President Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev has made the development of Kazakhstan as a regional academic hub a clear priority. The goal is twofold: give Kazakh students access to high‑quality international education without leaving the country and create a competitive destination that can also serve students from neighboring Central Asian states, the South Caucasus and beyond.
A Growing International Presence
According to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Kazakhstan has established roughly 40 strategic partnerships and projects with foreign universities, ranging from full branch campuses to joint programmes and research collaborations. These involve institutions from the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, South Korea and others. Education is delivered through more than 160 international programmes.
British universities currently have one of the most visible footprints. Cardiff University opened its first overseas campus in Astana in September 2025 — the first Russell Group presence in Central Asia — offering programmes in computer science, business, civil engineering and earth sciences. Coventry University Kazakhstan launched in Astana in 2024 and opened a second campus in Almaty in September 2026, with further expansion of its Astana facilities planned. Heriot‑Watt University operates in Aktobe, while De Montfort University has a presence in the country. Priority fields include engineering, IT, business, energy and creative industries.
German engagement is particularly relevant for Europe. Anhalt University of Applied Sciences is active in Almaty, focusing on applied sciences, engineering, energy and industrial digitalization. Broader Kazakh‑German academic ties are already substantial: dozens of Kazakh universities cooperate with around 100 German partners. President Tokayev has used meetings with German rectors to propose deeper cooperation in dual education, artificial intelligence, technology transfer and joint research.
(...)
