The Foundation's team brings together lawyers, researchers and experts with hands-on experience working with international organizations, government bodies and business.
Director of the Foundation
GR Expert at MIND, Senior Lecturer at Maqsut Narikbayev University, PhD Fellow, Independent Expert and Analyst, Trainer.
Liliya Ispenbetova is the Director of the International Research Hub Public Foundation and a senior lecturer at Maqsut Narikbayev University. She is an independent expert and analyst with extensive experience in women's rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, international standards, anti-corruption review, and compliance.
She has held advisory and expert roles in cooperation with public authorities, including as a former member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, former Advisor to the Minister of Justice of Kazakhstan on anti-corruption reforms, and a member of Parliamentary working groups. She is the author of anti-corruption expert reviews for the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development, research studies for the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, and professional development courses for the Anti-Corruption Agency of Kazakhstan and the Central Election Commission.
She has successfully led and implemented projects funded by the World Bank, UN Women, OSCE, USAID, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), Winrock International, UNDP, the European Union, the University of Liverpool, the Central Asia Labor Rights Monitoring Mission, and Kazakhstani NGOs.
She is the author of the monograph "Responsibility of International Organizations for Internationally Wrongful Acts" (Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany, 2016).
Her international academic fellowships include the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, the Peace Palace Library (The Hague, Netherlands), Nicolaus Copernicus University (Toruń, Poland), and the European Court of Human Rights (Strasbourg, France).
Founder of the Foundation
Maxim Sobolev is an expert in energy efficiency of buildings and structures and a professional architect. He specializes in project support through environmental, sanitary-epidemiological, and comprehensive non-departmental expertise, as well as architectural supervision.
He has been awarded a Certificate of Honor from the National Association of Designers of the Republic of Kazakhstan and a Letter of Appreciation from the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Head of Fundraising and International Relations Department
Zhankeldi Abdikadyrov is an expert in International Relations and Diplomacy and an active participant in international, youth, and environmental initiatives. He has experience in education, civic engagement, climate policy, and preventive diplomacy.
He has participated in UN programs, international forums, and youth platforms, and has represented Kazakhstan in national and international competitions. His areas of interest include international relations, sustainable development, climate policy, energy transition, and youth diplomacy.
Head of Youth Engagement Department
Intellectual Property Lawyer. Arofat Nasirova completed the WIPO Academy program "Intellectual Property and Business" and undertook legal internships in both public and private sectors, gaining practical experience in contract drafting, project support, and legal analysis.
Projects include the launch of an online school in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) in partnership with the Kazakh online school Flagman Online.
Publications include "Application of Administrative Law Norms in Practice" (Pedagog, academic journal) and "Property Interests of Authors on Social Media" (Kazpatent Journal, National Institute of Intellectual Property of Kazakhstan). She also holds certificates from the Summer School on International Commercial Arbitration in Kazakhstan, the Media Law Marathon, and a WIPO regional webinar on filing international applications under the Madrid System.
Head of Project Management Department
Lawyer. Assel Dzharassova's academic and professional interests focus on intellectual property law. She has professional experience at the International Patent Center Eurasian Brands, as well as in expert review of international economic integration projects within the Eurasian Economic Union at the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan and at QazTrade — the Center for Trade Policy Development.
Head of Research Department
Legal Assistant to the General Manager, Hilton Hotel. Alizhan Omirbekov leads the Foundation's research activities. He has developed research projects for the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan and conducted analysis of international treaties. He authored the research project "Mechanism for Monitoring International Treaties of the Republic of Kazakhstan."
His teaching experience includes law courses at Turan College, public speaking at Maqsut Narikbayev University, and English language instruction at The Coca-Cola Company.