in Kazakhstan, chevron sparks community energy

2 min read | october 10, 2022

Physics professor Pietro Olla uses circus props and tricks as educational tools.

Caravan of Knowledge, a Chevron-led educational organization, held a celebration of energy and science in September in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan.

The Pro.NRG Festival marks a long-awaited return to live events. The goal of the organization and festival is to spark interest in and discussion of science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) among schoolchildren and educators.

why it matters

Chevron is helping to further the understanding of human energy in post-pandemic Kazakhstan. As in schools around the world, the Kazakhstani educational system has experienced challenges with curricula and the availability of reliable information for students. The Pro.NRG Festival brought together educators, students and local partners to reenergize a love of education and interest in STEAM fields.

“Our goal is to show the role of knowledge and science in the creation of the future, taking as a basis the central theme of energy,”

Zarina Biyumbayeva

founder and CEO of Corporate Fund Caravan of Knowledge educational organization

our thought bubble

The event also addressed another important need.

“In addition to challenges in the educational environment, the population also feels the need for live festivals. Over the summer, a large number of music festivals and art exhibitions took place in our country, but festivals on the theme of science and education are in short supply,” said Almas Ordabayev, deputy CEO of the National School of Physics and Math in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Mechanical robots being worked on by scientist

Robotics teams demonstrate their technologies.

science, energy and robots

The event, which featured more than 25 speakers from seven countries along with exhibitions and performances, served as a milestone for Kazakhstan in another way as well.

The festival featured the national finals of the FIRST Global Challenge international robotics competition. More than 40 teams from across Kazakhstan competed to determine the country’s representative at the upcoming international finals in Geneva, Switzerland.

Students take part in a science demonstration.

human energy

Ordabayev said the Pro.NRG Festival served as a motivator for parents, teachers and students ahead of the first in-person school season since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We focus on people and communities,” he said. “The synergy of people in the atmosphere of science and education, in our opinion, will play an invaluable role in the development of society.”