KIMEP University Welcomes New Faculty and Leadership: Fresh Faces, Fresh Ideas

As the new academic year begins at KIMEP University, a fresh wave of professors and deans have arrived at campus. The fall semester has brought several new faculty members across various schools, and they are already making an impact on the community.

Seven professors have joined the College of Human Sciences and Education, five have been appointed to the Bang College of Business, four new professors have started in the College of Social Sciences, and another four have joined the new School of Computer Science and Mathematics. Additionally, the School of Law and the College of Social Sciences have welcomed new leadership with the hiring of two new deans. 

One of the new faces in the Department of Media and Communication, Cole Lee Russing said he was excited to get started at KIMEP. 

“So far, my experience at KIMEP University has been fabulous,” he said. “The people are friendly, the students are wonderful, and everyone has been so kind to me.”

Russing said he was drawn to KIMEP because he enjoys exploring new places.

“Life is an adventure, and when you look at it that way, it’s amazing what doors open,” he said.

Three facts about Russing

If you’ve never watched the movie Dirty Dancing, it’s worth checking out, since Russing was in that movie.  

“I am in the beginning in the bar scene where they are dancing, and Cynthia Rhodes puts her leg upon Patrick Swayze’s shoulder, and they have a big circle of people watching. I am right behind them,” he said.

Russing is also a beekeeper. 

“I kept honey bees for years,” he said. “It is the most fascinating hobby I’ve ever had.”

 He loves playing ping-pong, he said.

Dr. Michael Blasie, the new Dean of the School of Law, said he has enjoyed the first three weeks at KIMEP: 

“It has been wonderful. The students and staff are very friendly, generous, and welcoming,” he said. “The upperclassmen are great—they even taught me how to use Kaspi!”

Blasie said community and service were his primary reasons for joining KIMEP. His main goal as dean is to elevate the School of Law, empower ideas, and help students make a difference. He wants graduates to play important roles in Kazakhstan’s system of jurisprudence and law, as well as reach beyond its borders and become part of the global community. 

Three facts about Blasie:

He volunteered as a firefighter and EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) for seven years. To begin this service, he completed the fire academy at night while working as a lawyer during the day.

 “For three months, I was in the wild learning how to help people,” he said.

Italian food is his favourite comfort cuisine because it connects him to his family, he said. 

He won three divisions in an annual public speaking competition.

Dr. Milen Filipov Nikolaev, who has taken on the role of Interim Dean of the College of Social Sciences, is no stranger to KIMEP. Having been part of the university for eight years, he said he’s excited about his new position: 

“It’s an amazing experience, and I am absolutely happy,” he said. “I’ve been here as a professor, and as a Chair of the Department of Media and Communication, and now I am an Interim Dean of the College of Social Sciences. I love KIMEP, and I love Almaty”.

Filipov’s goal as a dean is to make everything that is happening run smoothly, he said. He also wants “to provide a high quality education to students,  push for more research, which will put us as a powerhouse of research at KIMEP. And I love the position because it is very dynamic and everyday is exactly different. No one day is the same”. 

“I want CSS at KIMEP to be recognised as the best College of Social Sciences in Central Asia,” he said, “and a very reliable partner of much bigger universities and colleges abroad in America, Europe, and in Asia.” 

Three facts about Filipov. 

He’s an active person who enjoys Terrenkur, a walking place in Almaty, and spending time in the mountains—though he prefers the cable car over hiking.

Back in his native Bulgaria, he loves fishing.

He also enjoys martial arts.

The new faculty: 

College of Social Science: 

1. Dr. Amanzhol Bekmagambetov – Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Georgia, USA

 2. Мr. Cole Lee Russing – Assistant Professor, Department of Media and Communications, MFA in Cinema-Television, University of Southern California, USA

3. Dr. Jimmy Teng – Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Ph.D. in Political Science, Duke University, USA

4. Dr. Srinivas Yerramsetti – Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration, Ph.D. in Public Administration, Rutgers University, USA

Bang College of Business:

1. Dr. Ali Alipour – Assistant Professor of Management, Department of Management and Marketing, Ph.D. in Management and Organization, Sabanci University, Türkiye

2. Dr. Hamza Almustafa – Assistant Professor of Finance, Department of Accounting and Finance, Ph.D. in Finance, The University of Salford, UK

3. Dr. Stephane Bignoux – Associate Professor of Management, Department of Management and Marketing, Ph.D. in Business, Macquarie University, Australia

4. Dr. Muhammad Imran – Assistant Professor of Operations Management & QM, Department of Management and Marketing, Ph.D. in Industrial and Management Engineering, Hanyang University, South Korea

5. Dr. David Sutton – Associate Professor of Accounting, Department of Accounting and Finance, Ph.D. in Accounting and Commercial Law, Victoria University, New Zealand

New Dean of the School of Law: 

Dr. Michael Blasie – Dean and Professor, J.D. from New York University School of Law, USA School of Computer Science and Mathematics 

School of Computer Science and Mathematics:

1. Dr. Aishabibi Dukenbayeva – Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ph.D. in Mathematics, Ghent University, Belgium

2. Dr. Anel Ibrayeva – Assistant Professor of Physics, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan

3. Dr. Prapa Rattadilok – Chair, Professor of Computer Science, Department of Computer Science, Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Leeds, UK

4. Dr. Nurgissa Yessirkegenov -Associate Professor of Mathematics, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ph.D. in Mathematics, Imperial College London, UK

College of Human ScienceS and Education:

1. Dr. Sham Haidar – Associate Professor, Department of Education, Ph.D. in Teaching and Curriculum, University of Rochester, USA

2. Mr. Christopher Hart-Moynihan – English Language Senior Lecturer, Department of English, M.A. in Linguistics, University of New Mexico, USA

3. Dr. Krishna Mohan Kotra – Professor, Department of Psychology, Ph.D. in Psychology, Andhra University, India, Honorary Professor Title (University of Flore, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2012) and Post Doctoral from University of Utrecht, Netherlands, 2001)

4. Ms. Elmira Kurmangozhayeva – Kazakh Language Senior Lecturer, Department of Modern Languages and Translation, C.Sc. in Philological Sciences, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan

5. Dr. Kyle Msall – Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Ph.D. in International Psychology: Organizations and Systems, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, US

6. Ms. Elmira Yerkebekova – Assistant Professor, Department of Modern Languages and Translation (area of teaching – Russian Language), C.Sc. in Philological Sciences, A1-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan

7. Dr. Gulnissa Zhunussova – Assistant Professor, Department of Modern Languages and Translation Ph.D. in Education, University of Nottingham, UK. Fall Courses: Academic Reading and Writing I; Pre-Intermediate Kazakh; Cross-Cultural Aspects of Language Teaching.