Students discover the geology of Kazakhstan in the framework of the XVII Republican Subject Olympiad

XVII Republican Subject Olympiad’s second stage among university students in "Applied geology" and "Geology and exploration of mineral deposits" degree programs has started at Satbayev University. The intellectual competition brought together students from seven leading universities in the country and became one of the key academic platforms for forming the professional community and evolving the professional competencies in the geology sphere.

"Today, very strong students are taking part in the Olympiad," said Akmaral Bayssalova, head of Department of geological survey, prospecting and exploration of mineral deposits. - These are hardworking and purposeful guys. They work, share experiences, and actively apply new knowledge and technologies. I hope there will be a real "baige" today, and we will see decent results."

Olympiad began with the practical geological field trip to Charyn Canyon, which allowed not only to get acquainted with one of the unique natural attractions of Kazakhstan, but also to study the processes of rock formation in practice. The canyon’s natural sections clearly show the layering, structural and textural features of sedimentary rocks, as well as their mineral composition, which gave students the opportunity to see the processes studied in real conditions. Participants collected rock samples for educational collections, consolidated field research skills and took part in thematic quizzes.

On the second day, the students started their Olympiad tasks. Olympiad program included theoretical and practical assignments in general and historical geology, structural geology, crystallography and mineralogy. Participants worked with geological maps, built sections and identified minerals, demonstrating the skills needed for future work.

Simultaneously with the Olympiad tasks, a scientific and methodological seminar in the field of academic mobility was organized for student leaders. Renowned geologist professor Alma Bekbotayeva presented the international internship results at Penn State University (USA) and shared her personal experience in the field of international cooperation as well as geology study of the United States.

There was held University tour for teachers and students, during which degree programs in the field of geology, also, there were demonstrated laboratory facilities, mineralogical and petrographic collections and the possibilities of using optical microscopes in the educational process.

These two days were not just a competition for the participants, but a real immersion in the profession – from the living geology of the Charyn Canyon to complex analytical tasks in University’s classrooms. Here, among minerals, maps and formulas, not only knowledge is born, but also an understanding of the earth as a complex and living system. And perhaps it was today, in these sections and samples, that the path to great discoveries began for someone, which tomorrow will determine the future of science and the country's natural resources growth.