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Five students spent two weeks working in the Media Lab, CSAIL and Bio labs under the supervision of MIT graduate students.
In March 2025, five Space School Astana students took part in a unique research programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Two weeks of intensive work in MIT labs changed their idea of what doing science really means.
How the programme works
The programme is built around three labs: Media Lab, CSAIL and Bio. Over two weeks each student passes through all three, working in a team with MIT graduate students on live research problems.
Selection is competitive, through mathematics and physics olympiads. Read more about the admissions campaign on the admission page, and find the current dates in the school news.
What the internship includes
- Work in one of the three MIT labs under a mentor's supervision
- Weekly seminars with guest scientists
- A final project defence before the faculty panel
- A certificate of participation and a letter of recommendation
"We wanted the students to understand that real science is not a perfect experiment on the first try, but hundreds of iterations in which you make mistakes faster than you can think."
Aigul Sarsenova, Space School programme coordinator
* The internship is supported by the MIT-Kazakhstan Foundation. Flights and accommodation are covered by a grant.
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Day 1: introduction -
Day 3: prototype -
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Day 7: experiment -
Day 10: defence
After returning, the participants continue their research at Space School — the school allocates two hours a week and access to lab equipment for this.