Biopolis – Sustainable Urban Development 2011
The online course gave me lots of ideas on how to improve the current state of the Kazakhstani ecology and transportation systems that I will use in my research and teaching process. This course is also very useful for understanding current international tends and points of view regarding the prevention of ecological problems. Andrey Belov, Almaty State University, Counsellor of the President, Kazakhstan
I will use the information, ideas and knowledge provided by “Biopolis – Sustainable Urban Development” and “Green Salaries” in my everyday life/work by promoting the ideas among business practitioners, government representatives, academics, students and friends, because the protection of the environment should be upper most on our minds when we generate wastes, use water and energy, print documents, and prefer our cars even for the shortest distances. This course made me look around and think about what we are doing to nature. Urbanization is growing, and we can see the expansion of non-organic food in supermarkets and the behaviour of citizens who do no think about the environment (I am referring to people in Kazakhstan). The territory of the city of Almaty is expanding, eating up suburbs and villages every year. I also found many ideas that will help to conserve the greenery and biodiversity, and to protect air quality. Yuliya Kharkova, Head of International Development and Accreditation Department and Researcher in Corporate Social Responsibility Laboratory, International Academy of Business, Kazakhstan
The concept of a biopolis was of special interest to me because of the scientific research I am currently involved with at my job. At the Institute of State and Law we are concerned with the issues of correlation between human values and road and transportation relations. This includes the problems of ecology, as the current state of, for example, air pollution in the city of Almaty is rated as one of the worst worldwide because the number of cars is growing exponentially and such conditions violate the human right to favourable ecological conditions. The online course gave me lots of ideas on how to improve the current state of the environment in Almaty and the transportation system. I will use this information in my research, with all the necessary references to copyright and authorship. I consider the practical recommendations on what should public authorities actually do to implement the concept of a biopolis the most important aspect of the course. The creation of motivation and a sense of responsibility in citizens is very effective, especially in contrast to the widespread practice of fighting against environmental violations by increasing penalties, which often gives way to corruption and latent violations. Thanks a lot for the very interesting and useful course. Yuliya Edlina, Research Fellow, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan
The course was very interesting and useful for me, not only as a researcher in the field of sustainable development but, also, as an expert with the Ministry of Justice and the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan on issues of draft laws and other normative legal acts. The course allowed me to understand some problems of environmental protection and sustainable urban development, and to make good proposals and recommendations in law-making activities. The material can also be helpful in my teaching activities, because it has many examples and is very easy to understand. I am going to use the knowledge I acquired from this course in preparing articles, and publications, and in my thesis about the main parts of social responsibility politics. I would also like to use this material in conducting research funded by the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science, devoted to the problems of the political modernization of our country. Yuliya Lokteva, Deputy Director, Institute of State and Law, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Republic of Kazakhstan
My work is concerned with sustainable development, control of environmental protection activities and audits of company facilities. As my place of employment maintains the HSE MS in compliance with ISO-14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007, it is concerned about good track recording of environmental issues and well-timed trouble shooting. So I really obtained valuable information from the course materials and used the knowledge gained in presentations regarding sustainable urban management and social responsibility, capacity building and waste management programs, as well as arrangements of tree planting campaigns performed by my colleagues. I am grateful to the teaching personnel for the detailed, valuable and informative learning materials that helped me to substantially improve my knowledge for future use in my daily activities. Oxana Beloglazova, Senior Environmental Specialist, PetroKazakhstan Operating Services Inc., Republic of Kazakhstan
Food, Agriculture and the Environment 2011-2013
The material of the course on Food, Agriculture and the Environment has been extremely useful for me, since I teach the course Ecology and Sustainable Development at the International Academy of Business (Almaty, Kazakhstan). The management of natural resources such as water, land management and the protection of the environment from agricultural pollution is one of the major themes of the course. The topics, such as water management and the statistical data on water footprintw, new advanced water-saving technologies such as drip water irrigation and scheduled irrigation, methods used to protect the land from erosion and degradation, applying crop rotation and alley farming, and agricultural waste management have been interesting and valuable for me to use in my classroom teaching. Besides, the EU Rural Development policies have been quite unknown to me and could serve as a good example for good agricultural practices for our students. As far as my research is concerned, I am interested in the valuation of ecosystem services provided by the steppe region of Kazakhstan, which has been widely used for extensive agriculture and animal husbandry. A complete system approach could be the right way to solve environmental problems in our country. The impact of climate change on ecosystem services and adaptation to these changes is another area of interest. Sholpan Davletova, International Academy of Business, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Green Salary 2010-2011
I have really enjoyed taking this course. The vast amount of reading enhanced my knowledge in the sphere of environmental protection. My favourite theme to read and learn about was how businesses turn competitive after involving environmental protection strategies into their business strategies. When I studied at the Rochester Institute of Technology, I wrote did my Master’s Thesis research on “Environmental Assistance for Small Businesses: Best practices for maximization of small business participation in state funded environmental compliance programs.” Learning about the subject of the Green Salary has once again proven the theory I used to defend my thesis: when small businesses apply best environmental practices they increase their overall company profits. I will use the gained knowledge in my everyday life at home or work. I will also share the information gained with my colleagues and friends. Gulya Kolakova, Communications and Strategy Coordinator, Central Asia AIDS Control Project, Kazakhstan
My work is associated with sustainable development, control of environmental protection activities and audit of a company’s facilities. Companies certified by ISO-14001:2004 are concerned about good track recording of environmental issues and well-timed trouble shooting. So I really obtained valuable information from Chapter 2 of the course module related to environmental policy, hiring greener employees, improving the green status of a company, incorporating green practices in the daily life of employees. The environmental regulations are becoming more stringent thus requiring investments in new technologies, equipment and personnel skills so we are required to be proactive and efficient. Environmental jobs anticipate new potential for companies currently oriented towards waste management opportunities. Chapter 3 is also a valuable element of the course material as it discusses essential aspects of environmentally sound business practices. Companies are also striving to comply with both internal environmental policy and national/international regulations so as to reduce environmental burden and contamination risks. Well-timed investments in making products greener and the local environment cleaner can help to avoid tensions with the local population and environmental authorities. The “polluter pays” principle is well described in the chapter and we apply it in our daily practices by incorporating the pollution-prevention element. Better monitoring assumes efficient management, as the sooner we reveal the non-compliance, the quicker we take corrective actions to prevent further degradation. Chapters 4 and 8 will help me greatly in making presentations about the eco-footprint and in preparing newsletters/bulletins about green buildings and a green homes campaign. I am grateful to the teaching staff for the detailed, valuable and informative learning materials that helped me substantially to improve my knowledge for future use in routine activities. Oxana Beloglazova, Senior Environmental Specialist, PetroKazakhstan Operating Services Inc., Republic of Kazakhstan
I am a researcher in the Corporate Social Responsibility Laboratory at the International Academy of Business and I am preparing a research proposal for applying for a Ph.D. in this topic. The green economy which includes the idea of “green salaries” is a part of social responsibility that should be created, managed and regulated not only by industries (which many states may wish for) but primarily by governments. I am going to use the knowledge I gained from this course in preparing articles, publications and my thesis, as one of the main parts of social responsibility politics. This is the first time I have been exposed to the green salaries proposal, and I like the idea to use the unemployed in jobs for the protection of the environment. It will help people to keep their self-confidence and assertiveness, and hone their skills. In addition, it will contribute to the environment and we can start from simple steps. I will be promoting these ideas at meetings in Kazakhstan with governmental representatives, companies and academics. Yuliya Kharkova, Head of the International Development and Accreditation Department, Researcher at the Corporate Social Responsibility Laboratory, International Academy of Business, Kazakhstan
This online course gave me lots of ideas on how to improve the current state of the environment in Kazakhstan. I will use this material in my research and teaching process. This course is also very useful for understanding current tends and points of view on how the international community is engaging in the prevention of ecological problems. Andrey Belov, Counsellor of the President, Almaty State University, Kazakhstan
The course was very interesting and useful for me, not only as a researcher in the field of sustainable development but, also, as an expert with the Ministry of Justice and the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan on issues of draft laws and other normative legal acts. The course allowed me to understand some problems of environmental protection and sustainable urban development, and to make good proposals and recommendations in law-making activities. The material can also be helpful in my teaching activities, because it has many examples and is very easy to understand. I am going to use the knowledge I acquired from this course in preparing articles, and publications, and in my thesis about the main parts of social responsibility politics. I would also like to use this material in conducting research funded by the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science, devoted to the problems of the political modernization of our country. Yuliya Lokteva, Deputy Director, Institute of State and Law, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Republic of Kazakhstan
Natural Resources 2010
I have learnt many useful things through readings provided for this course. It was more of the scientific information, given in the biology or natural science classes at school, but more in depth description with many relevant examples. I will share the knowledge obtained through this course with my colleagues and friends and perhaps in the future, if I work for a company that applies environmentally friendly practices, my skills could be an asset. Gulya Kolakova, Communications & Strategy Coordinator, Central Asia AIDS Control Project, Kazakhstan
Sustainable Agriculture 2010
I am currently not employed in the environmental sector. However, this course has been of great interest to me. I took a few environmental courses when I studied for my Masters Program on Public Policy, and I have written my Master’s Thesis focusing on environmental issues of private firms in the US. I found all materials provided for the course to be very informative. I enjoyed reading about organic farming and about its harmony with environment. I also enjoyed learning about various water management systems. The information was always provided with specific examples, numbers and figures, which always helps to analyze the material in detail. I will share my knowledge with others, and in the future, if I am employed by any agency engaged in solving environmental issues, I will definitely apply this knowledge. Gulya Kolakova, Communications and Strategy Coordinator, Kazakhstan
Sustainable Forest Protection and Management 2011-2013
My work is concerned with sustainable development, control of environmental protection activities and audits of company facilities. As my place of employment maintains the HSE MS in compliance with ISO-14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007, it is concerned about good track recording of environmental issues and well-timed trouble shooting. So I really obtained valuable information from the course materials and gained knowledge. Forest sustainability is not my area of expertise, however, this course introduced me to the main aspects of forest development and helped me to learn more about the structure of forests, environmental challenges and potential development methods. I am grateful to the teaching personnel for the detailed, valuable and informative learning materials that helped me to substantially improve my knowledge for future use in my daily activities. Oxana Beloglazova, Senior Environmental Specialist, PetroKazakhstan Operating Services Inc., Republic of Kazakhstan
