She graduated with honors from the Kazakh State University with Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1971 and in 1975 followed up with Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D).
[1] Arystanbekova became the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Kazakhstan in November 1989 and served till December 1991.
In December 1991 she was assigned to New York to make preparations for Kazakhstan's entry to the United Nations which took place on 2 March 1992.
[1] She completed her assignment as Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations in October 1999 when Kofi Annan, was the Secretary-General.
[3] Upon completion of the UN assignment she worked as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to France in 1999–2003 and Permanent Delegate to the UNESCO (1999–2001).