On April 8, 2026, students of the Pedagogy programme at the International University of Central Asia met with representatives of the El Aiym Public Foundation and leaders of private educational institutions. The meeting took place as part of the course "Models of Parent-School Cooperation. Extracurricular Activities" — and offered students a vivid look at the realities of modern private schooling.

The speakers were Emiliya Muratovna Kaipova, Deputy Director of the El Aiym Foundation; Shirin Yskak kyzy, Director of the Uchur kindergarten and international school; and Pavel Nikolayevich Trubinov, Deputy Director of Bilimkana-Kara-Balta Secondary School. The conversation centred on the specifics of working with parents, students, and teachers in a private educational setting.

The guests spoke in detail about how they select teachers for their schools. Beyond professional qualifications, they highlighted qualities that are especially valued today: sensitivity to a rapidly changing world, the ability to truly hear students and respond to their needs, the capacity to find a personal source of inspiration as a safeguard against burnout, the willingness to consciously yield to a student when needed, and the habit of monitoring one's own professional growth while planning a deliberate development path — both as a specialist and as a person. It was this conversation that produced the remark that became the headline: "These are the teachers we want first in line."

A separate part of the meeting focused on parent engagement. The speakers identified its core elements: education, open dialogue, and — from the very outset — aligning on a shared goal between teacher and parent: the upbringing and education of the child.

On a practical note, the group discussed the possibility of students serving as camp counsellors at the Bilimkana-Kara-Balta summer school camp, with follow-up meetings planned to develop the programme and coordinate preparations. The meeting concluded with the signing of a cooperation memorandum between the IUCA Pedagogy programme and the El Aiym Public Foundation — a step that opens new horizons for students and strengthens both sides through meaningful collaboration.