Study Abroad Programs in Kazakhstan

For better or for worse, the extent of many people’s knowledge about Kazakhstan extends only about as far as Sacha Baron Cohen’s hit mockumentary, Borat. While the comedy parodies many aspects of Kazakh culture, it unsurprisingly is not the most accurate portrayal of what life is like in the world’s largest landlocked country. For a real immersive experience in this archetypal Central Asian nation, study abroad programs are the way to go.

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4 Study Abroad Programs in Kazakhstan

American Councils Study & Research Abroad

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Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP)

Take part in Russian language and culture studies held in Almaty, Kazakhstan; Tallinn, Estonia; Tbilisi, Georgia; and Yerevan, Armenia. Programming in the Russian Federation, including in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Vladimir, is currently suspended. The Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies program (RLASP) admits undergraduate and graduate students to the course. American Councils works with leading higher education institutions in Eurasia to deliver small-group programs in Russian Language and Area Studies. Qualified participants can take courses alongside Russian-speaking students. They will spend one day each week engaging in an excursion to a local site of cultural and historic significance.

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Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad

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Middlebury Russian Program in Kazakhstan

Middlebury's Russian language immersion programs in Almaty and Astana, Kazakhstan, are designed for students at the intermediate level of Russian (with two years of college-level experience). Students take the Middlebury Language Pledge in the program, a formal commitment to speaking only Russian for the semester or year abroad. This gives them the best opportunity for immersion in the language and culture. They will take Russian language courses and Middlebury-organized electives, with the chance to take mainstream courses alongside Kazakhstani students at Maqsut Narikbayev University or Eurasian National University (ENU) in Astana or at Abai University in Almaty.

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A Guide to Studying Abroad in Kazakhstan

Locations

Kazakhstan is one of the least densely populated countries in the world, as its heavily mountainous terrain makes consolidation and urban settlement a challenge. Historically populated by nomadic tribes, today Kazakhstan’s population is most rural and extremely diverse; there are people in Kazakhstan that are part of over 130 different ethnic identities, but most are of Kazakh and Russian origin.

Almaty is Kazakhstan’s largest city by far, with about 1.5 million people living in the metropolitan area. Located in the southeastern reaches of the country, very near to Kyrgyzstan and the western plains of China, Almaty is the main economic, cultural, and industrial life vein of Kazakhstan. It was also formerly the capital, before losing its status in 1997.

While most study abroad programs in Kazakhstan are rooted in Almaty, the current capital of Astana is another potential place to study abroad in Kazakhstan. A planned city, Astana is exceedingly modern in its appearance and is a major center for education in Kazakhstan; over 50,000 students are enrolled in the city’s many institutions of higher education.

It is also possible to participate in a study abroad program in Kazakhstan that entails travel to the rural parts of the country; although, permanent academic placements in these areas are rare. About half of Kazakhstan’s population resides in small villages tucked away from urban areas, so this can be a valuable learning opportunity to experience an equally significant demographic of Kazakh life.

Latest Program Reviews

I'll really love to explore the world

December 21, 2023by: Desmond Ukpele - Nigeria

Program: Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP)

Just got blessed by God through my mom and uncle for telling me about your program and making me apply I wasn't sure neither was I feeling lucky but I kept my hopes up till I see the end of it and I hope it really the best of my life

Best and only Persian program

February 12, 2021by: Patrick Fox - United States

Program: Eurasian Regional Language Program (ERLP)

The American Council ERLP program that I participated in was an excellent program. The program offered me one on one instruction from Persian teachers. This personalized instruction allowed me to maintain my own pace of learning and allowed me to advance better than I had previously. The program personnel in both Tajikistan and Washington D.C. were top of the line and extremely helpful with any problems that arose. When I was forced to return to the United States due to the Covid-19 pandemic the program personnel worked with me to establish an online learning schedule so that I could finish my semester. The host family that I had were very generous and kind and provided me with everything I needed. The only drawback I found in the program was that I did not get a strong immersion into the language due to the fact that most people in the nation spoke Russian. Overall the American Council ERLP program was a well put together and successful program that I would definitely recommend to others.