aau/KrömerIntercultural challenges of academic terminology
Nassikhat Utemgaliyeva is an Ernst Mach Fellow from Kazakhstan and a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Slavic Studies at the University of Klagenfurt. She investigated academic terminologies and their use in educational discourse and identified semantic differences in Kazakh, English and German.
Nassikhat Utemgaliyeva, a scholar from Kazakhstan, is an expert in the field of academic terminology and linguistics. She is a lecturer and researcher in the field of linguistics at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty (Kazakhstan). Shaped by a fascination for languages and intercultural dialogue, her path has taken her through various academic programmes, including the prestigious Ernst Mach Fellowship from the OeAD, which has repeatedly brought her to Austria.
She began her academic career with a degree in English and French and teaches English, British and American Literature at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Her doctorate in linguistics centred on modern academic terminology in an educational context. “I am fascinated by the linguistic challenges posed by the transition of the Kazakh higher education system from the Soviet model to the Bologna Process,” the linguist relates. Her research activities focus on these aspects.
Nassikhat Utemgaliyeva’s attachment to Austria began back in her childhood, when the works of Austrian writer Stefan Zweig made a deep impression on her. This early enthusiasm later prompted her to seek scholarships allowing her to undertake research in Austria. Her first stop was the University of Linz as part of the Erasmus programme in 2014. Subsequently, she was awarded an Ernst Mach scholarship and spent several months at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, where she worked on her doctoral thesis.
Her third research visit brought her to the Department of Slavic Studies at the University of Klagenfurt in the summer of 2024. While here, she intensified her research on academic terminology by conducting a comprehensive survey of international students. “I was struck by the variety of interpretations, especially of the term ‘credit points’, which has a different meaning in Kazakhstan compared to European countries,” Utemgaliyeva tells us. These discrepancies resulted in misunderstandings when it came to recognising academic achievements, especially in the context of international exchanges. Her research at the University of Klagenfurt contributed to identifying these differences and developing proposals for a standardised terminology that takes into account cultural as well as linguistic specificities. “This research represents an important step towards improving communication and collaboration in the global academic environment,” she stresses.
Among her favourite things about the University of Klagenfurt are the extensive research options and online media in the library, as well as the international atmosphere that prevails on the green campus. ”The collaboration with colleagues from the field of Slavic Studies, and with Ursula Doleschal in particular, enriched my stay enormously and helped to advance my academic work.”
In response to the question about future plans after her research visit, Utemgaliyeva replies: “I will continue my research on academic terminology and work on the publication of an academic dictionary that will hopefully help students and academics in Kazakhstan to navigate the European context more easily.” She also hopes to return to Austria to complete further academic programmes or deliver guest lectures. “My experiences in Austria have broadened my perspective both as a researcher and a lecturer,” Nassikhat Utemgaliyeva reflects.
