Nurlan Kapparov: We remember and are proud

A year ago, on March 26, an amazing man, a Kazakh statesman, and businessman, Nurlan Zhambulovich Kapparov, passed away.

We were fortunate enough to know him not only as a talented politician and businessman, but also as a public figure who made a mark on the social sphere. As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia from 2010 - 2011, Nurlan Jambulovich made an immense contribution to the organization's activities, sharing new ideas, experiences, and useful contacts. We are immensely grateful to him for his invaluable advice.

In December 2005, Nurlan Kapparov created a personal charitable foundation, Zhambyl, where he held the post of Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The purpose of the fund is to provide charitable assistance to gifted children, children from low-income families, and children with disabilities living in rural areas of the country. As a graduate of the Republican Physics and Mathematics School (RFM), Mr. Kapparov proposed a new approach to education, creating a program focused on providing quality mathematics education in rural areas in Southern Kazakhstan, so that rural children can have equal opportunities for admission to prestigious universities. The foundation attracted talented teachers and created all the necessary conditions for their work. Further, in East Kazakhstan, a rehabilitation center for disabled children was opened with the support of the Foundation.

A graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Public Administration, Nurlan Kapparov did much to increase the number of students from Kazakhstan in one of the leading universities of the world. He founded the Harvard Club of Central Asia (HCCA), where, with his assistance, scholarships were awarded to Kazakh students wishing to enter Harvard. More recently, Nurlan Kapparov's partners and friends have established a scholarship in his name at Harvard University. This scholarship will be awarded annually to talented students from Kazakhstan and the countries of Central Asia for the duration of the University’s existence.

His deep understanding of the concept of corporate social responsibility helped to create a partnership between EFCA and LANCASTER GROUP KAZAKHSTAN, of which he was one of the shareholders. His initiatives created a solid foundation for development programs, which enabled ERSAI CASPIAN CONTRACTOR to begin projects aimed at developing the entrepreneurial potential of the village of Kuryk and improving preschool and secondary education —  which are now being developed successfully by the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia. These good deeds are a recognition of his merits and his memory.

We express our sincere condolences to the families and friends suffering from this heavy loss and hope that the initiatives of Nurlan Dzhambulovich will live on.