Ian Baucom, Higher Education Leader, Enterprising Administrator, and Prolific Scholar, Named President of Middlebury.

Academic Year in Kazakhstan

Astana is a beautiful city.

While our School in Russia is on pause, graduate students have the chance to study in Astana, Kazakhstan, where Russian is an official language.

Kazakhstan is a state in Central Asia bordering Russia, Kyrgyzstan, China, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. А leader in the fields of economics, innovation, education, and international business in post-Soviet space, Kazakhstan is in a period of dynamic development while striving to preserve its national flavor, history, and rich culture.

You will study in the capital city of Astana, a new city with extraordinary infrastructure and architecture. Taking inspiration from advanced megacities such as New York, Shanghai, Dubai, Moscow, and Tokyo, the country’s government quickly built a vibrant, convenient, clean, and safe city with a population of over 1 million people. Middlebury has three partner universities in Astana: Nazarbayev University, Maqsut Narikbayev University (formerly KAZGUU University), and Eurasian National University (ENU).

Academics

Our main host institution is Nazarbayev University, an internationally renowned research university founded in 2010. Here, you will take advanced Russian language courses and Middlebury-organized electives. Elective courses might include:

  • International Relations of Eurasia
  • Social Problems and Issues of Eurasia
  • Orientalism and Soviet Culture
  • History and Culture of Kazakhstan
  • Russian Literature in the Context of Eurasia
  • History of Kazakh Music
  • Introduction to the Politics of Central Asia
  • Russian Intellectual History from the Enlightenment to Eurasianism

You can find course descriptions of recent electives.

At Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU) or Eurasian National University (ENU), you will take one or more mainstream courses alongside Kazakhstani students. At MNU, graduate students may choose from course offerings in journalism and psychology, as well as some classes in linguistics and law. At ENU, students may choose from courses in history, political science, linguistics, literature, international relations, and some STEM subjects. 

Outside class, you will conduct research for your thesis/capstone project. You will be advised on selecting and researching a topic. During your final summer at Middlebury, you will present your completed project at a mini-conference for graduate students called the Graduate Symposium.

Graduate students are strongly encouraged to participate in Middlebury-organized excursions in the region and take advantage of opportunities to engage with Kazakhstani students, through independent activities and cultural events in Astana. If you are studying in Astana for the academic year, our in-country staff can help you arrange an internship in the spring semester, which will deepen your language skills and immersion in the local culture, in addition to providing valuable work experience. 

Please see profiles and photos of our partner universities.

Housing

Graduate students may choose to live in a dormitory at Nazarbayev University or rent an apartment privately. Please see Information about the dormitories at NU.

Guidelines and Handbook

Please review Middlebury’s Schools Abroad General Handbook and the School in Kazakhstan handbook, where you will find information on housing, visas, and other logistics.