Emerald Horizon Ventures · Chiang Mai, Thailand

International competitions. Real credentials. A stage worth reaching.

We run international student competitions and guided study tours across Asia and Southeast Asia — judged by real professionals, built to strengthen a university application, not just fill a certificate wall.

Explore Competitions → See Study Tours

3 international competitions: A-ISPC, A-IBFC, Emerald Prize

Finals Week: Hong Kong or Bangkok, December 2026

Judged by university faculty & award-winning young scholars

Study tours across Thailand & Southeast Asia

Two ways to go further

Compete internationally, or explore the region.

Whether your students want to test themselves against a global field or experience Southeast Asia firsthand, there's a clear next step.

Founding Cohort · 2026

International Competitions

Three competitions, one December Finals Week in Hong Kong or Bangkok. Open worldwide, Grades 7–12.

A-ISPC — AI-assisted science & research
A-IBFC — business & financial literacy
Emerald Prize — traditional & AI-assisted art

See all three competitions →

Southeast Asia

Study Tours

Guided academic and cultural tours for student groups, run directly by our team on the ground in Thailand.

Chiang Mai & Bangkok programming
Cultural immersion alongside academic content
Built for school groups and partner organisations

View study tours →

Why Emerald Horizon

Built to be worth a student's time.

Founding cohort, 2026

First editions across all three competitions — a smaller field and a genuine chance to be among the first names on the record.

Real judges, real feedback

University faculty, a serving CFO, and award-winning young scholars — not automated scoring.

Built for applications

Every credential is designed to mean something on a real university application, not just a certificate wall.

A genuine stage

Finals Week brings qualifying students together in person — Hong Kong or Bangkok, December 2026.

Our team

The people behind Emerald Horizon.

Led by our founder, with a judging panel of university faculty and award-winning young scholars — growing as new competitions and mentors join for 2026.

Founder

Nurbakyt Boltayev

Founder & Managing Director, Emerald Horizon Ventures Limited (Hong Kong)

20+ years across Kazakhstan, Thailand and Southeast Asia in international education, student recruitment and publishing. Built Emerald Horizon Ventures to bring genuine international competitions and study experiences to students across the region.

Competition Judges & Mentors

A-ISPC · A-IBFC · Emerald Prize

Berik Sabdenaliyev

Dean, School of Social Sciences, Business & Law — SDU University

A-IBFC Lead Judge

Almat Zhailaubayev

VP Finance / CFO — North American University

A-IBFC Lead Judge

Fetullakh Sam

HKUST — Computer Science; IMO 2× Silver

A-IBFC Mentor

Arman Bakytov

CityU Hong Kong; Asian Physics Olympiad Bronze

A-ISPC Mentor

Arseniy Samoilenko

Former Kazakhstan National Physics Team

A-ISPC Mentor

More judges and mentors are joining as Emerald Prize and A-ISPC finalise their 2026 panels.

Ready to give your students an international stage?

Whether it's a competition entry or a study tour for your school, we'll help you find the right fit.

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