UNICEF: 2000 Kazakhstani girls will learn how to assemble a nanosatellite

NUR-SULTAN, February 3, 2022 – Representative office of the United Nations Children's Fund in Kazakhstan (UNICEF) together with the "Science and Technology Park" KazNU named after Al-Farabi (Technopark) launches a free online course on creating nanosatellites for girls aged 14 to 35.

Course participants will be able to master the design, design and programming of spacecraft. Kazakhstani girls will have a chance to build their own nanosatellite and launch it into the stratosphere this year.

As part of the course, all participants, with the support of mentors, will learn how to process environmental flight data received by the nanosatellite during launch. Course instructors will show you how to visualize the data, write the final mission report, and use the data for scientific and practical purposes. Girls will receive knowledge about 3D modeling, design of software control units, software and hardware development skills, communications and the basics of programming in Linux from leading Kazakhstani experts in the field of aerospace technologies.

The online course will last until March 17 with a frequency of 2 lessons per week. 200 Kazakh girls who are the most active in attending online classes and participating in webinars will be able to take part in a two-week practical seminar along with their peers from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The trainers and mentors of the course will be teachers of KazNU named after Al-Farabi.

“UNICEF is developing projects necessary to promote STEM education among girls. We are sure that an active interest in this area should be instilled from school. We hope that our nanosatellite course will inspire participants to pursue their education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to all potential participants, invite them to take part in the program and reach for the stars ,” - Arthur van Diesen, UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan, said.

“The joint project of UNICEF Kazakhstan and KazNU is a real case for the development of space robotics, by studying all the main stages of creating a real spacecraft,” - Amirkhan Temirbaev, project coordinator, General Director of KazNU Engineering and High Technologies Cluster, said.

Registration for the course does not require special knowledge in the field of physics or astronomy. Any schoolgirl or student can fill out an application and register for a free course at this link: https://bit.ly/34lItxh

Deadline to apply for registration: February 10, 2022.

The online course was created with the support of the international charity Dubai Cares, Clé de Peau Beauté brand and philanthropist Ms. Nazanin Alakia.

The course is conducted within the framework of the joint educational program of UNICEF and NJSC KazNU named after Al-Farabi - UniSat. Last year, within the framework of this program, 20 girls created nanosatellites and launched them into the stratosphere. Launched nanosatellites took pictures of the Earth and collected data on radiation, pressure, gravity, light and gas composition for further analysis by scientists.

The goal of the UniSat program is to develop the knowledge and competencies of girls in the field of nanosatellite development, as well as the improvement of such skills as teamwork, oratory, time management and creative ingenuity.

Notes to editors:

Additional information about the project is available on the UniSat website: https://unisat.kz/