What does it take to be successful in today's fast-changing world? Discover five essential skills that can help you grow, adapt, and make an impact anywhere in the world.
We speak with Chevening alumnus Professor Sergey Sayapin about five skills that have shaped his career and continue to guide his work today.
‘Over time, I have realised that success depends… on a set of skills that allow us to grow, adapt, and contribute meaningfully.’
A genuine curiosity about the world and different perspectives can open unexpected doors.
While teaching and researching in Central Asia, I explored how global norms are adapted locally, uncovering overlooked insights and inspiring cross-border collaboration in the Central Asia Yearbook on International Law.
Curiosity drives initiatives that connect communities, encourage dialogue, and amplify diverse voices. It helps us learn from each other and address shared challenges.
Academic and professional life rarely follow a straight line.
I’ve moved between countries and institutions, from Europe to Central Asia, which taught me to adapt quickly and to learn from every new environment.
Resilience is essential for navigating challenges, uncertainty, and change. Every setback can become an opportunity to learn, grow, and reinvent yourself.
Whether drafting a legal argument, writing an academic paper, or explaining complex ideas to students from diverse backgrounds, I have learned that being clear shows respect for both the audience and the subject.
The most effective communicators make complex ideas easy to understand while keeping their core meaning. Clear, thoughtful language invites others in and fosters understanding.
No one succeeds alone.
Collaboration sparks innovation and shared learning. Working with others across projects, disciplines, or borders strengthens ideas and builds communities.
‘Working with colleagues on edited volumes, research projects, and international conferences has shown me that intellectual partnership is one of the great privileges of academia.’
Equally fulfilling is mentoring students and emerging scholars. Seeing them develop their own voices in international law has been among the most rewarding parts of my work, and a reminder that teaching is, at its best, an act of shared discovery.
Making a lasting impact means looking beyond your own individual achievements. Building long-term projects requires vision and the ability to bring others along.
Founding the Central Asia Yearbook on International Law taught me that successful initiatives are built on communities of trust, purpose, and shared commitment to knowledge.
We thrive when we are curious, adaptable, collaborative, communicate clearly, and think strategically, skills which are developed through reflection, humility, and persistence.
For those starting out, my advice is simple: stay curious, remain open to change, express your ideas clearly, invest in others, and think beyond yourself. The impact you make will reach further than you might expect.
Dr. Sergey Sayapin is Professor at KIMEP University School of Law in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He is the Editor of the forthcoming Central Asia Yearbook on International Law (Brill, 2026) and a Distinguished Global Visiting Scholar at the Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore.
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