Alumni Profile
Aigerim Kussainova, MSc Human Resource Development, 2010
I graduated from one of the leading Universities of Kazakhstan - The Eurasian National University (2008). My Bachelor degree in Regional Studies (International Relations) and six years work experience in NGO sector in the field of training and leadership development helped me to get the "Bolashak" scholarship. Human resource development initiatives in Kazakhstan are increasingly being introduced and developed through the government programmes, and the "Bolashak" scholarship is one of these initiatives.
With the understanding of Kazakhstan’s main development priorities, I decided to study MSc Human Resource Development at The University of Manchester, within the Institute for Development, Policy and Management (IDPM). It provides excellent resources, studio facilities, workshops, and creates a warm and friendly atmosphere to encourage and facilitate productive research and study.
The Human Resource Development module guided by the talented and experienced scholars is exciting and interesting. Every lecture is a good opportunity to understand the globalisation processes and critically analyze the policy initiatives and development agenda associated with the well-being of people. Core models cover various significant areas and themes such as globalisation, HRD strategic interventions at organization and societal levels, Knowledge Management, Organization Development, Training and Development, Managing Quality, and Politics and Development.
The most valuable experience for me was the understanding of the importance of the gender development issues in developing countries. Through the process of globalisation, the world has become more open, more diverse, and closer, and as a result, gender inequality is not just an issue for feminists. Gender inequality is not about the development of women, it is about the development of the society. Consequently, gender development strategies as part of broader issues such as poverty problems and sustainable development are one of the key components for the prosperity of all nations within the global arena.
The encouraging environment of the school, and the courses offered by the programme have provided tremendous opportunities for me to develop and prepare myself for the challenges that lie at the beginning of my career. I strongly believe that knowledge gained from the University of Manchester will be useful for the developing country I belong to and will be a great advantage to my personal and career development.