About
Since 1994, the Executive Education Center (EEC) of KIMEP (former College of Continuing Education before becoming) has offered dynamic programs that allow professionals to further upgrade their skills and gain a competitive edge in the labor market. As part of the institute’s commitment to lifelong learning, the EEC addresses this for further skill development through two separate tracks. First, it provides a range of opportunities for middle managers and experienced professionals to come to KIMEP and receive focused training in a flexible format that suits their schedules. This wide array of offerings includes a market-leading Executive MBA, professional development programs, language courses and regular roundtables on issues facing the Kazakhstani business community.
EEC also works closely with partners to ensure that they have access to programs that are specifically tailored to meet their particular needs. This makes EEC an excellent platform for business companies, NGOs and Governmental bodies wishing to acquire the necessary tools and global knowledge to adapt to meet rapidly changing market opportunities.
For example, from 2005 – 2006, EEC collaborated with the Eurasia Foundation and USAID to establish a Leadership Learning Center for American Energy Services, a global leader in the production of industrial valves. Using facilities provided by the Kazakh-American Free University in Ust-Kamenogorsk, KIMEP trained 650 mid to senior level managers. The project was so successful that the center has become a permanent institution, continuing to offer targeted trainings and opportunities for professional development. It is just one example of how EEC serves Kazakhstan by supporting professional capacity building and providing various forums for the exchange of ideas and information.
A similar success story is demonstrated by the launch of the International Institute of Banking (IIB) in 1994, the first major initiative of EEC funded by USAID. As the only USAID banking training project that to have ever become self-sustainable, eventually training 2,200 bankers during its initial two-year run. The success of IIB encouraged KIMEP to engage in further outreach to the financial sector, and many successful programs followed. All told, EEC trained 4,014 Kazakhstani bankers since 1994, along with an additional 192 from other parts of the CIS, giving them access to intensive training sessions led by experienced Western financial professionals. Without a doubt, the experience these professionals gained at EEC has directly contributed to the reform and explosive growth of Kazakhstan’s banking sector over the last twenty years, which has transformed Almaty into a regional hub for financial services.
EEC has also made a considerable contribution to the development of Kazakhstan’s booming oil and gas industry. In 1996, the Natural Resource Executive Management Training Program (NREMTP) was established, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and implemented jointly by KIMEP and USAID. More than 1,000 professionals in the oil, gas, and mining sectors have participated in trainings offered by KIMEP, teaching them essential skills like total quality management, human resources development, petroleum project evaluation and contract law for natural resource companies. More than 80 companies were involved in this project, ensuring that these skills were shared throughout the industry.
In these projects and many others, EEC has provided targeted training to 10,897 professionals from 193 companies during its history. This includes 34 banks, nine government departments, and a variety of UN agencies and NGOs.
EEC also plays a critical role in delivering KIMEP’s Executive MBA. Following an initial program designed specifically for Food Master that finished in 2004, EEC helped design an open Executive MBA that accepts any mid-level manager with at least five years’ experience. This program began in 2007. Based on the success of the program, KIMEP expanded its offering, beginning a new Russian-language Executive MBA in 2010 that uses a unique distance learning platform for its students. EEC has been recognized by Almaty’s international business community for its efforts in developing the program. In 2009, during Kazakhstan’s first Lawyers, Academics and Consultants Awards, both KIMEP’s MBA and Executive MBA programs were recognized as the best in Kazakhstan.
The KIMEP Advanced Management Program (AMP) ran in EEC in 2006 and 2007. The sessions were specifically structured for senior level business and government executives as networking and learning opportunities, Speakers on the program included:
- Kairat Mazhibayev – the President of the Resmi Group of Companies
- Askar Sembin – the President of the Development Bank of KZ
- Timur Zhaksylykov – the General Director of the Institute of Economic Research of the Ministry of Economics and Budget Planning of RK
- Gosman Amrin – the Chairman of the Board of National Innovation Fund
- Maxat Kabashev – Deputy Chairman of the National Innovation Fund
- Sofia Aisagaliyeva – Executive Director of Forum of Entrepreneurs of KZ
- Dejan Djordjevic – Hyatt International General Manager
- Ward Jones – Tax Partner KPMG
EEC also benefits the local business community through several free forums. The KIMEP HR Club, established in 2009, is a bimonthly roundtable that serves as a discussion forum and networking platform for HR professionals. In 2010, KIMEP delivered its first International Human Resources Conference, focusing on “Training for Superior Results.” There were 78 participants from 23 different companies in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. KIMEP’s Navigator Marketing Club serves a role for marketing similar to the HR club.
Through EEC, KIMEP is able to make a sustained improvement in the professional skills base of the Republic. Anyone at any stage of their career can access this resource to gain additional qualifications, benefiting themselves, their companies and the community at large. KIMEP is also in the midst of establishing key partnerships with some of Almaty’s largest professional service firms to deliver other international professional qualifications, including PwC, Grata law Firm and ATF Bank, which will push EEC into the forefront of executive education, making it an invaluable resource for the Republic of Kazakhstan.
