On April 27, 2026, lecturers of the Department of Social and Humanitarian Disciplines and World Languages, Tsyrenzhapova G.G. and Nurmoldaev D.M., conducted an intellectual hackathon titled “Scientific Discussion” among first-year students enrolled in the educational programs “Software Engineering,” “Information and Innovative Technologies in Economics,” and “Accounting and Audit.”

As part of the event, student teams were presented with relevant problem-based cases, including: “Digital Culture: Benefit or Threat?”, “Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Humans?”, “Is Ecology More Important than the Economy?”, “Is Online Education More Effective than Traditional Education?”, “Should Social Media Be Restricted?”, and “Is Genetic Engineering Acceptable?”

The main objective of the hackathon was to develop key academic competencies: skills in scientific argumentation, critical analysis, academic discussion, and working with scholarly sources.

After randomly selecting their topics, teams formulated theses, gathered scientifically grounded arguments, analyzed sources, and prepared presentations. The final stage involved defending their positions on the selected issues, followed by participation in a scientific discussion.

Based on the results of the hackathon, and considering the logical coherence and scientific validity of the arguments, speech culture, and the ability to conduct discussions in accordance with the principles of academic ethics, the winners were determined in the following categories:

-  “Best Opponent Team” – Team “The Boys” (PI-25-1.7k);

-  “Strongest Argument” – Kuralbek Yerkin, student of group (PI-25-1.7k);

-  “Best Speaker” – Mukhat Yerzat and Alzhapbar Dilnaz, students of group (PI-25-1.3k).