I was born into a multi-ethnic family in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, one year before the collapse of the Soviet Union. All my family members are mathematicians. It was no coincidence that they named me after one of Imperial Russia’s foremost female mathematicians, Sofya Kovalevskaya. From childhood, I dreamed of scientific discoveries, reading lectures to students, travelling the world and embracing the euphoria of the learning process. Being a dedicated student, I always received full support and encouragement from my family, teachers and academic community to pursue my dreams. To avoid hypocrisy, I should say that I certainly come from a position of privilege and opportunity. I studied in an elite private school, was home tutored in piano, opera singing, French and creative arts.
Most of my classmates came from Kazakh establishment families and planned to embark on shining future careers as diplomats, oil barons and fashion designers. After completing an undergraduate program in international affairs in Kazakhstan, I got a prestigious scholarship to continue my MA degree in Switzerland. I then worked for the United Nations in Geneva and moved to the UK to pursue doctoral research sponsored by the European Commission.
In this seemingly flawless personal narrative, and in response to a recent series of articles, I would like to draw attention to three main dilemmas confronting western-educated female academics from Central Asia today: social traditionalisation, low compensation and academic slavery on the ground, and overlapping insider/outsider status.
