Nazarbayev University, with the support of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), has launched the NPAA Summer School 2026 in Nuclear Physics, Astrophysics and Advanced Technologies. The four-week programme runs from June 8 to 30 and brings together some of Kazakhstan’s most ambitious high school and undergraduate students — young people eager not just to study science, but to push it forward.
The programme spans four tracks: astrophysics, physics, nuclear physics, and robotics. Students will attend lectures delivered by NU professors, work hands-on in university laboratories, and develop their own research projects. Five participants will have the rare opportunity to work directly on a research project with Assistant Professor Dana Alina of the School of Sciences and Humanities.
More than 700 students applied for a place in the school, with participants selected through a competitive process that included a written essay and an interview. The school has already generated significant buzz on social media among students and parents alike.
This week’s programme includes lectures on astronomy and astrophysical observations, the death of stars and general relativity, nanoscience, microchip design, and nuclear physics experiments at the Astana Cyclotron, as well as tours of NU’s research laboratories and facilities.
The NPAA Summer School was created to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers in Kazakhstan — those who will shape the country’s scientific future. The programme is supported by the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC).
