Bolashak scholarship programme
Find out more about Bolashak scholarships and our current Visiting Fellows.
About the programme
The Kazakhstan Presidential Bolashak Scholarship programme, administered by the Center for International Programmes under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, sponsors academics who visit prestigious universities around the world.
The School of Education and Social Work is delighted to offer potential recipients of Bolashak scholarships from Kazakhstan, professional or academic internships in education, pedagogy, leadership and research.
We welcome scholars on 6 - 12 month scholarships which can begin in either September or January each year. Our fully immersive programmes are designed for university faculty, teachers or professionals seeking to deepen their knowledge and expertise in associated fields of education and pedagogy. In particular, for 2025-26, we welcome candidates who have interests in new technologies, inclusive pedagogies and innovations in language learning.
Our developmental programme focuses on current challenges and innovations in education and pedagogy, curriculum development, and educational leadership within global higher education contexts as well as in different school systems.
Delivered in English (with support available for Russian speakers), the programme combines academic training with practical experience, blending research, critical reflection, and applied learning. Scholars will benefit from expert mentorship, participation in interdisciplinary workshops, as well as access to high quality teaching and research facilities.
You'll engage in a wide range of activities, including:
- modules on education and pedagogy
- academic and research skills training
- communication workshops for academic and professional purposes
- practical training in different pedagogic approaches and tools.
The programme also includes professional site visits, opportunities to conduct small-scale research projects, and participation in academic events, allowing scholars to apply their learning directly to the Kazakhstani context. We also provide enrichment opportunities, including visits to sites of cultural significance in the South East.
By the end of the programme, you'll have:
- strengthened your expertise in inclusive education
- developed a practice-based research project
- enhanced your leadership and academic communication skills
- built long-term academic networks
- visited and experienced the teaching and learning processes in an early years setting, a primary school, a secondary school, a sixth form college and at the Department of Education at the University of Cambridge
- attended and participated in national and international conferences, such as the British Educational Training and Technology Conference (BETT), the Sussex Education Festival, the Global Empathy Conference and many more
- engaged in social and cultural events organised for the scholars throughout the year.
How to apply
Applicants should confer first with Dr Marcelo Staricoff on mas54@sussex.ac.uk and agree upon the academic objectives and any professional areas they intend to strengthen during their internship.
As part of your application, you must send the following documents:
- an updated CV with a photo
- a letter of recommendation
- an expression of interest.
Once the professional or academic objectives have been agreed and you’ve gained approval from the Bolashak programme, you should submit a copy of your passport and a copy of your sponsor letter from the Bolashak programme to ESWBolashakscholars@sussex.ac.uk
We’ll then issue a formal acceptance letter to you which will include visa instructions in compliance with our HR office and the UK Home Office.
Applications should be sent at least two months before the appointment is planned to start and our new cohort starts in September 2025.
Our current Bolashak Visiting Fellows
Dr. Sandugash Tleubay
Senior Lecturer at Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University.
Research interests: foreign languages, methods of teaching, trilingual education
Dr. Gulaim Iliyassova
Senior Lecturer at Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University.
Research interests: mathematics education.
Rauan Zhaltyrbayeva
Senior lecturer and Head of the Admissions dept at K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University.
Research interests: AI legal concerns, pedagogy, teaching English, foreign languages.
Gulnazira Nurbekova
Senior Lecturer at Satbayev University, Almaty.
Research interests: education leadership and management, research methods.
Prof. Gulnar Assanova
Chair of Translation and Intercultural Communication Department of Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages in Almaty.
Research interests: foreign languages, philology.
Balgat Naubay
Senior Lecturer at the International Information Technology University, Almaty.
Research interests: foreign languages, intercultural communication, education management.
Prof. Bakytgul Zhetpisbayeva
Chief Researcher at Astana IT University.
Research interests: foreign languages education, multilingual education, international education, teaching methods.
Prof. Saule Shunkeyeba
Associate Professor at the “Orleu” National Center for Professional Development.
Research interests: language development in young children, SEND.
Prof. Arailym Jangabulova
Associate Professor at Al- Farabi Kazakh National University.
Research interests: history and foreign languages.
Dr. Gulsinay Issayeva
Researcher at the Institute of Linguistic named after Ahmet Baitursynuly.
Research interests: linguistic, sociolinguistic, philology.