Malika Amangeldyyeva, a second-year student in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering program at Nazarbayev University, has been selected for a paid one-year internship at Airbus Defence and Space in Portsmouth, one of the key hubs of Europe’s aerospace industry. She is the first female STEM student from Kazakhstan to secure such a position. According to Amangeldyyeva, studying at Nazarbayev University and being part of its strong engineering community helped prepare her for opportunities on the international stage. She sees the chance to work at a facility where satellite systems are developed and tested as both a major professional step and a significant responsibility.
“I am motivated by the desire to show that Kazakhstan has strong professionals who are capable of competing internationally,” she says.
This European company rarely accepts undergraduate students for long-term paid internships, particularly from Central Asia. Nevertheless, Amangeldyyeva’s persistence, practical experience, and willingness to take initiative helped her advance through a multi-stage selection process that included submitting application materials, interviews, and a presentation of her academic and project achievements. In the final round, she was selected from a group of ten candidates.
Amangeldyyeva is currently interning in the Transformation & Performance division, which focuses on improving the efficiency of satellite Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) processes.
“My responsibilities include implementing tactical improvements and Kaizen projects across production areas, clean rooms, quality departments, testing operations, and manufacturing engineering,” she explains. “I also contribute to improving health and safety systems and use platforms such as Qlik, DEMAT, and Google Workspace to develop key performance indicators, conduct 5S audits, and support Operational Surveillance tools.”
If the solutions she proposes demonstrate measurable results, they may be implemented not only at the Portsmouth facility but also across other Airbus sites in the United Kingdom and Europe.
“Here, you are rarely given ready-made instructions,” Amangeldyyeva says. “You need to identify the problem yourself, propose a solution, coordinate it with different teams, and demonstrate its effectiveness. It encourages you to think both as an engineer and as a manager.”
Her interest in engineering began during her school years. By the ninth grade, she had already decided to pursue a technical field and chose Nazarbayev University because of its broad range of engineering programs. Her academic journey began with the Foundation program, where mastering English became the first major challenge. A turning point came when she joined the NU Motorsports engineering team.
“NU has a strong ecosystem of motivated engineers that helped me understand what steps to take next,” she recalls. “For first-year students, joining an academic club can be extremely valuable. Senior students and experienced members often offer advice and help others navigate their path.”
Another source of inspiration came from the example of a fellow student who completed an internship at a major international company in the United States.
“Seeing students from our university succeed in global companies made me realize that these opportunities are achievable,” she says. “That encouraged me to pursue similar experiences.”
Amangeldyyeva emphasizes that internships during and after university play a critical role in preparing students for future careers. This summer, she will return to Kazakhstan to continue her studies. Her story reflects the growing potential of Kazakhstan’s technical talent and highlights the role universities with international standards play in preparing students for careers in the global engineering industry.
