On May 30, 2020, the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology of Al-Farabi KazNU celebrated its professional holiday – the Chemist’s Day for the 59th time. Traditionally, this day brings together graduates of the Faculty, as a rule, the «graduates of the anniversary years», i.e. those who have completed their studies 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 70 years ago.

This holiday has always been filled with warmth, since graduates remember their serene student years, their friends, and favorite teachers. It is no accident that this tradition has attracted other Faculties of our University, and since 2011, on the initiative of Rector Galym Mutanov, the entire University has started to celebrate the Alumni Day on the last Saturday of May.

This year, the coronavirus pandemic made its own adjustments, and many graduates have not been able to come to the meeting at their Alma mater. However, the holiday still has been conducted – in an unconventional online form. The main meeting was organized on the basis of the Zoom platform, where more than 100 coryphaeus of the Faculty, outstanding chemists and graduates-anniversary celebrants have met. The rest of the audience had the opportunity to watch the online broadcast on the Faculty's Facebook page.

During the broadcast, more than 1000 viewers have been recorded, and within 2 days, more than 5500 people have seen this video post from the event. In addition, a 4-hour video of the event was posted on YouTube on the page of the Department of Analytical, Colloid Chemistry and Rare Element Technology, who is the organizer of the Chemist’s Day. Congratulatory and memorable videos addressed from different organizations were published in the social networks of each Department.

The celebration was attended by chemists from different cities and countries, and the organizers received more than 20 video greetings, both from graduates-anniversary celebrants, and from successful chemists-representatives of government agencies, scientific and business community, partner universities from Kazakhstan, and the HEIs of near and far abroad. Among them are former Minister K. Shamshidinova, patrons of the University Z. Castranova, A. Zharmenov etc.

Using photos of all the lecturers and professors who were their teachers, the graduates-anniversary celebrants have presented wonderful videos depicting in pictures memories of their student days and modern life. Not only the graduates of anniversary years, but also other graduates have addressed their virtual greetings and videos from all over the world.

According to the long-lasting tradition, the holiday of all generations has started with a greeting from Rector of Al-Farabi KazNU, Academician Galym Mutanov, who has told about the current achievements of the University and congratulated all graduates.

The presenters have read out a greeting from the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the President of the Association of Graduates of KazNU, Colonel-General of justice, graduate of the Faculty of Law in 1981 Kairat Mami. In his address, he has highlighted the new successful projects of the Association with the participation of patrons, and congratulated all the graduates on the holiday wishing them success in their professional activities.

Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Khaidar Suleymanovich Tassibekov, has accepted the baton of official congratulations. The participants of the event and online viewers have been acquainted with the current achievements the Faculty in recent years as well as an ongoing tradition of chemists to meet annually after graduation in late May. The youngest viewers have found out that every year on the Day of the Chemists a number and the corresponding element of the Periodic Table of D.I. Mendeleev is to be assigned. Thus, for instance, this year, the holiday has been conducted under the emblem of the 59th element – praseodymium.

The parade of graduates has been launched by a well-known scientist, teacher, Head of the Department of Analytical Chemistry (1971-1993), a graduate of 1950 (graduated from the University 70 years ago), Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor Alexandra Ivanovna Zebreva. She has shared her memories and congratulated the audience on the Chemist’ss Day. Although, she now lives in Karaganda, grateful students and colleagues found an opportunity to present her a huge bouquet of roses.

A total of 14 anniversary graduates have been presented, each course have demonstrated their talents by reading poetry and signing songs. Some video greetings were real masterpieces. All of them are available for viewing on the Faculty’s Facebook page. The performances by the graduates, who are not «anniversary-celebrants» has been memorable as well, they have shared their memories of student years and warm thoughts of their Faculty and teachers.

In addition, during the celebration, a film dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, as well as a video about the achievements and successes of the University, has been shown. The event also included a meeting of the Faculty's Alumni Association, which discussed the current achievements of the University and the Faculty as well as the prospects for cooperation of Al-Farabi KazNU Alumni Association in the framework of the project entitled «Mentoring: Opportunities for Everyone». Participants have expressed their appreciation and support for this initiative. As part of this initiative, the Faculty plans to work closely on this project in the next academic year.

The meeting has been ended with the song «Armandastar», which became the anthem of the University graduates, performed by famous graduates of the KazNU.

The organizers of the Alumni meeting have received a lot of positive feedback from the grateful audience. After the festive event, numerous video greetings and words of gratitude addressed to the Faculty have been written in the WhatsApp network. The graduates reviewing the video from the event that was posted in «YouTube» still thank the organizers of the 59th Chemist’s Day. As it turned out, organizing of such events in an online format has its significant advantages – it is a great possibility to reach a much larger audience. It is obvious that the Chemist’s Day-2020, despite everything, was a success!

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