A Business Trip That Opened Doors to New Opportunities

Zhalgas Maksotov, a graduate of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU), participated in the ACS Catalysis & International Sustainable Aviation Research Symposia 2026, held in Dalian, China, on October 27–30, 2026. He was among six specialists selected by Synfuels China Technology Co., Ltd. to attend the event. The symposium focused on sustainable aviation fuel production and reducing the carbon footprint of air transport.

This achievement is a tangible outcome of the cooperation between the university and the company. During a business trip to China, Professor K. Dosumov, G. Yergaziyeva, and N. Makaeva held negotiations with the company’s management and signed a memorandum providing for employment opportunities for graduates of Al-Farabi KazNU.

More than 30 candidates subsequently applied for the vacancies offered by the company, and eight were invited for interviews. After successfully completing all stages of the selection process, Zhalgas Maksotov and Almas Aliev were hired as chemical design engineers at the company’s Beijing office.

The graduates’ employment at an international company and their participation in scientific events reflect the knowledge and practical skills they acquired at the university, as well as the department’s systematic career guidance efforts. This experience demonstrates how international cooperation creates tangible opportunities for young specialists to develop professionally.

Gaukhar Yergaziyeva, Head of the Department of Physical Chemistry, 

Catalysis and Petrochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology,

 Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Professor.