Purpose: This study explores the role of proactive decision-making in enhancing academic motivation and career calling among university students in Central Asia. It aims to investigate how proactive traits and cognitive skills influence career calling and academic persistence while examining the moderating effects of demographic factors. Design/methodology/approach: A convenience sample of 380 undergraduate business students from Kazakhstan was surveyed using validated scales for proactive decision-making, career calling and academic motivation. Data analysis involved correlation, regression and mediation tests using SPSS to evaluate relationships between variables and test the mediating role of career calling in the proactive decision-making-academic motivation link. Findings: Proactive decision-making was found to significantly enhance career calling and academic motivation, with career calling partially mediating the relationship between proactive decision-making and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation. In addition, demographic variables, such as gender and GPA, moderated the effects of proactive decision-making on academic motivation. Originality/value: This research contributes to the understanding of proactive decision-making in the educational context, particularly within international business education, by highlighting its role in shaping career aspirations and academic engagement. It provides new insights into the interplay between personality, decision-making and academic motivation in a Central Asian setting.