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Facing the reforms

There are huge, still unused oil reserves in Kazakhstan. It is estimated that it is the second largest source of this resource among post-Soviet countries. To develop this potential, the Kazakh authorities are implementing the Kazakhstan-2030 development strategy. According to this project over the following decades, the country is to join the group of the most prosperous countries in the world. What's more, in 2022, the Cyrillic alphabet is planned to be replaced with the Latin American alphabet. This is the result of the decision of Nursultan Nazarbayev and is meant to distance Kazakhstan from the Russian Federation: both symbolically and politically.

Baby boom's aftermath 
The demographic structure of the country is also extremely interesting. In Kazakhstan, over 60% of the population are people under the age of 25. This is the effect of "baby-boom" that began in 2008.

Many young Kazakhs are interested in studying abroad. - A diploma from a foreign university is very helpful in getting a fine job and helps to develop a satisfactory career path in the country - says Gaziz, who has been studying in Poland at the SWPS University since 2015. For this reason, many young citizens of Kazakhstan decide to study abroad. - However, around 95% of people return to the country after graduation. The Kazakh government subsidizes trips related to foreign education, but at the same time requires 5 years of work in the country after graduation - adds Gaziz. Kazakhs willingly use this offer and they implement experience gained in other countries in their homeland. Gaziz decided to study in Poland due to the high quality of the educational offer and lower costs of living than in Western Europe.

What can encourage young Kazakhs to study in Poznań? - I feel at home in this city - says Dariya, who studied at the Poznan University of Economics and Business for 4 years. - I consider Poznań to be open to foreigners. In 2012, when I came to Poznań, there were not many Asians. I was somehow standing out at that time. But after a year the situation has changed significantly. More foreigners arrived and more opportunities for us appeared - he adds. Darya, although currently working in Almaty, would like to come back to Poznan. "Study in Poznan" delegation stand was also visited by former students of the Historical Department of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań: Kunalay and Akerke, who also recall this time very positively.

Study in Poznan? 

The most popular studies in Poznan for Kazakh youth are management studies, philological studies, journalism and social communication, as well as IT studies and architecture. At present about 800 people from Kazakhstan study in Poland, but it is estimated that due to the increasing number of areas of cooperation this number will grow.

A Poznań delegation:

• Poznan University of Technology (Olga Vakhrina)
• Poznan University of Economics and Business (dr Aleksandra Kania)
• Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Marcin Witkowski)
• University of Life Sciences in Poznan (Prof. Roman Hołubowicz, Prof. Krzysztof Szoszkiewicz)
• SWPS University (Dorota Słowińska)
• Poznań City Hall (dr Eliza Kania)
• WSB University (Dorota Michor, Małgorzata Żórawna)
• Poznan College of Communication and Management (Mariusz Walczak)

also visited Narxoz University and at the Polish Consulate General to meet people of Polish origin. The event was organized by the National Academic Exchange Agency (NAWA).

- Eliza Kania