How an engineer from Aktobe became a judge at the largest international hackathons

In March 2024, a team from Kazakhstan took first place at the international Burning Heroes AI for Humanity hackathon, outperforming hundreds of participants from around the world. This victory became an important symbol: Kazakh specialists are not just “in the game” — they are setting the pace on the global stage.

But behind loud successes always stand those who evaluate these projects. Among the international experts determining the fate of finalists, the name of Oleg Mikhelson is increasingly heard — an engineer from Aktobe, whose ability to instantly see the strengths and weaknesses of projects has made him a prominent figure in the judging community.

How to Become a World-Class Judge

Oleg Mikhelson is a member of the jury at international hackathons such as Burning Heroes, Turingday, Mental Health Hackathon, and others. These competitions bring together the strongest teams of developers, engineers, and architects from different countries. The level of solutions ranges from technically complex prototypes to concepts with serious engineering potential. Each project requires expert evaluation within tight deadlines, often just a few minutes.

An invitation to the judging panel is not a competition by application. Organizers select experts based on professional reputation, technical expertise, and outstanding achievements in the industry. Judges are appointed personally after recommendations from recognized specialists and verification of professional background.

In international panels where Oleg works, representatives from Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Visa, Wargaming, and other technology leaders are present. Being among such experts is a sign of a high degree of trust and professional weight.

Oleg Mikhelson
In judging, erudition is important, but so is the ability to quickly see how an idea transforms into a real product. Often, you need to understand in 10 minutes how scalable and technologically robust a solution is.

An Engineer Trusted with Infrastructure

By primary specialization, Oleg is a software engineer with more than twenty years of experience in designing and automating IT infrastructure. He has worked on solutions for national oil companies, leading universities in Kazakhstan, and international clients from Big Four. His focus is on the reliability of business-critical systems and architecture resilient to failures.

This practical experience makes him an especially valuable judge: he evaluates not only the idea but also its viability under real-world operating conditions.

Oleg Mikhelson
Slides can be beautiful, but reality is harsher. I immediately look at whether the architecture can withstand the load and what happens when one of the components fails.

 
A Judge Whom Teams Listen To

Mikhelson is known for his informal yet precise style of feedback. Developers who have participated in finals emphasize that his comments are not “polite assessments” but a full-fledged micro-audit of the architecture.

A Team Member from India
Even if you don’t win, the breakdown by Oleg is a separate value. He doesn’t just say what’s bad but gives direction on where to move next.

Kazakh Expertise on the World Stage

Oleg is a member of engineering communities IEEE, IAENG, and Hackathon Raptors, which unite specialists from around the world. He actively shares knowledge with young teams, delivers guest lectures, and helps universities connect academic knowledge with industrial practices.

For him, judging is not only prestige but also a contribution to the global engineering community. It is especially important when Kazakh teams stand on the podium.

Oleg Mikhelson

Oleg Mikhelson’s story is a story of how engineering depth, systematic thinking, and decades of practice can bring a specialist from Aktobe to a global level. And for Kazakh IT, this is not just a personal victory, but an example of how experts today shape the agenda of the future — not catching up, but creating it.