Overview
The PhD program in Science, Engineering and Technology (PhD program), fully taught in English, is designed to provide advanced skills and a sophisticated knowledge base at the expert level for individuals planning a career in academic, industry and research settings in engineering and science disciplines. The program focuses on the development of research skills, together with an in-depth understanding of the nature, implementation and evaluation of engineering principles and applications. The current areas of research interest for the PhD program in Science, Engineering and Technology encompass a wide area, with specific focus on priority areas for Kazakhstan, such as: energy engineering; information and communications technology; advanced materials science and engineering; sustainable engineering; biomedical engineering; robotics and mechatronics.
These areas are also aligned with the research priorities for Europe as described in the EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020, such as: Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies; Nanotechnologies; Advance Materials; Advanced Manufacturing and Processing); Environment, Future and Emerging Technologies; Health, demographic change and wellbeing (Improving diagnosis; Innovative treatments and technologies; Integrated, sustainable, citizen-centered care). By the completion of the PhD program, students will be capable of designing, conducting, and interpreting independent, innovative, original and high-quality research related to a variety of engineering topics. In addition, program graduates will be prepared for working in industrial and academic environments in the positions of university faculty members, senior researchers, engineers and product developers. The PhD program has been designed in line with the revised Graduate Programs Framework of Nazarbayev University.
These areas are also aligned with the research priorities for Europe as described in the EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020, such as: Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies; Nanotechnologies; Advance Materials; Advanced Manufacturing and Processing); Environment, Future and Emerging Technologies; Health, demographic change and wellbeing (Improving diagnosis; Innovative treatments and technologies; Integrated, sustainable, citizen-centered care). By the completion of the PhD program, students will be capable of designing, conducting, and interpreting independent, innovative, original and high-quality research related to a variety of engineering topics. In addition, program graduates will be prepared for working in industrial and academic environments in the positions of university faculty members, senior researchers, engineers and product developers. The PhD program has been designed in line with the revised Graduate Programs Framework of Nazarbayev University.
General information
- Campus: Astana, Kazakhstan
- Language: English
- Delivery mode: Full time, on-campus
- Duration: 4 years
- Total ECTS credit: 240
Program Aims
General Aims The overarching aim of the program is to develop high-quality doctoral researchers who are ready and able to make a lasting contribution to addressing the scientific, technological, economic, societal, and environmental challenges of global significance. It is closely associated with the aim of Kazakhstan to increase its global competitiveness and join the top 30 most developed countries in the world by 2050.
- The program aims to prepare specialists for advanced careers in (national and multinational) industry and academia in Kazakhstan, in neighboring countries and internationally.
- The program aims to prepare future policy and decision makers for careers in governmental agencies, public service and the social economy, in Kazakhstan, and globally.
- The program aims to prepare entrepreneurs who will be able to promote advanced and innovative science-rich technologies anywhere in the world.
- The program aims to prepare new generation of commercially aware and technologically advanced scientists and technologists to lead future developments in the chosen science and engineering discipline.
- The program aims to prepare future academics and researchers in engineering disciplines for careers as specialists in universities in other parts of the world.
Key Advantages
- Broad interdisciplinary doctoral educationthat allows students to conduct research across engineering, technology, physical sciences, mathematics, and life sciences.1
- Expert-level preparation for academia, research, and industry,combining advanced scientific knowledge with the ability to design, conduct, interpret, and communicate original research.2
- Research aligned with strategic priorities for Kazakhstan,including energy engineering, information and communications technology, advanced materials, sustainable engineering, biomedical engineering, robotics, and mechatronics.3
- Highly flexible academic pathwaythrough Level 8 electives offered by PhD programmes in Chemical, Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, and Robotics Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, and Life Sciences.4
- Strong emphasis on independent and original research,with thesis work beginning in the first year and continuing throughout the four-year programme.5
- Multidisciplinary supervision,including a lead supervisor, an internal co-supervisor from Nazarbayev University, and an external co-supervisor from outside the University.6
- Advanced research-skills developmentthrough Research Methods and Ethics, Critical Analysis of Current Research Literature, research-proposal preparation, academic writing, peer review, and scientific presentations.7
- International research opportunities,including the possibility of completing a three- to twelve-month internship at an approved international host research facility, subject to funding and programme approval.8
- Teaching and academic experiencethrough work as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, supporting undergraduate and master’s programmes.9
- Preparation for research leadership and innovation,including careers in academia, national and multinational industries, government, public service, and science-based entrepreneurship.10
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Review, analyse, and evaluate the body of scientific literature in their field of study in Engineering and Science.
- Select appropriate research topics in their field of study in Engineering and Science, and generate hypotheses about such topics.
- Plan, develop, analyse and communicate research in writing and verbally independently.
- Make an original contribution to the knowledge in their area of specialization within Engineering and Science.
- Judge technically and ethically and relate their research to the broader field of knowledge in their Engineering and Science sub-discipline.
- Develop their academic/scholarly career through presentations, publications, and national and international networking.
Covers the Fundamentals of:
- Research methodology and responsible research conduct
- Research ethics, integrity, accountability, and intellectual property
- Critical analysis of scientific and technical literature
- Identification of research gaps and contradictions
- Research-question and hypothesis development
- Experimental, computational, or theoretical research design
- Data collection, interpretation, and validation
- Academic writing and the peer-review process
- Scientific presentations and technical communication
- Multidisciplinary research planning
- Independent thesis research and dissertation development
- National and international academic networking
Curriculum
¹ Course may be waived for NU graduates and replaced by a Level-8 course (core or elective) selected by the student’s supervisory committee and approved by the corresponding departmental committee.
² 0 ECTS credited if the thesis is not completed / defended in that semester.
³ If not submitted / defended, the requirement carries forward to the following semester.
² 0 ECTS credited if the thesis is not completed / defended in that semester.
³ If not submitted / defended, the requirement carries forward to the following semester.
Core modules
The list of core modules
The mathematical sub-discipline of differential equations is foundational in the study of applied mathematics for engineers. Differential equations arise in a variety of contexts, some more theoretical and some of practical interest. The qualitative and quantitative study of differential equations incorporates an elegant mixture of linear algebra and advanced calculus. For this reason, it is expected that the student has already completed courses in (i) linear algebra; (ii) multivariable calculus; and (iii) introductory differential equations.
The course will cover advanced topics of first order and second order ODEs like initial and boundary value problem and stability of solutions and phase portrait of them. A classification will be provided of the various existing types of methods for exploring solutions in connection with the various types of scientific and technological mathematical models that utilize them. The content of the course includes power series techniques as well as the Laplace transformation method for acquiring solutions of ODEs.
Furthermore, PDEs will be studied to model problems involving functions of several variables, and are either solved by hand, or used to create a relevant computer model. PDEs categories will be connected with a wide variety of interesting and important phenomena such as sound, heat, electrostatics, electrodynamics, fluid dynamics, elasticity, or quantum mechanics. All these seemingly distinct physical phenomena can be formalized similarly in terms of PDEs. The content of the course will cover techniques that refer to Elliptic, Parabolic Partial Differential Equations and Hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations as well as Initial and Boundary Conditions. The course will be delivered with lectures that will deliver the necessary theoretical background.
The course will cover advanced topics of first order and second order ODEs like initial and boundary value problem and stability of solutions and phase portrait of them. A classification will be provided of the various existing types of methods for exploring solutions in connection with the various types of scientific and technological mathematical models that utilize them. The content of the course includes power series techniques as well as the Laplace transformation method for acquiring solutions of ODEs.
Furthermore, PDEs will be studied to model problems involving functions of several variables, and are either solved by hand, or used to create a relevant computer model. PDEs categories will be connected with a wide variety of interesting and important phenomena such as sound, heat, electrostatics, electrodynamics, fluid dynamics, elasticity, or quantum mechanics. All these seemingly distinct physical phenomena can be formalized similarly in terms of PDEs. The content of the course will cover techniques that refer to Elliptic, Parabolic Partial Differential Equations and Hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations as well as Initial and Boundary Conditions. The course will be delivered with lectures that will deliver the necessary theoretical background.
The course will facilitate the understanding of research planning and development, while enhancing the PhD student skills for reading, interpreting, writing and presenting his/her scientific and technical ideas to the peer community. The course will also deliver theory and examples of a variety of research methods and ethical principles associated to them.
This course is designed to monitor progress and develop understandings, skills, and outlooks to conduct original, independent research at the PhD level. The student will develop (with the advisor’s guidance) a research plan at the beginning of the semester that will state a research problem/question/hypothesis, its background, outline a research strategy and experimental approach, method of data collection, interpretation and validation, and method of communication of the project results to others. The research plan is used as the basis for assessment of the student’s research progress.
This course develops doctoral students’ ability to read, evaluate, organize, and synthesize current research literature in a critical and methodologically transparent way. By the end of the course, students will be able to formulate a focused review question, design and document an appropriate literature search strategy, critically compare published studies, identify gaps and contradictions in the field of mechanical engineering, and produce a concise survey paper.
Where do our graduates work?
- Career opportunities
- University Faculty Member
- Assistant, Associate, or Research Professor
- Senior Researcher
- Research Scientist
- Engineer or Senior Engineer
- Research and Development Engineer
- Product Development Engineer
- Energy Systems Researcher
- Information and Communications Technology Researcher
- Materials Scientist or Materials Engineer
- Sustainability Researcher
- Biomedical Engineering Researcher
- Robotics or Mechatronics Researcher
- Artificial Intelligence or Computer Science Researcher
- Multidisciplinary Research Project Manager
- Research Laboratory Manager
- Technology and Innovation Consultant
- Government Policy or Technical Adviser
- Science and Technology Programme Manager
- Technology Entrepreneur or Start-up Founder
- Where?
- Universities and higher-education institutions
- National and international research centres
- Energy and power-engineering organisations
- Information and communications technology companies
- Artificial-intelligence and data-technology organisations
- Advanced-materials and nanotechnology research
- Chemical and manufacturing industries
- Civil, environmental, and sustainable-engineering organisations
- Biomedical and healthcare-technology companies
- Robotics, automation, and mechatronics organisations
- Engineering consulting and technology development
- Government ministries and public agencies
- Science and innovation-policy organisations
- Research-based start-ups and technology ventures
Admissions & Apply now
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Admission
Admission
53 Kabanbay Batyr Ave
Astana city, Republic of Kazakhstan
Astana city, Republic of Kazakhstan