Kazakhstan IQ Games visit DIT

International Affairs were delighted to welcome Sergey Pyachshik and his crew from the IQ Games, Kazakhstan to DIT in March. The Kazakhstan Television project in association with Nursultan Nazarbaev Education Foundation spent a number of days filming their quiz and special video postcards on Dublin to air on Kazakh TV this autumn.

Three teams of DIT students took part in the Kazakhstan based quiz show “The IQ Games” on the 18th of March. The television show, also translated as “The Intellectual Olympics”, is one of Kazakhstan's most popular television programmes and features teams of three students competing in a quiz based on lateral thinking.

The regular programme features students from Kazakhstan competing for an education scholarship, but special editions of the show have feature competitions between Kazakhstan and an international selection of colleges.

As part of a European tour, the show arrived in Ireland just in time to sample the atmosphere of St. Patrick's Day. The crew filmed Dublin ‘postcards’ that will also be used throughout the series.

The DIT teams fared quite well in the competition, with two teams just shy of claiming maximum points. The result of the quiz will not be known until the filming of the Kazakh leg of the competition, but fingers crossed for a DIT win.

Though there was occasional confusion due to translation, the DIT students agreed it was an enjoyable once in a life time experience. The show was filmed in the Mansion House in Dublin by the touring Kazakhstan based film crew. The Lord Mayor hosted a reception for Kazakh students studying in Dublin that evening in the Mansion House. Well-known Kazakh singers Diana Shik and Alisher Karimov performed for the Lord Mayor and students.

Tim, a Fourth year Tourism and Hospitality Marketing student (originally from Kazakhstan) worked with International Affairs hosting the crew.

"It was an amazing experience! It was a great chance to show Ireland to the IQ Games crew and for DIT students to find out more about Kazakhstan.

All the Kazakh students in Dublin also really enjoyed the ‘visit from home...It will be great to see DIT and Dublin on Kazakh TV!”

Report by Frankie Whelan.