Articles by Babur Dombay

Motivation, Self-Direction, International Reach Key Factors in NU Student Life

ASTANA – In the few years since it first opened in 2010, Nazarbayev University (NU) in Astana has turned into arguably the most attractive school for prospective students nationwide. The Astana Times asked NU’s Vice President for Student Affairs and International Cooperation Khadisha Dairova a few questions about student life at NU and about what…

TV Channel Featuring Only Kazakh Music Gains in Popularity

ALMATY – Gakku TV (gakku means “swan” in Kazakh), a new channel that exclusively broadcasts Kazakh singers, has gained great popularity since it was launched in September 2014. One of the channel’s first broadcasts was a concert where 200 musicians participated in a seven-hour show. In a November interview with the KazTag news agency, the…

Medieval Reenactment Sport Grows in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Many people claim that nowadays, chivalry is dead; such a statement may seem true anywhere besides at Historical Medieval Battles (HMB). At HMB, different fighting and training techniques are used to make people into knight-like figures that can perform activities ranging from sprinting to wrestling while wearing a full suit of steel armor…

Model United Nations Concept Evolves in Kazakh Schools

Many adults, especially parents, want to educate their children about politics, but most of them confuse learning politics with induction into a political agenda or belief. Yet there’s a difference between teaching them how politics work, defining diplomacy, etc. and making kids accept subjective statements (opinions) along the lines of “that (insert a name of…