As part of the day of the national currency of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the professional holiday of employees of the financial system on November 15, the Bureau for Continuous Professional Development of the Astana International Financial Centre (BCPD) organised the educational initiative "Hour of Finance". Employees of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) held open lectures on financial literacy in 15 public schools, shared their knowledge and experience in the format of interactive conversations and games. The goal of the project is to increase financial literacy among the young population, to get acquainted with the financial world through simple and interesting activities. As a result, students expand their horizons, acquire new knowledge, and are motivated to develop financial literacy to make decisions that contribute to the well-being of society in Kazakhstan.
For the first time, “Hour of Finance” as a social initiative from the AIFC was held in 2019. The initiative was inspired by the Hour of Code, an annual event for schoolchildren around the world that aims to develop programming skills in children.
“Financial literacy is not taught in schools, but this knowledge is necessary for every successful person. Teenagers should already be aware of income and expenses, control the inflow and outflow of money, create a financial plan, and stick to it. We want children in schools to have access not only to school subjects, but also to life skills necessary in adult life: flexible communication skills, developed emotional intelligence, the ability to present themselves and, of course, financial literacy”, shared one of the mentors of the action, Zhazira Nauryzbayeva.
“Financial literacy as a discipline is not taught in school, even though schoolchildren themselves strive to learn it. I am very glad that organisations like BCPD help different schools to learn about economics and financial literacy. It was also interesting to learn that there are such Olympiads as the AIFC Olympiad in Finance and Economics", a 10th grade student of the Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Astana, Adilbek Mukhamedzhan, spoke after the master class.
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The Bureau of Continuing Professional Development of the Astana International Financial Centre (BCPD) has been operating in the market for more than six years with the aim of developing human capital for the needs of the economy of Kazakhstan. We have implemented many projects and programs in the field of training both professional personnel and the younger generation at the levels of secondary, higher, and postgraduate education. BCPD also conducts systematic work to support socially significant educational projects, including the promotion of the development of Kazakhstani youth.
The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is an independent jurisdiction that started operations in 2018. In accordance with the Development Strategy until 2025, the key focus of the AIFC is to consolidate as a universal platform connecting the countries of the EAEU, Central Asia and the Caucasus.