Future17: supported by Satbayev University and QS

Future17: A challenge for students, work experience in an international environment

If you want to develop soft skills, work in a team with participants from all over the world and gain experience to develop a successful career right now, welcome to the Future17 program! It is a global sustainable development program that brings together students, faculty, and business partners to work on tasks related to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Within the framework of the program, students from different countries join teams and work on tasks proposed by real companies, NGOs and international organizations. Students advance critical thinking, innovation, and global collaboration skills and gain experience that is valued by leading organizations around the world. The mentors are teachers from different universities and representatives of partner organizations.

Future17 will help you evolve the most important skills for building a career in the modern world, give you experience working on real business tasks related to sustainable development as part of international, interdisciplinary and multicultural teams. Future17 develops communication competence, digital skills, teamwork, and critical problem solving, while providing you with the opportunity to make a real contribution to solving the sustainable development challenges.

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Today, our world is facing complex global challenges: conflicts and economic instability, social inequality, misinformation and climate change. This requires universities, students, and staff to find new approaches to education, research, and engagement with society. Satbayev University's participation in the Future17 consortium empowers not only to develop the competencies of our students and teachers, but also to contribute to the sustainable development of Kazakhstan and the global community.

Meiram Begentayev
Rector of Satbayev University

Program offers

• International team: work in international interdisciplinary teams.
• Collaboration with professionals: students work with mentors from universities around the world.
• Focus on practical experience: students solve specific tasks proposed by their partners.
• Online format: using collaboration platforms (MS Teams, etc.).

What projects are students working on?

• Renewable energy
• Sustainable agriculture
• Inclusive technologies
• Social entrepreneurship

The skills and experience that students gain

• Creative and Systems Thinking (Design Thinking)
• Intercultural cooperation and teamwork
• Critical thinking and data analysis
• Professional presentation skills

Requirements for participants

• Available to undergraduate (except 1st year) and graduate students.
• The English language level is at least B2.
• Required set of documents: resume, transcript (GPA not less than 2.67), certificate confirming the level of English

Apply for participation

Role of the mentor

Mentor helps a group of students go all the way - from understanding the task of sustainable development to developing and justifying the solutions. This is not traditional teaching, but support and maintenance of the learning process. Participation is provided online, for 12 weeks, 2 hours per week.

Participate in the program as a mentor

Program description Future17

Introductory module (Induction, 4 weeks)

Future17 begins with an introductory online course that you take at an individual pace, learning about the principles of collaborative problem solving and intercultural learning, as well as the concept of Design Thinking. This will prepare you to work in a team, to interact with partners and mentors.

Group work on a task (Collaboration, 8 weeks)

You are assigned to a multidisciplinary team with participants from universities around the world. Each team has two mentors and one "customer", a business partner of the program, who presents your team with the real task related to SDGs. The team works online, applying Design Thinking methods to solving the problem.

Final presentation (Final Pitch)

Program ends with the final event where all the teams present their solutions to business partners.

Program takes place twice a school year (in autumn and spring). Since this is a global program, its schedule differs from that of the university: team meetings and the final presentation can take place during extracurricular hours, and students are expected to be ready to participate in program events when required.

Spring cycle: February – May.

Autumn cycle: September – December.

More about Future17

Future17 program was created in 2022 by the international company QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), specializing in higher education analytics, in collaboration with University of Exeter. Satbayev University joined the program in 2024.

Consortium of Partner Universities

Why it's worth participating in Future17

Participation in the program is appreciated by employers due to its practical orientation and international format. Many participants note that participating in Future17 helps them acquire valuable skills that help them stand out in the labor market. You will have the opportunity to strengthen your resume, practical experience working with international organizations, as well as the opportunity to create a portfolio of real projects related to UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Apply for participation

Contacts:

Zhibek Nurbayeva
Chief manager of International Degree Programs Department
+7 776 520 0250
zh.nurbayeva@satbayev.university