Freshmen teambuilding on the Lake Issyk

Convocation ceremony is a traditional event for every university. It is both an acquaintance and the official acceptance of the freshmen to the student community, a way of whishing them well on their journey through the woods of academic knowledge. But it’s quite special in Satbayev University. Apart from convocation ceremony, we have another wonderful tradition – teambuilding for freshmen students, annually organized by the School of Base Education.

It’s no secret that in their first university years students sometimes feel lost and confused. Freshmen teambuilding is designed to solve this problem. Group trips to countryside, entertainment and recreation in a friendly atmosphere help students and teachers get to know each other. The general mood of the event makes one’s spirits rise and assures that the most interesting is yet to come

It is symbolic that the teambuilding event takes place on the Issyk Lake. The name given to the lake by ancient Kazakhs means “the door” or “the entry”. And now it is time for Satbayev University freshmen to step through the door leading to their life as university students.

The Lake Issyk has another name – Zhasyl Kol (the Green Lake). The local people call it so because of the deep beryl green color of its waters. Some time ago, Russian settlers changed the original name in their won manner and this new word somehow resembled the Kazakh expression “ystyk su” (the hot spring). However, the water in the lake is hardly hot, although it never freezes: the water temperature in the lake is + 9⁰ С.

The Issyk Lake is located 80 kilometers away from Almaty and the tour group had to take busses to get there. This year, there were almost 150 participants more than the year before. Students couldn’t wait to get to the destination point and spent the time of the bus ride singing and playing card games with their senior coordinators.

The weather fitted the mood of the trip: the day was beautiful, the Sun shone bright and warm and no cloud covered the skies. The weather was perfect for team competitions, flash mobs, lotteries and dance battles. The winners were awarded with prizes and diplomas. In this friendly environment, everybody felt like chatting and having fun and teachers soon joined students in their activities. Later, the trip participants were offered delicious Uzbek pilaf. The event was sponsored by Lirumax Company with Tassay trademark who provided water and drinks.

The happy and warm atmosphere of the event made it clear that the teambuilding worked out well. Everybody had a wonderful time, got inspired, became more outgoing and made many new acquaintances and friends! As a result, everybody feels ready for the upcoming academic year.

We wish our freshmen and all the students of our University good luck for their academic year. Satbayev University welcomes you!