsoft, Nokia, Toyota, Lamoda, LG, and many other companies. KIMEP alumni from previous years are well-represented among our invited guest speakers, and their career achievements and success stories are very inspiring.

To fulfill the program requirements, students should participate in a business project for a company. With a small team of classmates and a supervisor (typically a senior industry executive), students compete against other teams in a business case development. Thus, the program provides an exclusive opportunity for students to work closely with senior executives from leading organizations and access to connections that frequently lead to internships and jobs.

Upon completion of the courses, a student receives a Certificate in Leadership, which improves future employment prospects, as it demonstrates a commitment to leadership, experiential learning, and the application of best practices.

LDP students represent a new generation of young talent at KIMEP. They are bright, intellectually curious, and seek out new and exciting ideas.

Join us in the Leadership Development Program!

Examples of some projects realized within Leadership Development Program include:
• The ICT Development Index in Kazakhstan: The Focus on Business Environment (supervised by Mr. Guenter Dahm, Country Manager, Microsoft Kazakhstan);
• Innovation Management: A Critical Analysis of the Government Initiatives to Foster Innovation in Kazakhstan (supervised by Mr. Guenter Dahm, Country Manager, Microsoft Kazakhstan);
• Islamic Banking in the Republic of Kazakhstan: The Al Hilal Bank Market Entry Challenges (supervised by Mr. Prasad Abraham, Chairman, Al Hilal Bank Kazakhstan);
• Leadership of the Kazakhstan Banking System in the CIS: Myth or Reality? (supervised by Mr. Mukhtar Mussabetov, Managing Partnet, ICC Business Advisors).

Alexandra Shaposhnikova: This Program encourages you to aim higher, work harder, think strategically, make the best use of your creativity, develop your future network, and hopefully, create your own success story.”

Askar Maratov: “One of my favorite speakers was Iliya Urazakov, who said that anyone can become a leader at any age. I realised that leaders are not born, they are made; and leadership is not about occupying a certain position.”

Dilnaz Kadyrova: “The Program gave us a lot of tips on behavior, communication and management. Before many of us though that a true leader should be very autocratic, which turned out to be a false assumption. We understood that leaders are not people in charge of big companies but rather professionals able to motivate others to accomplish common goals. True leaders are charismatic people who know what they want.”

KIMEP Leaders Forum is part of Leadership Development Program, and a a powerful tool in stimulating the leadership capacity of young people of Kazakhstan.The KIMEP Leaders Forum is a platform where the brightest minds from a wide range of industries and backgrounds can talk about present challenges and trends in different industries; how to make decisions in a fast-moving, competitive environment; and what it takes to promote organizational excellence through leadership.

Leadership Quotes

Dr. Chan Young Bang, President of KIMEP
“The most successful leaders achieve their goals not for money, and not for the prestige, but for the unique feeling that because of them, our world becomes a little better.”

Anastasios Sitsas, General Manager of JTI Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia
“The key word for defining leadership is belief. Dream, vision, and passion are the major things that keep people working.”

Borisbiy Zhangurazov, Deputy Chairman of Kazyna Capital Management
“KIMEP is the University of Leaders in Kazakhstan. It is like a club. KIMEP graduates succeed together because they continue to help each other for the rest of their lives.”

Janat Berdalina, Senior Advisor, Former President of KPMG in Kazakhstan and Central Asia
“Getting people to execute tasks is not a problem. But in the end, that’s not what we want from leaders. Great leaders help people to accomplish tasks with desire and with a passion for what they are doing.”

Keith Gaebel, Managing Partner of Ernst & Young, Central Asia and the Caucasus
“The technical aspects of any job can be learned. The human aspects are what is critical. An office is not bricks and mortar. A strong office is built around individuals.”