The Association of International Students (AIS) is an Almaty-based group created in 2022 to build bridges between different student communities in the city, and to make the experience of studying in Kazakhstan more valuable for the increasing number of foreign students choosing to base themselves here for up to six years.
Primarily, AIS sees its remit as embellishing the formal study experience and making the information that learners receive in lessons a lot more useful by combining it with real-life practice, as well as research, and academic mobility.
While it stands to reason that aspiring doctors are going to build their careers on the solid foundation of knowledge they acquire in their time in Almaty, AIS recognises that so much more value can be added to facts.
One of the founders, Sahil Sharma, from Delhi in India, explained that he and a friend had the idea to create an association that would help turn formal training into an entire set of soft and hard skills, which will ultimately mean that graduates returning to their home countries will feel that their time in Kazakhstan has been enriching – right across the board.
saqtimes.kz met a small group of AIS organisers and members to get up to speed with what they do and what they offer. Those attending were mainly from the subcontinent, therefore, India and Pakistan, although it would be remiss not to add that of their 100 members, many other countries are represented. Some local students are also starting to join, seeing the obvious benefits.
The main hub of the AIS is the Asfendiarov Medical University; all delegates are happy with the course, but admit to experiencing the language barrier at times. Some of them are learning Russian to help out in this area.
Fatima Tariq is from Pakistan; at least her origins are there, although she has always lived in the UAE and hasn’t even been to the land of her ancestors. Now in her third year, she is very settled in Almaty, but confesses that it took some time to get used to living here.
“The first year was really a roller-coaster ride, and it took time, but now it is like a second home to us, and when I go home, I do miss Almaty, the city, as well as my friends.
“We spent our childhood learning English, but wonder how useful it would have been to learn some Russian, too.”
Sahil Sharma had the original idea for the Association of International Students, along with Amana Sulthana, and he has been involved from the start. One of his early wins was becoming part of the organising committee for a cross-university micro-bio summit, which included four or five different universities.
“I was part of another association in my university, and I felt that so many things could be done better, including organising research projects, so it occurred to me that we should start something new.
“There were some pitfalls along the way, including the doubts that some people expressed as to the requirement for such a group. We saw things in different ways, for sure.”
Sahil is very keen to emphasise that the main aims of AIS are not social but educational, with academic mobility at the forefront. They enable their members to get involved in research and liaise with relevant bodies to make sure this can happen.
“We are also active on the cultural, social, and sporting side too. Everything we have in AIS has borne fruit to some extent, including some of the sports teams who have gone on to pick up trophies, mainly in volleyball and badminton.”
Members are probably mostly from India because of the closeness in their community, but the club is by no means for Indian students only. Anyone studying in Almaty is encouraged to check them out and get involved.
As Fatima explained:
“We are less interested in where our members come from and more interested in how we can help them prosper in their education, their time in Almaty, and ultimately in their career. It’s always nice to win volleyball tournaments, but the friends we make along the way mean so much more to us.
“We also get to share our cultures, too, and this has been fascinating for people from all walks of life.”
Having local people involved brings so many benefits, and AIS extends an open invitation to Kazakhstani students, not just for the cultural exchange, but as local people offer so much that could benefit everybody involved.
It goes beyond the role of interpreter, although we have touched on the language-barrier issues above. Local people are better connected in the city, and a lot more can happen with their kindness.
Sahil Sharma has just started his fourth research project, that and the previous three having come about (at least, more easily) because of the efforts of AIS. Some students have been to meetings, others have taken part in conferences and summits, not just turned up to class.
Such events have not just been in their own lecture halls, though, as various members have been to Europe, plus to other academic institutions in the local area. This isn’t just about knowledge, but about communicating, networking, and polishing skills – in the end making for more complete professionals.
Amana Sulthana is the head of AIS Connect, which connects their group to social media.
“Because of our events, we have managed to meet a lot more people. Not only our students but also faculty members, who have been invited to the Asfendiarov University.
“A recent example was a microbiological summit we hosted.
“We also get to learn about Kazakh culture, and tell people about our culture, and this helps to break stereotypes. I think we have done a tremendous job in connecting with each other.”
As for their plans, they have a very strong sports team, and Amana wants to organise a proper event with the participation of other clubs in the area.
Nelson Mandela once said:
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.”
And it is with this attitude that AIS wishes to take its sporting prowess to a new level. A forthcoming event is set to include various sports, as yet not arranged, but they want to build on the success of their existing teams.
Chances are, they might not win at football or tennis, but the skills that their members display in some of the sports often played in their homelands means that they are going to be very hard to beat – at those sports, at least.
AIS is not a closed organisation and accepts applications for membership around the year.
As to why people should consider joining, well, it was plain that they all consider their participation to be an honour.
“We try to nourish the students and polish their skills, whatever they present. This is something we believe to be fundamentally important. Confidence is so important; it is part of our commitment.
“We are from different religions, different countries, and we have different cultures, but in AIS we are one family.”