Student Profiles
Program alumni are the best resources for students interested in going abroad, and they are available to answer your questions. If you would like to talk to a recent student about their experience in Kazakhstan, get in touch with the advisor, Susan Parsons.
Annie Mulvaney, Wheaton College (MA)
I studied in Astana during the spring semester of my junior year and it was a wonderful experience that I will never forget. My Russian vocabulary has grown immensely, I learned a lot about Central Asia and a lot about myself.
I really appreciated the program’s coordinators. They took us on vacation, invited us to museums and shows at the Astana Opera such as the Tchaikovsky ballet Swan Lake, and were always there for us if we had problems or worries. Without them I would have been lost and would not have seen a lot of what Kazakhstan has to offer. I also had an amazing Kazakh roommate who taught me a lot about Kazakh culture and a bit of the Kazakh language.
During your semester abroad I highly recommend traveling whenever you get the chance. I went on two special trips provided by the program to Burabay and Aktau, and also went to Almaty and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan with some friends for Spring Break! I loved spending time with horses and deer in Burabay, climbing mountains in Aktau and visiting the grave of my favorite singer Murat Nasyrov in Almaty. I also enjoyed exploring Astana and going inside Baiterek!
Cultural immersion in general is very important as well. I learned how to play the dombra, a traditional Kazakh instrument, and everyone in the program participated in Nauryz (New Year) festivities. You must also go out to restaurants and try delicious Central Asian dishes such as lagman, plov and beshbarmak. I even miss the Nazarbayev University cafeteria food, as silly as it may sound.
Maya Watson, Middlebury College
During my time in Astana, I had the opportunity to pursue both traditional academics and experiences outside of class. In some ways, the structure of the Middlebury program itself makes this possible, and in others the experience is really what each individual chooses to make of it. Thanks to our Middlebury program coordinators, I went to more plays, operas, and ballets in four months in Astana than I have in my whole life in the United States. The class schedule itself was also set up to allow students freedom for their own excursions. For example, a group of us took a trip to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where we rode horses in the mountains surrounding the city and used Russian to barter at the local bazaar. The classes themselves varied in intensity and covered a wide range of topics.