A 3rd-year student of the educational program 6B05301 - «Applied Chemistry» wins second prize at the republican competition “CYCLELAB: Ecology of the Future”

On April 14, 2026, a ceremonial award event for the winners of the republican student project competition “CYCLELAB: Ecology of the Future” was held in Astana.

The competition was organized by the Association of Secondary Raw Materials Recyclers of Kazakhstan and JSC “Zhasyl Damu,” with co-organization by the Center for Sustainable Development of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University within the framework of the national environmental campaign “Taza Kazakhstan.” Bank CenterCredit acted as the general sponsor of the event.

An honored guest of the ceremony was Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhomart Shiyapovich Aliyev, who took part in awarding the winners.

The competition brought together students from colleges and universities in Astana, Akmola, and Karaganda regions, aged 16 to 30. Participants presented projects across six key areas, including waste recycling, separate collection systems, eco-friendly design, digital solutions, and environmental education.

According to the results of the competition, Suleimen Bakytov, a 3rd-year student of the educational program 6B05301 - «Applied Chemistry» at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, was awarded second place.

He presented the innovative research project “DualValue Carbon,” focused on converting PET plastic waste into functional carbon materials for next-generation energy storage.

The project involves:

• conversion of PET into porous carbon (PET → C);
• selenium modification (Se/C);
• application in sodium–selenium (Na–Se) batteries.

The proposed technology enables the transformation of plastic waste into high-performance materials for advanced energy storage systems, improving both environmental sustainability and battery efficiency.

For his achievement, the student was awarded a diploma and a certificate worth 600,000 tenge.

Scientific supervisors of the project:

• Yerbolat Ordabekovich Tashenov — PhD, Acting Associate Professor of the Department of Chemistry;
• Nurbolat Ordabekovich Issatayev — PhD, Research Assistant Professor at Yokohama National University (Japan).

As noted by Nurzhan Kabdoldanov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of JSC “Zhasyl Damu,” such initiatives contribute to the development of environmental awareness and the advancement of a green economy in Kazakhstan.

The “CYCLELAB: Ecology of the Future” competition has become an important platform for supporting young researchers and promoting innovative solutions in the field of sustainable development.

We wish Suleimen Bakytov continued success, new scientific achievements, and the successful implementation of innovative projects!