IAESTE trainee of the year exceeds expectations

Why Kazakhstan?

“Kazakhstan? Why would you want to go to Kazakhstan?” I was confronted with this question countless times before starting my traineeship in Almaty, Kazakhstan. I knew very little about it myself, which was the main motivation for choosing such an unlikely destination for a summer internship. Having gone out with almost no expectations, I was still surprised at what I found.

I am absolutely fascinated by physics. For two months I worked alongside a team of experimental nuclear physicists at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Republic of Kazakhstan: a unique opportunity to use my enthusiasm for the subject. I was required to carry out a range of rather daunting tasks using elaborate equipment I had never seen the like of before.

Learning Russian

It was sometimes difficult to know exactly what I was supposed to do, or why I was doing it, as there was only one person in my laboratory who could speak any English, and his level was quite basic. I used the internet to look up the physics behind what we were doing, as all of the available textbooks were in Russian. I also made an effort to speak and learn some Russian, to the amusement of my colleagues.

I gained laboratory skills and learned how to use software to analyse the data I collected. The placement has led me to enrol in a further course in nuclear physics this year, and encouraged me to aim for a career in physics research.

Kazakh culture

Culturally, Kazakhstan is quite confusing. Almaty is a large, sophisticated, modern city, more like somewhere I’d expect to find in America than Central Asia… large shopping malls with ice rinks, 5-lane motorways ploughing through the city centre, women tottering around in designer heels. I was also surprised at just how much of a Russian influence there still is. The majority of the people at my workplace considered themselves Russian, even if they’d never been to Russia. But Kazakhstan is moving away from its Russian influences and nomadic roots, with people leaving behind cultural traditions and fully embracing modern Western, commercial life, as the country becomes increasingly rich from its oil reserves in the Caspian Sea.

Exceeding expectations

The experience has helped my social development enormously. As someone with Asperger’s Syndrome, the prospect of spending the summer living and working closely with a large number of young people was incredibly daunting. Over the summer, however, I totally exceeded my expectations of myself, managing not only to get along well with everyone individually, but also as a group. It may not sound impressive, but for me this was momentous! Undoubtedly, the fact that all of the trainees were also scientists, like me, helped me to connect more with them.

Being an IAESTE trainee has certainly made a difference in my life. Not only on the academic side, but the personal and social side too. I have some extraordinary friends who I will never forget, and with whom I shared some astonishing experiences. It was truly the best summer of my life so far.