Neurosurgery Fellowships: Kazakhstan, Afghanistan
Only two official pages we found name your countries: an ESMINT observership that gives priority to physicians from Kazakhstan and its neighbours, and a WFNS reference centre in Peshawar that trains Afghan neurosurgeons. Other schemes use "developing" or "low- and middle-income" wording without a country list. Everything below was read on the official pages on 20 October 2026; confirm each call before you plan around it.
Afghanistan: a WFNS reference centre in Peshawar
Northwest General Hospital and Research Centre in Peshawar, Pakistan, is accepted by the WFNS Foundation as a full-time four-year postgraduate reference training centre in neurosurgery for Afghan trainees. This is a long postgraduate training, closer to specialist training than to a short fellowship. The trainee is responsible for obtaining a visa, and the hospital's HR department helps with supporting documents. Check the page for the current submission date.
- Copy of passport or ID card
- Copy of the diploma of basic medical qualification
- Curriculum vitae
- Letters of recommendation from at least two consultant neurosurgeons
- Motivation letter
Kazakhstan: the ESMINT observership
The ESMINT observership in neurointervention accepts physicians from anywhere but gives priority to those from continental Europe and its neighbouring countries, with Kazakhstan named among the examples (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Israel). Applicants from further afield are considered if possible. The page also lists conditions such as ESMINT membership, an age limit of 40 and experience in diagnostic neuroradiology; confirm which apply to the observership. It fits neurointerventional rather than general neurosurgical training. Check the current call for its dates.
Low- and middle-income schemes with no country list
The CNS Foundation international observerships support junior neurosurgeons in low- and middle-income countries; applications for the 2026–27 cycle open on 13 November 2026 and close on 31 January 2027. The FIENS-Bassett fellowship funds a three-month observership for neurosurgeons in or within five years of residency in a low or middle income country. The WFNS Foundation short-term fellowship is temporarily closed to new applications. None of these pages lists the countries that qualify, so they do not establish eligibility for Kazakhstan or Afghanistan.
What the official pages do not say
We found no regional scheme for Central Asia from the Asian-Australasian or other neurosurgical societies, and no official statement on training abroad for Afghan neurosurgeons from health authorities or international agencies. Turkish, Korean, German and Russian host routes were not searched in depth, and Turkmenistan is not covered at all. Treat the schemes above as leads to confirm, not as promises of eligibility.