The faculty's teaching staff was recognized among the best at the expert strategic session “Academic Management and Quality of Education: An Intensive Workshop for Administrators and Teachers

On March 3-6, 2026, the Department of Academic Affairs hosted an event at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University: an expert strategic session on “Academic Management and Quality of Education: An Intensive Course for Administrators and Teachers.” The session served as an important discussion platform for discussing strategic directions for the university's development in the context of digital transformation and the growth of international educational standards.

The main objective of the intensive course was to comprehensively review approaches to organizing the educational process and actively introduce advanced tools into the practices of faculties and departments. The program was structured around five specialized thematic areas, covering all levels of administrative management and faculty members. During the workshop, participants considered current ways to improve educational activities, master advanced management practices in higher education, and effectively apply artificial intelligence in teaching and research processes. Particular attention was paid to practical skills for interacting with AI tools, competently formulating queries to achieve optimal results, and understanding the broad potential of digital technologies in improving the quality of education.

The track “Redesigning Disciplines Using GenAI” for teachers is aimed at updating teaching materials. Working in teams and following the “Draft – Critique – Improve” cycle, participants updated teaching materials, adapting them to the modern capabilities of artificial intelligence.

The session offered and provided step-by-step instructions and examples of using the following generative AI tools for educators: Gemini (Google), ChatGPT, Gamma app, as well as NotebookLM (Google), Perplexity AI, Elicit, Canva AI, Grok, and others. Participants created smart assistants (e.g., Gem-bot in Gemini, GPT-agent in ChatGPT) and assigned them the role of intelligent assistants for redesigning a university discipline with the task of developing updated laboratory/seminar/lecture work based on the uploaded document (initial, current) with the mandatory application of the cycle: Draft → Critique → Improve → Final. The assignment and examples were set by teachers, taking into account their chosen disciplines.

The team's final package checklist included mandatory elements based on the track's results and design standards (elements of the teaching and methodological complex processed using the neural networks they selected):

- Syllabus redesign – a revised syllabus;

- Revised text for One lecture;

- A supporting presentation for a selected lecture, designed according to the team's decision and the provided presentation design requirements for recording online course video lectures.

- Methodological recommendations for seminars/laboratories (one lesson) on the selected topic. The teams developed two versions: Version 1 – for the general audience, with a criteria-based assessment rubricator; Version 2 – for international students (or for an inclusive group), taking into account their insufficient level of proficiency in the language of instruction, with a criteria-based assessment rubricator.

- Final exam program – revision of the criteria assessment rubric for the selected discipline.

In addition to the items on the checklist, the teams submitted the following based on their work results:

- Appendix No. 1, “GenAI for Teachers, which described, based on their experience: the two best GenAI models for working with texts; the 2 best models for creating presentations; the team's 2 best prompts + a brief record of improvements after criticism according to the Draft – Critique – Improve protocol (for working with texts/presentations/images/videos).

- Appendix No. 2. Critical comments on changes to the “Methodological recommendations for the development and design of teaching materials in the Univer IS” for 2026-2027.

Based on the results of the first cohort of participants on March 3, the team of the Department of Biotechnology, represented by Prof. S.K. Turasheva, Prof. G.I. Yernazarova, Acting Prof. N.R. Akmukhanova, Senior Lecturer A.A. Meldebekova, and Associate Professor E.A. Kirshibayev, was recognized as the best of the best and awarded a prize.

We express our heartfelt gratitude to the university administration for hosting this event, which served as an effective platform for professional dialogue among educators. During the meeting, participants exchanged practical experience in the field of digital transformation in education, discussed current approaches to teaching and ways to improve the quality of student training, and had the opportunity to develop their own professional competencies.

Such events make a significant contribution to the formation of a strong academic culture, promote the creation of a modern, innovative educational environment, and strengthen the professional potential of the entire teaching staff of the university.