Heart, Mind, and Will of Entrepreneurship: How Abai’s Philosophy Shapes a New Business Approach in Kazakhstan

“A person’s worth lies not in wealth, but in intellect and good deeds.”

These words by Abai, spoken more than a century ago, sound strikingly modern today. They remind us that the true strength and resilience of a business are born not from financial indicators alone, but from wisdom, ethics, and a desire to do good.

In our time, an entrepreneur must not only be able to earn money, but also create value for people, society, and future generations. Profit is only one part of the equation; the other half lies in sustainability, social responsibility, and a conscious approach to business.

It is on these principles that the new educational program “Learning ESG Through the Lens of Abai’s Philosophy” has been built, developed by the Nazarbayev University Research Centre for Entrepreneurship (NURCE) in collaboration with the Business Trainers Association. The program blends the philosophical depth of Abai Kunanbayev’s legacy with the modern principles of ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance).

Over the course of four days, participants attended intensive master classes, business simulations, and team exercises that helped them live out Abai’s concept of Tolyq Adam—the holistic person who unites the Heart (ethics and values), the Mind (knowledge and strategic thinking), and the Will (action and resilience).

The main goal of the program is to teach entrepreneurs not just to adapt to new economic realities, but to build businesses that are strong, conscious, and beneficial to society. This is especially important for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, where values and long-term strategy become the main capital.

The training was provided free of charge, making it accessible to those who usually have limited access to modern educational resources: women entrepreneurs, youth, and entrepreneurs with disabilities. A total of 112 entrepreneurs from four cities—Astana, Almaty, Semey, and Aktobe—took part in the program.

The learning process was built around three core thematic blocks, each revealing one facet of Abai’s philosophy in a business context:

• Heart — value-based and empathetic leadership, ethical decision-making, social responsibility.
• Mind — strategic thinking, innovation, rational use of resources.
• Will — readiness for action, ability to implement change, resilience in the face of challenges.

Key elements of the program included:

• The Story Wall — shaping entrepreneurial identity through storytelling.
• Business simulations: “The Social Enterprise Tower”, “The Beaver Dam”, “ESG Investor”.
• Practical tasks in strategic planning, digital marketing, change management, and environmental practices.
• Creative rethinking — participants imagined what Abai might look like as a contemporary entrepreneur.