Spring into Global Insights With Kazakhstan

Global Insights continues the 10th year of programming with research scholar Bekzat Kulbayev  who will present "Kazakhstan" at the first spring Global Insights event on Feb. 25  beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the Rose Room, Brennan Hall 509. Registration is required. 

Bekzat Kulbayev is a visiting research scholar from al-Farabi Kazakh National University, or The Farabi University, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Global Insights interviewed Kulbayev about his upcoming presentation.

What’s an interesting item from Kazakhstan not easily found online?

What if I told you that in the vast Kazakh steppe, there’s a place where compasses go haywire, birds refuse to fly, and strange glowing orbs appear at night? A place so mysterious that even Soviet scientists struggled to explain it? Intrigued? Stay tuned, because this is just one of the many hidden secrets of Kazakhstan I’ll uncover for you.

What is your favorite thing to do in Kazakhstan?

Riding a horse under a sky so vast it feels endless—no roads, no buildings, just the wind, the steppe, and an unbreakable connection to centuries of nomadic tradition. There’s nothing quite like galloping through an untouched landscape and feeling like time itself slows down.

What do you miss/enjoy most about being in Kazakhstan?

It’s not just the food, though the taste of freshly-baked baursaks (national donuts of a sort) with wild honey is something you never forget. It’s not just the landscapes, though standing alone in the endless steppe makes you feel like you own the horizon. It’s something deeper—the unspoken bond between people, where hospitality isn’t just a custom but a way of life. Where even a stranger at your doorstep is greeted as family.

How would you characterize the people and the culture?

Kazakhstan’s culture is like a vast tapestry woven from centuries of nomadic wisdom, Silk Road trade, and the echoes of ancient warriors. Here, respect is measured not in words, but in the way tea is poured for a guest. Family isn’t just a concept, it’s a responsibility that extends far beyond blood ties. And in a land where horses once roamed freely under an endless sky, the spirit of freedom is something that still runs through our veins.

Register for Global Insights Kazakhstan

This program is sponsored by The Office of Global Education, and co-hosted with the Office of Equity and Diversity, the Cultural Centers and Office of Residence Life.

For more information, please contact international@scranton.edu or 570-941-4841.