Block – INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP
Al Farabi Hall

Post-COVID: New Policies and Work Standards. Mobility of Global Workforce (TBC)
In Kazakhstan and around the world, the labor market was already facing disruptive changes before 2020. A shrinking workforce, the rise of digitalization and automation, and shifts in skills needed were already at the center of global policymaking worries. The COVID-19 pandemic forced faster adaptation to new ways of working and propelled existing trends forward at full speed. These approaches have laid the basis for the “new normal” likely extending into the organization of work in the post-pandemic era. These new arrangements, especially flexible work arrangements, have challenged traditional relationships with employees and employers, work time and working hours, the work-life balance (WLB), and the relationship of individuals to work.


Block – SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES
Independence Hall

Net-Zero: Modern Technologies and Solutions for Clean Energy
Cities and corporations around the globe are setting targets to radically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to control climate change. The path to net-zero is paved with new forms of energy generation. What are the possible roadmaps for the net zero transition. Opportunities for the development of renewable energy. What policies may be implemented? Which approaches have been effective so far?


Block – ENERGY & SOCIETY
Abay Hall

Corporations & Start-Ups: How to Build Relationships
Although some large energy corporations invest in or acquire startups, a growing approach to corporate innovation involves collaborating with small, high-growth companies. When a large corporation partners with a start-up the result should, in theory, be a win-win. Corporations possess resources and legitimacy that startups aspire for, while startups have agility and novel ideas that corporations value. How should companies approach collaborations to get the most value out of them? Why energy transition is an important time for collaborations between corporates and start-ups? What are the main motivations for large and small companies to team up these days?