The Ph.D. program in Eurasian Studies at Nazarbayev University is the first interdisciplinary, English-medium doctoral program in the Humanities and Social Sciences in Central Asia. It is designed according to the highest international standards and taught by highly-qualified faculty, but at the same time is adapted to the educational, social and intellectual environment of Kazakhstan and the wider region.

Our program combines a core curriculum of key concepts in the humanities and social sciences, practical training in necessary writing and research techniques and ethics, and rigorous subject-specific training across at least two disciplines. Students have the space, time and flexibility they need to write a doctoral thesis that makes an original contribution to the field. Funding opportunities for research abroad and co-supervision by NU and non-NU experts enables our students to develop a truly international profile.

We train students to become versatile and internationally competitive scholars on the Eurasian region. Graduates from this doctoral program share a range of qualities and abilities, as well as field-specific skills that make them both “interdisciplinary” and “flexible.” Truly interdisciplinary research demonstrates a solid grounding in one discipline and sufficiently deep training in one or more others, which enables the scholar to build real bridges between various disciplines. Graduates of this program combine strong disciplinary and interdisciplinary training with a first-hand knowledge of the region, a command of the primary and secondary sources consistent with world-class scholarship on this region of the world, knowledge of requisite research languages, and excellent academic English.

Graduates of this program are attractive to universities, governments and other non-governmental institutions, to employers in the Central Asia region, in the broader region of Central Eurasia (including all the countries of the Turkic world), as well as in North America, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere in the world. The program contributes to the modernization of education in Kazakhstan and the development of a highly-trained class of academic, political, social, and cultural leaders with world-class training.

PhD Eurasian Studies brochure

Ph.D. in Mathematics is a program that you need if you want to become the future generation of mathematics-based researchers, teachers, and professionals, who are can self-learn and promote excellence and facilitate fundamental research activities, increase research productivity and impact.

Upon the completion of the PhD study, a graduate will develop following skills and qualifications:

• Develop teaching and pedagogical skills
• Perform critical analysis and evaluation of complex ideas
• Develop an independent learning culture in multidisciplinary settings, through advanced/graduate level fundamental courses and specialized courses, and research activities
• Demonstrate the ability to perform a systematic process of research
• Become an expert in the subject of their research discipline
• Plan, conduct, analyze and communicate research in writing and verbally independently
• Disseminate their research findings and to develop their academic/scholarly career through presentations, publications, and national and international networking
• Skillfully teach in mathematics at the university level in English
• Demonstrate an understanding of the contemporary research literature in Mathematics, to a level allowing effective professional communication with international peers.
• Critically evaluate all major types of research in Mathematics.

The above qualifications will ensure that the graduates are well prepared for work in the environments that utilize advanced levels of mathematics. These work environments include mathematical research, scientific and engineering activities, public policy and analysis, financial corporations, and educational sectors.

The PhD program in Physics especially focuses on priority areas for Kazakhstan, serving as a foundation for future high-tech industries and knowledge-based economy. By the completion of the PhD program, students will be capable of designing and conducting independent, innovative, original and high quality research on a variety of topics in Physics as well as interdisciplinary topics. In addition, program graduates will be prepared for working in industrial and academic environments including positions of university faculty members, senior researchers, high-tech entrepreneurs, engineers, product developers and science & technology policy makers.

The local and international graduates with appropriate master's level degrees from international and national universities in science and engineering disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Students are required to complete 240 ECTS credits, in 4 years, which is in line with the Regulatory Framework for Graduate Programs and Courses of Nazarbayev University (2019).

The employability of the graduates of the program falls under the following categories:

• Local and international universities and research centers;
• Local and international companies with active research and development programs;
• New companies and start-ups;
• Local and international non-educational institutions.

The Ph.D. in Life Sciences program delivers applied and advanced knowledge in important areas of current biomedical, biotechnological and environmental areas. The program allows students to develop a real-world research experience in various types of methodologies and instruments, providing them with a competitive edge in both academic and industry job markets.

The four-year 240 ECTS credit Ph.D. in Life Sciences is a research-intensive third cycle program designed according to the Bologna requirements. The curriculum of the program consists of three different types of courses:

• core pillar courses (36 ECTS). Core pillar courses consist of two disciplinary core courses (12 ECTS), and three department core courses (24 ECTS). These courses are designed to give a solid and wide base of advanced knowledge in technology and data-driven areas of biological sciences that provide the students with the opportunity to acquire the necessary theoretical and methodological knowledge to succeed in their research.
• elective pillar courses (24 ECTS). A selection of department elective courses (24 ECTS) in Semesters 1 and 2 will permit students to define specialization areas according to future research and professional career goals.
• research pillar courses (Thesis Research and Thesis Dissertation) 180 ECTS). The Research pillar course Thesis Research spans Years 1-2. In Semester 1 student will be given the opportunity as part of BIOL 799 Thesis Research of lab rotations to ensure an optimal fit of advisors’ and students’ research interests. In Semesters 1-2 and Summer Term 1 students develop their Thesis Proposal. Semesters 3-8 and Summer Terms 2-4 are dedicated to the thesis research only.

Graduate students of the Biological Sciences program are increasingly interested in pursuing a career in research and expressed the need for a PhD graduate program in Life Sciences. Informal surveys students indicated a strong interest in technologies relevant to biological, biomedical sciences and environmental themes as well as bioinformatics in the context of biomedical, biotechnological research areas.

Graduates of the program will be highly qualified life sciences professionals who are expected to enter careers in academia, education or research and development in the private industry or government organizations in the areas of biotechnology, agriculture, biomedical research or even policymaking.

The Ph.D. in Chemistry program will typically be conducted full time over a period of 48 months. Each student will develop their personal and professional skills and their Ph.D. program as part of the core curriculum courses. The program includes the possibility of taught courses (during the first year) to support the development of postgraduate research students, to extend and test their knowledge in their research discipline.

Each student will be required to formally pass a comprehensive exam at the end of the second semester of Year 1 as a prerequisite for defending their Ph.D. proposal at the end of the second semester of Year 1. The program will then progress into a period dedicated to their research topic, from which a demonstrable original contribution to the knowledge pool will be assessed. Extension into a 5th year is possible upon approval and may come with specific requisites and stipulations. The program includes the possibility of a mobility period of 6-12 months in a host university abroad, agreed with the supervisory team and their collaborators, to provide the students with international experience.

The Ph.D. in Chemistry program, a four-year 240 ECTS credits, is a research-intensive third-cycle program designed according to the Bologna requirements. The curriculum of the program consists of three (3) different types of courses, namely:

1. Core courses (30 ECTS)
   • Mechanistic Principles of Organic Reactions
   • Polymer Chemistry
   • Spectrochemical Methods of Analysis
   • Chemical Thermodynamics and Kinetics
   • Inorganic Materials and Catalysis
   • Hot Topics in Chemistry
   • Research Methods & Ethics
2. Elective courses (32 ECTS)
   • Advanced Environmental Chemistry
   • Design of Functional Materials
   • Surfactant & Colloid Chemistry
   • Chemical Biology
   • Materials Chemistry
   • Organometallic Chemistry
3. Research courses (178 ECTS)