I entered Kazakh Polytechnic Institute named after V.I. Lenin in 1969. Actually, the purpose of my first visit in April was just to have a look at the library, laboratories and geological-prospecting faculty that was placed then in the building of Almaty Power Engineering Institute. I liked everything, especially the taught disciplines list as I had the feeling of romanticism of something unknown and trips. Those years Polytechnic University was famous for its graduates, their demand and relevance, and not just in the most developed industries, but also in the cultural point. What ‘Dos-Mukassan’ ensemble was worth! Our climbers, cave explorers, athletes, basketball players and volleyball players gave heads-ups to many other teams. Because of the diverse life, students could find easily hobbies, and develop due to them.

Polytechnic University and K.I. Satbayev Kazakh National Technical University were the starting point, growth, development and a successful career for me.

I chose geological-prospecting faculty very consciously as I played sports (at that time I joined Kazakhstani national junior team on field athletics), loved mountains and journeys, read much, especially fantasy, popular scientific literature, trying to learn mysteries of Earth and space. Specialization in science disciplines allowed me to be engaged in studying of geological disciplines with the comprehension of all peculiarities, and participate in student's scientific conferences from the first year. The mineralogy, petrography, geological mapping, local geology of minerals, search and investigation of fields were my favorite subjects. The most difficult discipline we had was General geology. Yarmak Grigory Aleksandrovich led us into a working rhythm and laid the foundation of information system development on geology that represented a huge branched tree of knowledge, which was useless if it were not sorted and fixed by practice, as well as task performance and attention to any information. Exactly he explained us, freshmen, but ambitious first-year students that it was very possible to be buried under lots of information for the rest of the life; therefore, students should allocate priorities, the crucial thing was we had to be able to distinguish the false knowledge from the true one, to move slowly, but thoroughly. In the result, we could cope I should say.

We started studying “Mineralogy with crystallography bases” discipline in the second course. Prof. Ankinovich E.A. conducted the given subject. The female mineralogist with a world name and rich scientific biography, captured by studying the mineralogy of Kazakhstani fields and on their base made a set of discoveries of new minerals. We “were in love” with her, it was reflected also on her discipline. Knowledge of earth substance is a basis of studying it therefore we got lost in laboratories and museums losing feeling of time. There was stretched such understanding in our heads that in the field there were no consultants and everything depended just on you whether you would be able properly to diagnose the substance and in general understand the situation or your work and all your heroic efforts were waste of time. It was motivating.

The most important thing that was available in Polytechnic University was working rhythm, lack of a façade, and trust to experts and teachers who were carefully selected according to their professional qualities. Classes were held until lunch; then we had independent work in cathedral laboratories or library. There was a feeling of permanent employment and satisfaction from the done work, from perfectly defended academic year project, there was an eternal search of answers to the questions arising in the educational process, and stepping into a profession, and sometimes discussions about love and friendship, about eternal and perishable – from all these topics we derived pleasure, and became experts and personality at the same time.

The most important thing that was available in Polytechnic University was working rhythm, lack of a façade, and trust to experts and teachers who were carefully selected according to their professional qualities.

I was always engaged in research work from the very beginning. I began with the papers on a certain subject (in the first-second years), then I conducted experimental researches. Supervisors were changing depending on a subject. After production internship, we were aware of complexity and variety of the existing problems in geology. There was an enormous amount of problems, but it turned out that it was necessary to choose only one and to be “faithful” to it up to the end.

We had standard graduate works, but we had the unique content in everyone’s work as we all were in different organizations for externship. At that time, each organization had its own specifics and performed works on the specific project that needed scientific support. In this regard, we, interns, could work during study as well, i.e. not only during the field period, but also at a stage of cameral processing of materials already together with scientists who prepared the final reports. In general, it should be noted that geology could not exist without fact-findings in field conditions also; it could not process collected material without good laboratory and analytical base, precision technical devices and tools and, of course, without highly qualified personnel. Students were stewing in the given juice. Professors Georgy Tsarayevich Medoyev and Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Ankinovich, associate professors Grigory Aleksandrovich Yarmak and Radek Sabirovich Kachurin and high-class tenants Dvoychenko Nonna Konstantinovna and Paretsky Igor Ilyich were my scientific supervisors who made me become an expert.

Life always corrects plans, however, in general my professional fate added up safely. To the graduation I was married (my husband was a geologist), we brought up our son. I used to go to the search and survey expedition work together with the spouse. However, based on Ministry of Higher Educational Institutions I was directed to my department where I had worked in different positions, starting with the assistant and ending with the associate professor, deputy dean for academic affairs of geological-prospecting faculty, in total for 36 years (from 1975 to 2011). I consider that the referral to the department was caused by my active position and good preparation, love to geology and scientific research that were mentioned above.

Now I am the member of VI convocation of RK Parliament Majilis, the secretary of Committee for environmental issues and environmental management of RK Parliament Majilis, President of KZ Association of production geological institutions, Chairman of Subcommittee for geological industry of General Directorate Committee for metallurgical industry of Presidium of Kazakhstani National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Ata-meken”, etc.

Polytechnic University and K.I. Satbayev Kazakh National Technical University were the starting point, growth, development and a successful career for me.