Think of all the things around you that work without effort. Yes, stuff like your car and microwave count. But it could also be something non-technical like being able to access a needed product that your country imports.
It could also be a negotiated partnership between your country and another to promote security. Whatever it is, it did not just happen. People made it happen and everyday, we live our lives without knowing the names of half of these people who drastically impact our lives or, at least, contribute to it.
Ospan Zhassuzakov is the sort of person who would qualify as an unsung hero, having spent most of his life in the military, contributing to the national security of Kazakhstan and establishing dialogue with China to boost inter-military operations.
This is Ospan Zhassuzakov’s Story – Laser-Focused Pursuit of a Life of Service and Knowledge
Early Days
Many people believe in creating their own paths. But Ospan knows that you can be in the family business and still be great.
As a child of a military family who grew up in the former USSR, Ospan Zhassuzakov did many normal things. He played war games with his friends, read books, explored foreign languages, and sharpened his chess skills with his peers. Unbeknown to him at that time, all these games and curiosities would pave the foundation for his analytical mind, preparing him for a future of service and intellectual work.
Education
Ospan’s interest in the military was always a constant in his life. It was typical for someone growing up in Soviet Union and in a military family.
Ospan attended a military academy and graduated in 1997 from the Republican Military School (Suvorov Military School) in Almaty. Five years later in 2002, he completed his studies in Translation and Liaison for Chinese and English Languages in Military University of Russia. This put him in a position to communicate with nearly 3 billion people in the world who spoke at least one of those languages.
In 2008 Ospan Zhassuzakov went on to complete a master’s-level program in Management—Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Decade into his career, he completed another master’s degree from the National Defence University, Republic of Kazakhstan in 2018. He did not stop there, he went on to take courses in the U.S., China, Finland, Sweden, and Croatia.
Describing his achievements in school, Ospan Zhassuzakov mentioned: “During my studies at the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the National Defense University of the Republic of Kazakhstan, I repeatedly received awards for my academic achievements. I was also involved in the development of teaching techniques in the subject of military science. The aids that I created are used in the training of officers in higher military educational institutions til this day.”
Career
Like most other people making their way in the world, Ospan Zhassuzakov’s career started out humbly — at least, in comparison to the feats he went on to achieve. Shortly after his first degree in 2002, he started out as an airborne assault platoon leader, a literal high flyer.
That was crucial to his appointment as a deputy military attaché of Kazakhstan in China. Zhassuzakov made a contribution into the full-scale military-technical cooperation between the two countries. It was a breakthrough in bilateral affairs. He became a brain behind Kazakhstan’s acquisition of, among other things, its first strike drones.
After his service was completed in China, in 2016-2019, he worked at different positions in National Security Council. During this time, he initiated several ideas that noticeably increased the level of defense and national security of Kazakhstan. He also coordinated the work of government agencies to adopt key documents. These were supposed to ensure the Nation’s security. These documents went on to be relied on by the President, Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense in aiding their political decisions.
For his contribution to the development of collective security, he received a medal from the CSTO Secretary General. Also for the achievements in strengthening national security hi has several medals from the President.
Between 2019 and 2022, he was Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan for Information and Analytics. Finally, in 2022-2024, he was appointed as a Military Advisor to the Mission of Kazakhstan to the UN. His final contribution to his exceptional service, he initiated and implemented an independent deployment of a peacekeeping contingent. This was the first in the history of Kazakhstan in the UN Mission in the Golan Heights.
His work was so impressive to his superiors that he was awarded a military rank ahead of regular schedule twice.
Since then, he has been a military pensioner.
Looking Ahead
Ospan has plenty of respect from being a military man. What else? He has academic success. Still, he wants more growth. He wants to open an online company that will analyze international situations and predict its outcomes. And finally? He dreams of raising his five children, giving them a comfortable happy life.
