While these KIMEP University students hail from around the globe – the U.S., the United Kingdom and South Korea to name a few – more than 20 gathered on the second floor of the Valikhanov building last week to be unofficially welcomed.
Between performances and free plates of food, students mingled, some made new friends, and others renewed old friendships, students said.
“I did not have a lot of time to make friends,” said Jong Eun Park from South Korea.“The Welcome party exceeded my expectations, I had a great time and got to know kazakh culture.”
While the prospect of attending a university in another country sounds exciting, many exchange students said adapting to a new country, city, and university, especially when you have to speak a second language, creates a few challenges. It’s hard.
To address this, student affairs organized a welcome party that included a few tips and inside information about Kazakh culture as well.
“It was great to see the International Office create such a warm and welcoming environment for our international and exchange students,” said Christopher Bridges, dean of student affairs. “My thanks go to the entire International Office team and the students who made this event a success.”
Exchange student Sarah Bagarib said she did not feel like part of the university community as much as she would have liked when she first arrived.
However, this party helped her meet some potential friends and put aside some of the loneliness she may have felt since arriving at the start of this semester.
At the party, students learned about Kazakhstan, played the national game Bes Taz, using its five stones, and Islam Berlikozha performed several numbers on a dombra such “Adai” and “könil toqını” and another Kazakh female danced the traditional “Aizhan kyz.”
The party was also accompanied by a presentation of Kazakhstan, a subsequent quiz about the knowledge gained and pleasant music. The show also included several games, such as Who am I? and Guess the Song.
The evening ended with live music from ArtRevolution.
“We noticed that we have songs that are internationally popular, so we decided to choose them down that are applicable in international events,” said Arina Lysenko about the performance of ArtRevolution.
Oliver Baker, in his second semester, said he already felt comfortable at the university, and the party was important to him. He said he liked learning more about the culture of Kazakhstan and meet some nice people.
“I think all the Kazakh cultural aspects were really-really enjoyable, especially because you don’t have any access to that kind of thing outside of the country,” said Baker from the United Kingdom and he showed his amazement with the kuy and the dance.
The evening was a showcase of cultural diversity, and I was excited to have the chance to see traditional Kazakh dance and playing of the dombra,” Bridges added. “All in all, a great welcome to our international students as they become a part of our KIEMP community.”