On April 22-23, suleyman Demirel University (SDU) this year hosted a landmark event - a youth forum - RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards).
For the record. The event is an annual training course for proactive youth to develop their professional and leadership qualities in line with Rotarian values. The Youth Leadership Program – RYLA – is one of the oldest in Rotary: this year it turned 51 years old and it was established back in 1971.
In Kazakhstan, this is the second RYLA in a row, the first was held in 2018. The agenda of the current leadership session is very symbolic and fully corresponds to the global agenda: "Responsible leadership in the modern world".
The uniqueness of the current RYLA is in its transformational and game character, aimed at deep personality transformations according to the author's methodology from Rotarian and leader of the Sparta community - Aslan Yeszhanuly.
Traditionally, the Program is of an applied nature: specially selected best SDU students were represented by the best speakers in their field, including rotarians.
The best undergraduate students of almost all faculties of SDU were involved in intensive transformational games. Their goal is to ensure personal growth, hone leadership qualities, adapt to new conditions and work as a social elevator for future graduates. RYLA is always a bridge to the future between promising students and potential employers and sponsors.
Among the speakers were elected pros in their field.
Alexander Lee is a business coach, entrepreneur, investor, member of the board of directors of Technodom and Airba ecosystem from the marketplace, fintech operator and logistics center. Alexander held an incendiary master class "12 programs of rich and poor", which caused a furor among the audience.
Konstantin Kulinich is Mary Kay's Director of Kazakhstan and founder of the Direct Selling Association. In his master class "Conscious Leadership", the speaker shared with future leaders the secrets of thinking of a successful person and the chips of self-realization. The recommendations were of an exclusively applied nature, easily implemented and give a real motivational pendel.
Aida Alzhanova - Secretary of the Club and President-Elect, member of the Public Council of Almaty, philanthropist and civil activist - spoke in detail about the role of civil society in the context of youth leadership and conscious citizenship. She shared her rich experience of working in the UN structures for the benefit of democratization and modernization of the socio-political system of the country.
Yerlan and Gulshat Nurpeisov are Rotarians, public figures, civil activists, bloggers, human rights activists and socially responsible entrepreneurs. Their joint seminar focused on civic awareness and the Wheel of Balance.
Vitaly Koltochnik, Chairman of the PR Committee of Rotary Club Almaty, gave a brief lecture on goal-setting according to the SMART system and mechanisms for distinguishing between true and false goals on specific examples.
The atmosphere was distinguished by "festive efficiency": all participants worked from the heart, inspired by the clear prospects of this outstanding event.
The trainings produced a radical reboot of the participants' worldview. It was necessary to see the burning eyes of students – it is rarely possible to contemplate an audience so motivated to change.
During the Program, trainers and curators professionally led participants as a team towards the common goal of Mindfulness – drawing on their own potential and resource towards key life goals. Modern leadership is based on the principles of a game with a non-zero amount, in which there are no losers, and everything is in the plus and agreement - this is the general message.
As a result of the forum, it was decided to recreate the youth wing of the Rotary movement in Almaty - Rotaract from among the winners of RYLA-2022. And it is very gratifying that such an experienced mentor as Gulshat Nurpeisova and the founder of the first Rotarakt in Kazakhstan Stepan Shramko took on this honorable mission.
In addition to unique knowledge and life soft skills, all RAILIAN RESIDENTS received valuable gifts from sponsors (Intercontinental and Mary Kay), certificates and a gala dinner in honor of the successful completion of the leadership program. Very pleased with the hearing and eye concert program from the student group of the university SDU-music.
The project was sponsored by Mary Kay and the Airba Group of Companies, providing wonderful prizes and motivational speeches of speakers for future leaders. Special thanks to the SDU team for their sincere interest and support of the forum.
Thank you to all members of the RYLA 2022 Organizing Committee:
Aslan Yeszhanuly – project leader
Aigul Kasymova
Elizaveta Vorobyeva
Gulshat Nurpeisova
Yerlan Nurpeisov
Meruert Mamatova
Zhanna Isingarina
Vitaliy Koltochnik
Stepan Shramko
The RYLA case is getting stronger! To be continued!
