Andrew Jason believes that curiosity is the driver for an interesting life. As a community builder, connector and storyteller, it’s been a passion for curiosity that has driven Andrew to be an advocate for innovation. As the Ecosystem Director for Grand Farm, he creates events, programs, and partnerships to bring together corporations, startups, growers, policymakers, and educational institutes to enable technology to feed the world.

Prior to joining Grand Farm, Andrew served as the Editorial Director for Spotlight, a publishing company based in Fargo. He led a talented team of designers, writers, photographers, and creatives to tell the story of Fargo-Moorhead.

He’s also a proud family man with his wife, Kaitlin, daughter, Alice, and spoiled puppy, Fitz.

Arthur van Diesen, a national of The Netherlands, is the UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan from the 1st of June 2019. Arthur previously served with UNICEF as Regional Social Policy Adviser in the Middle East and North Africa (2015-2019) and as Deputy Representative in Tajikistan (2010-2015). Before joining UNICEF, Arthur worked for DFID, UNDP and various international NGOs. He worked and lived in Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Middle East. Arthur has over thirty years of experience in social policy, applied social research, monitoring and evaluation and programme management. He is a sociologist by training, with a Master’s Degree from Tilburg University in The Netherlands.

Mr. Brian is an equity-focused educator and social scientist with over two decades of international experience teaching and leading teams of teachers in exploring the many opportunities schools encounter as they answer some of the wicked questions of education. He has a MA in Education, BA in Social Science and a certificated teacher qualification from California. Mr. Brian is passionate about economics, design and the vital role that academic institutions play in helping to foster independent, resilient and adaptable learners empowered to shape the positive change they wish to see in the world. He has spent the last 15 years working in Rome, Berlin and London and is excited to begin a new journey in Vilnius with Erudito Licėjus.

Cezar Rujan is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in Space applications for Earth, Space economy, and decision intelligence for urban development and precision agriculture powered by AI and satellites. He is experienced in leading projects supported by space agencies and developing multi-generational plans for the sustainable use of space assets for interplanetary economies.
Cezar is a Member of the European Centre for Space Economy and Commerce, focused on developing globally-scalable geo-intelligence companions, working with government agencies, international NGOs, R&D, and private organizations especially from the United Kingdom, USA, Nordics, CEE, MENA, Australia, India, East, and Southeast Asia.

Dauren Abdikhadirov was born in 1983 in Almaty region. He graduated from the Kazakh Abylai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages in 2003, receiving a bachelor degree as a consular officer. In 2016, he received a master’s degree in political science from the Higher School of Economics (Moscow, Russia).

Career

He has been on Kazakhstan’s diplomatic service since 2006, first as Attaché and Third Secretary and later as Second Secretary at the Embassy of Kazakhstan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

In 2012-2013, he worked as Second Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2013-2017, he served as Second Secretary (Vice-Consul) of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Russian Federation.

In 2017-2019, he worked as First Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2019-2021, he served as Expert and later as Consultant of the Executive Office of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy.

Since August 2021 he serves as Councellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Lithuania.

He holds the diplomatic rank of second class of Councellor.

Dr Caroline Clarinval was appointed as WHO Representative and Head of WHO Country Office in Kazakhstan since January 2020. 

Prior to her deployment to Kazakhstan, Dr Clarinval managed the emergency operations for WHO in Ukraine and at WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt. In her capacity as Regional Adviser, Emergency Response and Operations, she was responsible for supporting countries across the Middle Eastern Region responding to health emergencies.

Dr Clarinval also has 10 years of experience working for the International Committee of the Red Cross, assisting populations affected by conflict, managing large-scale relief operations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Furthermore, while working for the Federal Office of Public Health in Switzerland, Dr Clarinval was responsible for the national strategy on rare diseases and was a Member-State delegate to WHO. 

Dr Clarinval holds a PhD in Biomedical Ethics and Law and a Master’s degree in Public Health. She also teaches humanitarian ethics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London, United Kingdom and biomedical ethics and humanitarian ethics at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. 

Stepping into the new position, as WHO Representative and Head of WHO Country Office in Kazakhstan, Dr Clarinval said, «Today, the world is deploying all their resources to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. Kazakhstani doctors and nurses are also on the front line, committed to doing all they can to treat their patients. This outbreak tests the limits of health care systems across the world and I remain confident that through collective efforts we can overcome this crisis». 

Given this, since 2001 Dr Caroline Clarinval has always been committed to supporting governments in their effort to care for their people. 

Lisa Brown is a New Zealand-trained General and Hepatobiliary Surgeon currently working at The Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia. Lisa has pursued training and research in Aerospace Medicine throughout her Surgical training. She was the Aerospace Medicine Research Fellow at The University of Oxford, has completed an internship at DLR, and has undertaken the UTMB Principles of Aerospace Medicine Short Course. Lisa currently sits on multiple Aviation and Aerospace Medicine councils internationally and in New Zealand and is in the early stages of the development of the New Zealand Space Health Research Center.

Dr. Rustam Atadjanov studied law in Uzbekistan (Karakalpak State University, 1999-2003), the United States (University of Connecticut School of Law, 2005-2006), and Germany (the University of Hamburg, 2014-2018). From 2007 to 2014, he held various positions at the Regional Delegation in Central Asia of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) including the post of Legal Adviser. Dr. Atadjanov is actively involved in academic research and publishes with a number of European and Asian academic journals on Central Asian law and practices, public international law, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, human rights law, legal theory, constitutional law, criminal law, and diplomatic law. Furthermore, Rustam is an editor and co-editor in several academic periodicals including the Central Asian Yearbook of International Law and International Relations and Ukrainian Law Review, and he is also a member of a number of international law associations and societies. At KIMEP School of Law, Rustam teaches a variety of courses for undergraduate and graduate students; simultaneously, he works as Associate Dean of the School of Law and Chair of the KIMEP Academic Council.

Courses taught at the School of Law:
– Theory of State and Law;
– Constitutional Law of Kazakhstan;
– Criminal Law of RK: General Part;
– Criminal Law of RK: Special Part;
– Law of International Treaties;
– Public International Law;
– International Human Rights Law;
– International Criminal Law;
– International Humanitarian Law;
– Diplomatic and Consular Law;
– History of International Law.

Dr. Rustam Atadjanov studied law in Uzbekistan (Karakalpak State University, 1999-2003), the United States (University of Connecticut School of Law, 2005-2006), and Germany (the University of Hamburg, 2014-2018). From 2007 to 2014, he held various positions at the Regional Delegation in Central Asia of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) including the post of Legal Adviser. Dr. Atadjanov is actively involved in academic research and publishes with a number of European and Asian academic journals on Central Asian law and practices, public international law, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, human rights law, legal theory, constitutional law, criminal law, and diplomatic law. Furthermore, Rustam is an editor and co-editor in several academic periodicals including the Central Asian Yearbook of International Law and International Relations and Ukrainian Law Review, and he is also a member of a number of international law associations and societies. At KIMEP School of Law, Rustam teaches a variety of courses for undergraduate and graduate students; simultaneously, he works as Associate Dean of the School of Law and Chair of the KIMEP Academic Council.

Courses taught at the School of Law:
– Theory of State and Law;
– Constitutional Law of Kazakhstan;
– Criminal Law of RK: General Part;
– Criminal Law of RK: Special Part;
– Law of International Treaties;
– Public International Law;
– International Human Rights Law;
– International Criminal Law;
– International Humanitarian Law;
– Diplomatic and Consular Law;
– History of International Law.

Elisabetta D’Amico is the Head of the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) Unit and Economic Analyst at WFP Kyrgyzstan Country Office since September 2020.

In WFP, she has been developing food security, nutrition and vulnerability analyses investigating the impact of COVID-19 on the food security and nutrition situation in the Kyrgyz Republic. Prior to joining WFP, Elisabetta was working for the private sector in Sudan and in the United Kingdom covering the African portfolio as a Project Manager and Project Executive. She holds strong skills in data analysis and research, related to value chain analysis for food commodities and agricultural policies. Ms D’Amico holds a MSc in Development Economics and Policy from the University of Manchester and a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from LUISS Guido Carli in Rome.

Erik VanIngen works as an innovations specialist on digital agriculture through frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, data analytics, IoT and remote sensing in the FAO Office of Innovation. He drives the blockchain community of practice in FAO in collaboration with other UN entities such as IFAD, WFP and UNIN. Erik has a special interest in digital sustainability for the agrifood valuechain on topics such as climate and child labor in collaboration with the private sector. Before joining FAO, he worked for 10 years in the private sector in the Netherlands and Sweden as a software architect and project leader. Erik holds a bachelor in Telematics and obtained in 2020 a master’s degree at the Open University in the Netherlands in Business Process Management and IT.

Gaukhar Nursha is an experienced project management professional with 11+ years in policy analysis, international development and gender mainstreaming. 

As the UNDP Gender Specialist, Gaukhar supports the implementation of the Gender Equality Seal (UNDP’s flagship initiative to build capacities and support transformational gender equality results) across all dimensions – management, in-house capacities, programmes, communications, partnerships, enabling environment and gender equality impact in the Country Office. 

Before joining UNDP Gaukhar worked at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, where she supported Programme Monitoring and Evaluation, gender and disability inclusion mainstreaming and communications. Earlier, Gaukhar was a deputy director at Civil Alliance of Kazakhstan, director of Teaching Excellence Center at Almaty Management University. In the beginning of her career she was a project manager at Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia, leading projects on NGO downward accountability and CSO institutional development sponsored by UN Democracy Fund, NCOC, EU. 

Gaukhar is a PhD candidate in International Relations (Al-Farabi KazNU). She was awarded a Central Asia scholarship by George Washington University-Nazarbayev University Central Asia joint programme in 2017. Gaukhar worked as a visiting research fellow at the Elliot School of International Affairs – GWU (2017), and  the School of Advanced International Studies – Johns Hopkins University (2016). She has several academic publications, a book chapter and expert interviews on regionalization, gender policy, public diplomacy practices in Central Asia.

Gaukhar is passionate about giving back to the community and actively participates in volunteer projects. In 2019, she served as a deputy chairman of the first cohort of Young Scholars Council under the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan. She was a founder of Global Shapers Almaty hub (World Economic Forum’s youth initiative) and Lean IN Almaty Chapter – initiative to foster women’s leadership and workplace inclusion. Also she is Global Schools Programme Advocate in Kazakhstan.Gaukhar is a mother of two boys.

Hanifa Karimi is a national of Ukraine and has been appointed as a Protection Officer of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at the MCO office in Almaty, Kazakhstan as of December 2021. Since joining UNHCR in 2004, Ms. Karimi worked in refugee protection, local integration, Refugee Status Determination and durable solutions with UNHCR operations in Ukraine, Iraq and Jordan. Ms. Karimi, holds a BA in economy and law and MA in Philology. She speaks fluently four languages including Russian.

Mr. Justin Rashid is the Security Advisor for the United Nations in Kazakhstan since May 2021. Justin joined the UN in 2015 as Field Security Advisor for UNICEF in Yemen, where he worked for three years. After an interval with the World Food Programme in Nigeria, he moved to UNDSS Jordan in 2019, where he served as Security Advisor and became a key figure in the UN’s COVID-19 response. Prior to joining the UN, Justin was a civil servant in the UK. His subsequent international experience includes several years in the Middle East in the private security industry. Justin graduated from the University of Exeter in the UK with a BSc. in Psychology and went on to Master’s degrees from Cornell (Psychology), the University of Westminster (Diplomacy), and the University of Southern California (Communications).

Mr. Kairat Nazhmidenov represents the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Kazakhstan and is heading the FAO’s Liaison and Partnership Office in Kazakhstan in Nur-Sultan since 2017. As an outposted FAO HQ’s Economist he also coordinates investment support to the member countries and International Financial Institutions in Europe and Central Asia.

Mr. Nazhmidenov acquires more than 20 years of professional experience in the agriculture and food industries analysis, market and economic research, financial and economic analysis, project costing, agricultural policy, and rural development. Previously, he worked as an economist at World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and as an international expert on economics and investment at FAO headquarters (Rome, Italy) and the FAO Regional office for Europe and Central Asia (Budapest, Hungary). 

He has internationally proven working experience in 18 countries around the world, including in Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Serbia), Eastern Europe (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine), South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) and Southeast Asia (the Philippines). 

Kuralay Sanat served as the Secretary General of MUNNISA from 2020-2021. She has extensive experience in MUN including participating as an ILYMUN delegate in Lyon, France in 2020. She currently studies Economics at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan. She enjoys helping others and being a leader at her university and in her community.

Lidiya Beisembayeva is UNICEF’s National Consultant on digital skills and online protection of children in Kazakhstan. In the past year, Lidiya has been involved in creating a digital public good (DPG) course for parents and teachers to elevate their digital literacy, and in conducting a Kazakh Kids Online national research that provides data in understanding how children use the internet and how they handle online risks. Additionally, Lidiya is a mental health specialist who works closely with children and parents to handle questions of anxiety and stress, and issues of friendship and loneliness.

Ms. Friberg-Storey brings over 20 years of experience working with peace, security and development to this position.  

Most recently, she has worked on strategic leadership of humanitarian operations and diplomacy for the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement through the Swedish Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). She also served as Head of the Security Sector Reform Division of the Agency for Peace, Security and Development (FBA) of the Swedish Government and worked at the Security Policy Department of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.  

Under the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Ms. Friberg-Storey also headed the Election Field Operations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), held the position of Director of European Union Integration Office, and served the United Nations Special Envoy for Kosovo. She started her international career with Médecins Sans Frontières.   

Ms. Friberg-Storey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Stockholm University and completed a post-graduate degree on master’s level in Humanitarian Assistance at Uppsala University. 

Since 2011, Mr. Naweed Riaz has served as the International Law Enforcement Advisor and Head of the UNODC Programme in Kazakhstan and the CARICC project, comprising of memberships of Central Asin States, Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation. He was the UN Under Secretary General for expansion of the UNODC Programming in West and Central regions and for the development of Counter Narcotics and Terrorism International Maritime Exercise in the Arabian Sea.

Nazym Zhussupova is Project Manager at the UN Women Kazakhstan and works on elimination of gender-based inequalities and improve the status of women in Kazakhstan.

Being a Supreme Court of the RK / Union of Judges / Ministry of Internal Affairs National Expert / Coordinator with an outstanding record of success in major international not-for-profit operations gained over the last 11 years. Nazym combines excellent organizational and people skills with the highest standards and thoroughly reliable professional performance.

Nazym graduated from Riga Graduate School of Law, Kazakh American University and Almaty University of Power Energy and Telecommunications. She advanced her educational background at OSCE Academy in Bishkek and Moscow Business School. She has a Master Degrees in Business Administration / Engineering / European Law and Economics, and her early career was as an IT specialist and in financial administration. 

She previously served at UNDP implementing a range of projects where she coordinated legal, finance and operations within the framework of government co-shared grants projects, established and supported good communications with stakeholders, provided support to the Governance and Local Development Unit Programme Management, and made important contributions to the introduction of technologies to the Persons with Disabilities. 

Being National Project Manager, she operated as project executive and team manager, and played a pivotal role in the exceptional contribution the EU project, EUCJ “Enhancing Criminal Justice in Kazakhstan”, accomplished in its three year funding period from 2015 to 2018.

Nazym contributed to the strategic modernization of organizations in the public services sector, introduced best IT integration and engineering management approach on all stages, managed procedures and operations, provided facilitation and training. Nazym advanced her crisis management skills taking leading role in management and coordination of the project activities on vital, critical stages. 

She is passionate about making a difference to people, institutions, Kazakhstan and beyond.

Nikita Shabayev has solid experience of more than 15 years of practical experience in development with public sectors, NGOs, and UN.
Nikita worked in different UN projects from 2015:
– UN EXPO-2017: led the team of 50 UN EXPO
Volunteers for UN Agencies,
– UNDP Projects:
o on PVE in Central Asia,
o Social Inclusion,
o Youth development,
o Optimizing civil service in Kazakhstan,
– as a UN Volunteer developed Corporate Volunteerism schemes in the South of Kazakhstan.
Prior to UN he worked for the “Samruk-Kazyna” National Welfare Fund, was a Volunteers’ Coordinator at the 7th Asian Winter Games, co-founded the Best for Kids
Public Foundation.

Nikita holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration (Nazarbayev University) with the majors in Philology and Law.

Nurbek Teleshaliyev joined UNESCO as an Education Programme Specialist in February 2022.  Previously, he worked for UNICEF for six years, in Lesotho and Kyrgyzstan, as an Education and Early Childhood Care and Education specialist. He has also worked for the Open Society Foundations Education and Early Childhood Programmes in Bishkek and London to support advocacy and programs advancing the right to quality education and early childhood programmes. Nurbek has consulted for NORRAG, Teachers’ College at Columbia University, the International Step By Step Association, Save The Children Federation, Every Child and the UNICEF Europe and Central Asia regional office. Nurbek holds a PhD in Education from Cambridge University. He explored the role of non-positional leadership by teachers in schools and in relation to teacher policy in Kyrgyzstan.

Raushan Kuanysheva is very passionate about MUN. As a former student of Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Chemistry and Biology in Aktau, she was active in MUNNISA for many years. She participated as an international delegate in both the International Lyon Model United Nations (France) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Model United Nations (USA). In 2020-2021 she was selected as a chairperson for the MUN conference in Taldykorgan and MUNNISA. During her final year as a NIS student, she was chosen to lead MUNNISA as the Secretary-General where she excelled at leadership. She continued her MUN journey last summer by participating in the VMUNI. She is currently serving as the co-advisor of MUNNISA. She studies Economics at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Mr Ronny Lindstrom has officially assumed his role as UNFPA Representative for Kazakhstan, and Country Director for Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan in March, 2022. 

Before joining the EECA region, Mr Lidstrom had been working as a Representative in Timor-Leste since January 2018. 

Mr Ronny Lindstrom started his career with UNFPA in Central Asia as Programme Officer covering the Central Asian Republics based in Uzbekistan. He also worked in the Asia and Pacific Division and the Division of Management Services, where among other duties, he served as the secretary of the Contracts Review Committee. He then worked as UNFPA Deputy Representative in China and was then seconded to the CEB Secretariat under the office of the Secretary General in Geneva before returning to UNFPA  in Dili, Timor Leste.

Originally from Sweden, Mr Lindstrom holds Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from Delta State University (USA), MA in Political Science from Mississippi State University (USA), MSc degree in Political Science from University of California (USA), and PhD in Political Science from University of California, Riverside (USA).

Serikzhan holds a Bachelor of Natural Sciences in Hydrology and a Master of Social Sciences with a specialisation in Integrated Water Resources Management. Through pioneering research in Kazakhstan, Serikzhan applied AI to flood forecasting and natural disaster management, and developed innovative models for Koluton River runoff and a natural disaster scoring system for Vietnam. With more than 5 years of experience at the United Nations, Serikzhan contributed to key regional projects on disaster risk reduction and water management, facilitating international cooperation on sustainable aquifer use. Currently, at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), Serikzhan is coordinating the regional Cryosphere Research Project in five Central Asian countries to study the impacts of climate change on water availability.

Serikzhan’s presentation at the Model UN will focus on the personal cases of AI application in environmental management and disaster risk reduction, ethics of AI applications and international frameworks, as well as cutting-edge cases of AI application in conflict resolution and sustainable development.

Silviu Pirvu is a Chief Technology Officer and urbanist focused on developing planetary intelligence companions that help greenify the world and create healthy and prosperous places on Earth and beyond. His ‘Symbiotic Intelligence’ approach uses harmonious integration of Nature with Artificial and Human Cognition systems for optimal decision-making to thrive in dynamic environments, especially in megacities, space, and extreme conditions.

Known for his dedication to preparing humans for life beyond Earth, he is a recurrent speaker at urban innovation, cognition, healthcare and space-related events across the globe. He has over 20 years of combined experience in city planning, Earth observation, space expansion, digital innovation, TV/radio and extreme performances.
Silviu Pirvu is a London-based Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce, a Member of the European Centre for Space Economy and Commerce and an experienced domain expert and mentor for tens of SpaceTech, DeepTech and ClimateTech initiatives across Europe, Asia, MENA and Americas.

Vitalina Kyrylovska has been appointed as Regional Protection Officer of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in RO Kazakhstan as of January 2019. Since joining UNHCR in 2007, Vitalina worked in refugee protection, registration, refugee status determination and resettlement with UNHCR operations in the Southern Caucasus, Ethiopia, Syria, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. She advocates for access of refugees to the national asylum procedures and basic services, and works towards strengthening national asylum legislations and practices. Vitalina graduated from the Law Faculty of Jagiellonian University, Krakow (Poland) and Taras Shevchenko University, Kiev (Ukraine).

Mr. Vlastimil Samek is the Representative of the United Nations Department of Global Communications and the Head of the United Nations Information Office in Kazakhstan. Prior to that he worked for the United Nations as the Representative of the United Nations Department of Public Information and Head of the United Nations Information Office in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Indonesia and Director of the United Nations Information Centre in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Has more than 30 years of extensive experience in international affairs, diplomacy, economic diplomacy, communications, advocacy and public relations. He joined the United Nations after serving his country in various senior positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, including long-term assignments as Head of Diplomatic Missions in Myanmar and Mongolia. 

Mr. Vlastimil Samek is the Representative of the United Nations Department of Global Communications and the Head of the United Nations Information Office in Kazakhstan. Prior to that he worked for the United Nations as the Representative of the United Nations Department of Public Information and Head of the United Nations Information Office in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Indonesia and Director of the United Nations Information Centre in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Has more than 30 years of extensive experience in international affairs, diplomacy, economic diplomacy, communications, advocacy and public relations. He joined the United Nations after serving his country in various senior positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, including long-term assignments as Head of Diplomatic Missions in Myanmar and Mongolia.