Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools
The Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools '' is a network of schools for students of age 11 to 18 throughout Kazakhstan. The schools are named after Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev, former president of Kazakhstan, who has promoted the idea as a means of developing the intellectual life of the country. Previously, each school focused primarily on a specific set of subjects: either physical sciences and mathematics, or chemical and biological sciences, as well as foreign languages. Although this division is still represented in the names of schools, most schools share the same curriculum based on Cambridge O Level and A Level, except for NIS IB in Astana. Instruction is trilingual, in Kazakh, Russian and English.
Partnerships
The program was initially set up with the assistance of faculty members from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Subsequently, Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools partnered with the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education on curriculum development; Cambridge Assessment on design of the assessment system; CiTO, Netherlands on the testing and measurement; and Johns Hopkins University on working with talented youth.Schools
Currently there are 20 NIS or associated schools located in the following localities:- Astana: Two schools and International Baccalaureate.
- Semey: One school
- Kokshetau: One school
- Taldykorgan: One school
- Uralsk: One school
- Oskemen: One school
- Aktobe: One school
- Karaganda: One school
- Shymkent: Two schools
- Taraz: One school
- Kyzylorda: One school
- Pavlodar: One school
- Atyrau: One school
- Almaty: Two schools
- Kostanay: One school
- Petropavlovsk: One school
- Aktau: One school
- Turkestan: One school