On February 19, the opening ceremony of the innovative KazChessLab laboratory took place at the Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University. The laboratory was established as part of a collaboration between QyzPU and the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
During the opening ceremony, Minister Sayasat Nurbek delivered a speech and elaborated on the strategic steps for the development of chess in the country. “In 2023, under the instruction of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, a strategic development plan for chess was approved. Every child should be introduced to chess at school and master it at a high level. Today, Kazakhstan has already achieved significant success in this field, and in order to further strengthen these positions, qualified teachers are essential,” the Minister emphasized.
The program is implemented as a minor for students of педагогical specialties. Upon completion of the course, future teachers receive a certificate confirming their right to teach chess in schools. As part of the event, certificates were awarded to the first 25 young specialists who completed training in this field.
Chair of the Board – Rector Beibitkul Karimova emphasized the importance of teaching chess and wished the educators success. “The opening of the innovative KazChessLab laboratory is an important step toward modernizing the content of education and enhancing the professional potential of future teachers. Chess is not just a game, but a school of strategic thinking, responsibility, and perseverance. Training teachers who are capable of teaching this subject at a professional level is one of the pressing tasks of our time,” the Rector said.
President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation Timur Turlov summarized the results of many years of work and noted that the opening of the laboratory marks a historic milestone in the development of chess education. “Kazakhstani chess has been moving toward this for several years, and today it has taken its place within the national education system. These young specialists will not only teach children the rules of the game but will also become mentors and guides into the world of intellectual growth. I am confident that such a synergy of modern infrastructure, a strong pedagogical school, and state support will allow us to elevate Kazakhstani chess and chess education to an entirely new level,” he said.
