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From Malta to Nur-Sultan
- International Students Association
- Nov 12, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 19, 2020
Lola Evans-Pepin, Malta 1st-year SSH student, Undeclared
When I arrived in Nur-Sultan last November to do an internship, I didn't plan to study at NU. Then I realized it was an amazing university for English as a language of instruction and for my area of study: I am specifically interested in culture and history, which are so rich here. Also, my Kazakh friends or I as call them «my Kazakh family» are based in Nur-Sultan, so why would not I choose to study here?
As of differences between Kazakhstani and Maltian students, I noticed there is a really big focus on Mathematics and Sciences here – I think it comes from the old Russian school system, where these subjects were really pushed. Also, from my experience, parents decide what their children are going to study.
Another difference is that in Malta the majority of students go to university, but it is not "must-do" like it is in Kazakhstan.
My family was very relaxed in this respect, they let me decide, so I continued my education after 4 years of a break after college graduation. Now I am not studying because I want a piece of paper, but because I'm hungry for knowledge.
I really love the community idea here: one calls another «brother», while actually he's a third cousin and so on. And I love the support here: no matter what, you always have people you can rely on.
I see that young people don't have much freedom in decision-making because of the idea that "the elderly are wiser", which I see across Asian cultures. It is a good thing but at the same time, it would naturally lead to people not being practised enough to make decisions from a young age. Also, I'm not a fan of the concept of "uyat" or "shame". I guess it has its uses, but from my experience, it really limits people, they are judged and unaccepted. I can't wait to explore what Kazakhstan has to offer. It is such a huge country and there is everything: from mountains to steppe, from lakes to deserts, snow upon your head, camel milk, horse milk… so much going on here!
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