Could you briefly walk us through your professional and academic journey?

I have been working in international relations and communications for more than 25 years. Over the years, I worked in the Foreign Ministry in the capital, diplomatic missions, and the Parliament of Kazakhstan. My involvement in multilateral diplomacy included work related to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, participation in the team of Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and engagement in processes linked to my country’s membership in the UN Security Council.

This experience shaped my strong interest in how international organizations work in practice, especially how policy, expertise and partnerships come together at country and regional levels.

How have your previous roles in public diplomacy, media, and government shaped the expertise you bring to UNDP today?

My previous experience helped me better understand how public institutions operate, how decisions are made, and how cooperation between national and international actors is structured. Working in public diplomacy, academia and media also taught me the importance of communication, trust and proper positioning. These skills are especially important in partnership work, where results often depend not only on technical content, but also on how relationships are built.

Prior to joining UNDP, much of your work involved international public engagement and media. Which experiences from that period most strongly influenced your approach to partnerships and multilateral cooperation?

One of the main lessons from that period was that partnerships only work when all sides clearly understand the mutual value of cooperation. In public diplomacy, I learned how to consider different perspectives, adapt messages to different audiences, and build shared narratives. This approach is directly relevant to multilateral cooperation, where partners often come from different institutional and cultural contexts.

What inspired you to apply for the UNDP Technical Expert Programme?

The UNDP Technical Expert Programme attracted me as an opportunity to move from classical political diplomacy and communications to more practical work in international development. It was important for me not only to observe multilateral processes from a government perspective, but also to work inside an international organization in order to better understand its logic, tools, constraints and real ways of creating impact.

Was there a specific development challenge or policy area that motivated your interest?

I was generally interested in how development strategies and policies are translated into real programmes and partnerships. In particular, I wanted to better understand how international organizations coordinate with governments, donors and other partners to address complex regional challenges.

As a Technical Expert seconded by the Government of Kazakhstan, what does this form of partnership mean to you personally and professionally?

For me, this format represents a two-way exchange between national and multilateral systems. Personally, it allows me to apply my previous government experience in a new institutional environment. Professionally, it gives me the opportunity to better understand how the international development system works from the inside. I see this mainly as a process of mutual learning.

What were your expectations before joining UNDP RBEC, and how have they evolved during your assignment?

Before joining, I expected to gain a clearer understanding of how UNDP operates at the regional level. Over time, these expectations evolved into a deeper understanding of the complexity of development processes, especially in terms of coordination, negotiations and institutional alignment between different actors. At UNDP, I also observed a strong institutional culture and professional practices. A lot of attention is given to onboarding new staff and knowledge sharing. Learning does not stop after the initial period, but continues on an ongoing basis. This creates an environment where professional development and institutional learning are highly valued.