School of Information Sciences

GET & iSchool Bolashaq Program Welcome

Bolashaq program 2025-2026

The University of Illinois Office of Global Education and Training (GET) and the iSchool are pleased to welcome the third cohort of data science scholars and industry professionals participating in the Bolashaq Program, an international scholarship created by the government of Kazakhstan to send scholars and professionals abroad for academic and professional development.

 

This year, the schedule of events is divided into 2 sessions.

Session 1 will offer an overview of the iSchool research, courses, and programs, the Center for Informatics Research in Science and Scholarship (CIRSS), and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).  The main audience of Session 1 is Bolashak fellows and anyone who would like to learn more about the iSchool.

Session 2 will be focused on introducing the GET team and Bolashaq fellows to the iSchool and fostering international data science research, teaching, and professional connections with faculty, staff, and students. The community members will learn how they can get involved with the program and how compensation works.

We will end the event with a tour of the iSchool buildings. The tour is open to everybody who is new to the iSchool.

Refreshments will be served: coffee and light pastries in the morning and pizza for lunch.

Register for the event.

Schedule of events

Session 1: Welcome to the iSchool at Illinois

TimeSessionSpeakers
8:30-9:00Welcome receptionBolashaq iSchool team and GET team
9:00-9:05Opening remarksJanaynne Carvalho do Amaral, Teaching Assistant Professor
9:05-9:25iSchool overviewEmily Knox, Interim Dean and Professor
J. Stephen Downie, Professor, Executive Associate Dean, and Co-Director of the HathiTrust Research Center
Kyungwon Koh, Associate Professor and Interim Associate Dean for Community, Culture, and Engagement
9:25-9:40iSchool programs and coursesMaria Bonn, Associate Professor and MSLIS Program Director
9:40-9:55Center for Informatics Research in Science and ScholarshipTim McPhillips, Senior Research Scientist
Bertram Ludaescher, Professor and Director, Center for Informatics Research in Science and Scholarship
9:55-10:10National Center for Supercomputing ApplicationsChuck Pavloski, Associate Director for Research
10:10-10:50Lightning talksMasooda Bashir, Professor
Ian Brooks, Research Scientist and Director, Center for Health Informatics
Jingrui He, Professor
Halil Kilicoglu, Associate Professor

10:50-11:00 Posters & Break

Session 2: Networking Lunch

TimeSessionSpeakers
11:00-11:10Global Education and TrainingMatt Rosenstein, Director of Global Education and Training
11:10-11:30Bolashaq fellows flash talksData science scholars and industry professionals from Kazakhstan
11:30-11:45How to participate in the Bolashaq programWendy Spencer, Assistant Director
Janaynne Carvalho do Amaral, Teaching Assistant Professor
11:45-12:00Bolashaq mentorship experienceHaohan Wang, Assistant Professor
12:00-12:05Closing remarksJanaynne Carvalho do Amaral
J. Stephen Downie
12:30-1:00iSchool tourJ.B. Bailey, Coordinator of Events
J. Stephen Downie
Janaynne Carvalho do Amaral

 

Questions? Please contact Janaynne Carvalho do Amaral, J. B. Bailey, and Wendy Spencer.

School of Information Sciences

501 E. Daniel St.

MC-493

Champaign, IL

61820-6211

Voice: (217) 333-3280

Email: ischool@illinois.edu

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