Almaty, Kazakhstan is a city of over two million residents, the largest city and cultural capital of the largest fully land-locked country on earth. It is a diverse and thriving metropolis surrounded by natural beauty, including the nearby Alatau mountain range. Since 2019, Lehigh’s Office of Creative Inquiry has been engaged in partnerships and projects in this city to improve the lives of Almaty’s, and Kazakhstan’s, citizens, working with Kazakh institutions of higher education, medicine, and sustainability.  

From May 16 to May 31, six Global Social Impact Fellowship (GSIF) project teams from Lehigh University will travel to Kazakhstan to advance their work in sustainability, public health, education, and technology. Nineteen students and three faculty mentors will collaborate with local universities, government ministries, and community organizations to co-create solutions addressing some of the region’s most pressing challenges. Almaty Management University will serve as the primary academic partner, supporting the teams through project coordination, research collaboration, and local engagement.

The projects include:

  • Save Tuba, mentored by Sean Vassilaros, adjunct professor in computer science and business: A mobile game teaching young students sustainable behaviors through interactive storytelling featuring Tuba, an endangered saiga antelope. The team is collaborating with Abai University to pilot the game in local schools.
     
  • Central Asian Researchers Network (CARN), mentored by Eric Obeysekare, teaching assistant professor of computer science and engineering and Creative Inquiry: A LinkedIn-based academic community designed to triple research capacity across Central Asia.
     
  • SaltX, mentored by Joseph Menicucci, associate chair and associate professor of chemical and bimolecular engineering: A multi-pronged initiative to address high sodium consumption through policy innovation, public education, and low-sodium product development.
     
  • PureSpaces, mentored by Joseph Menicucci, associate chair and associate professor of chemical and bimolecular engineering: Testing affordable air purifiers to improve indoor air quality and public health in urban Almaty.
     
  • Edible Electronics, mentored by Dhruv Seshadri, assistant professor of bioengineering: Creating a low-cost, wearable device to support speech therapy by tracking tongue posture.
     
  • Microtremor Detection Device, mentored by Dhruv Seshadri, assistant professor of bioengineering: Developing a portable tool to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders through fine motor monitoring. The team is partnering with International Information Technologies University to advance this technology. 

Sholpan Tazabek, Vice-Rector for Global Partnerships at Almaty Management University, emphasizes the value of this partnership, stating, “True internationalization is not just about travel - it is about shared purpose.”

“For over six years, Lehigh and AlmaU students have collaborated around the Sustainable Development Goals, and this year marks a new milestone: Lehigh students will work closely with AlmaU students who are enrolled in the Sustainable Economy in the Context of Globalization course, gaining local insight and building lasting connections with peers who share their drive for impact,” she says. “This immersive academic and cultural exchange lays the groundwork for more context-aware, collaborative fieldwork that can lead to sustainable, locally-grounded solutions. When students learn with each other, and not just about each other, they begin to shape a future none could build alone."

In Almaty this month, the teams will focus their fieldwork efforts on projects ranging from improving indoor air quality and reducing sodium consumption to expanding access to early diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease. They’ll also explore innovative tools for speech therapy, pilot a gamified sustainability education app in schools, and build a Central Asian Researchers Network to strengthen academic capacity across the region.

Alexandra Bauman '27, a journalism major working on the Central Asian Researchers Network project, shares her excitement: “It’s going to be amazing to finally meet these impressive individuals face-to-face, forming real relationships and connections in person.”

She adds: “I’m also excited to try different foods and experience the new culture. This is an incredible opportunity to advance our project."

Impact Fellows are a self-selected cohort of students from all colleges and many majors across Lehigh University, focused on addressing sustainable development challenges in low-resource and middle-income countries and communities around the world. Fellows work on multi-year projects during the Spring and Fall semesters, and engage in faculty-guided fieldwork with diverse local partners during the summer.

These GSIF projects represent the power of interdisciplinary, student-driven innovation and the university’s long-standing commitment to global impact. Stay tuned as our fellows hit the ground in Kazakhstan to co-create, learn, and lead.