Refocusing Bolashak: New Age Qualifications for Scientific Interns

kazakhstan is set to implement age restrictions for applicants seeking scientific internships through the prestigious Bolashak program. This decision, revealed by the Minister of Science and higher Education, sayasat Nurbek, on April 16, 2025, aims to refine the program’s focus and ensure its effectiveness in developing the nation’s scientific talent.

The Rationale Behind the Change

The move comes after instances of older individuals, some nearing or even past traditional retirement age, participating in Bolashak’s scientific internship programs.Minister Nurbek cited examples of scholars in their late 60s and early 70s undertaking internships, prompting a re-evaluation of the program’s criteria. previously, the Bolashak program had removed the age limit of 40 years old in 2012 to allow more experienced specialists to participate in professional internships.

Earlier,the program had an age limit-40 years. In 2012, we removed this restriction to give participation in professional internships to more experienced specialists of the 40+ category.

The new regulations will stipulate that applicants must have at least three years remaining before reaching retirement age. This translates to a maximum age of 61 for men and 57 for women, aligning with Kazakhstan’s current retirement ages of 64 and 60, respectively. This adjustment seeks to prioritize individuals who can actively contribute to Kazakhstan’s scientific community for a notable period following their internship.

Strategic alignment and Program Progress

Minister Nurbek clarified that these changes were not a direct response to recent criticisms from President Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev,but rather a planned adjustment incorporated into the “Bolashak” Strategy for the Development of the program adopted last year. The strategy identified the need for greater focus and defined restrictions within professional internships, ensuring that participants can effectively apply their acquired knowledge and skills.

The plan to introduce this qualification was also last year, when we adopted the “Bolashak” Strategy for the Development of the program, we looked that, indeed, for professional internships we need to put some restriction.

Presidential Scrutiny and Program Efficacy

President Tokayev voiced concerns on March 14, 2025, regarding the selection process for Bolashak internships, suggesting that some participants lacked sufficient scientific grounding. This critique underscores the importance of ensuring that Bolashak scholarships are awarded to individuals with the potential to make considerable contributions to Kazakhstan’s scientific advancement. The new age restrictions are expected to contribute to this goal by focusing on candidates who are actively engaged in scientific pursuits and have a longer career horizon ahead of them.