Professor Bakhyt Yessekina, Dr of Economics, currently serves as CEO and Director of the Green Academy – the first green think tank in the CIS and Asia-Pacific region, established in 2013. She brings extensive experience in public administration, strategic planning, sustainable development, and green economy policy. Dr Yessekina has played a pivotal role in shaping Kazakhstan’s national Green Economy and Low-Carbon Development Strategy, including serving as one of the lead authors of the country’s 2060 Development Programme. Her expertise encompasses public policy, governance, and the greening of public administration systems.
She coordinated the establishment of the Public Policy School at the Academy of Public Administration in 2008, with the support of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, as well as the High Party School under the presidential party in 2012.
Throughout her career, Dr Yessekina has held senior advisory positions across key government institutions in Kazakhstan, including the Administration of the President, the Parliament, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Ecology, and the Ministry of Economy. She has also advised prominent international organisations such as the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), offering strategic insights on governance and institutional development.
Her academic contributions are equally distinguished. She has authored more than 180 publications and has served as a long-standing member of national councils and commissions on education, science, and the green economy. Her dedication to public service and education is reflected in her active engagement with universities and think tanks, as well as her mentorship of emerging leaders in public administration.
