Kazakhstan Expands Global Academic Ties with New University Branches

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education has announced that seven additional international university branches will open in the 2025-2026 academic year. In Astana (the capital), new campuses of Russia’s MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations), the UK’s Cardiff University and Coventry University will be based at L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. Branches of Turkey’s Gazi University will open in Shymkent; South Korea’s Woosong University in Turkistan; Germany’s Anhalt University in Almaty; Italy’s Università Politecnica delle Marche in Taldykorgan; and South Korea’s Dong-Eui University in Kostanay. These moves are part of a Presidential directive to spread “branches of leading foreign universities… throughout the country” and to broaden students’ opportunities.

Under President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s guidance, the Ministry emphasizes that these new campuses will help “establish Kazakhstan as a key academic hub in Central Asia”. Ministry officials note that they are “actively promoting Kazakhstan as a leading academic hub of Central Asia, through the development of international cooperation and expansion of opportunities for students”. By bringing prestigious foreign universities to Kazakh regions, the government aims to improve access to world-class education without forcing students to study overseas. As one higher‑education official explained, these branches are expected to “train over 2,000 highly skilled specialists for the country’s economy by 2029,” helping keep talent at home.

Looking ahead, Kazakh leaders are also courting students from neighboring countries. President Tokayev has noted that roughly 9,000 Central Asian students already study in Kazakhstan and that a “common Central Asian space of higher education is being formed”. He pointed out that “foreign universities are opening their branches in many regions of Kazakhstan, with students being actively recruited” to local campuses. In this spirit, he has “invited the youth of Central Asia and the Caucasus” to take advantage of new dual‑degree programs now offered in Kazakhstan.

British De Montfort University (DMU) was the first international university to establish a campus in Kazakhstan. DMU’s Almaty campus opened in 2021 (partnering with the Kazakh company EdPeritus), and it has since launched innovative programs in business, IT and the creative industries. British and Kazakh officials have praised the DMU link as strengthening academic ties with Europe. (In the image above, DMU Kazakhstan faculty speak during a 2023 event in Almaty.) Since then, a stream of new branches has followed. In 2022 alone Kazakhstan opened four branch campuses: DMU in Almaty, Russia’s Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI) at Al-Farabi University (Almaty), Russia’s Gubkin Oil & Gas University at Atyrau Oil & Gas University, and the University of Arizona in Petropavlovsk (Kozybayev University). Each offers home‑state degrees to Kazakh students, often with local and visiting faculty.

Late in 2023 and into 2024, more campuses launched. Coventry University (UK) opened a large new campus in Astana (eventually serving up to 3,500 students). Woosong University (South Korea) opened its campus following a visit by the South Korean President. Also, branches of University of Arizona and other partnerships have continued to expand: for example, the U.S.-Kazakh “microcampus” in Petropavlovsk (Kozybayev University) now runs dual‑degree programs in biotechnology and information science. University of Arizona officials say they are “extremely proud of what has been achieved thus far in collaboration with Kozybayev University”, noting that Kazakh partners drew on Arizona’s experience in global education. In October 2024, Coventry University celebrated its official Astana campus opening. 

These steps reflect Kazakhstan’s strategy to internationalize its higher-education sector. By offering local access to foreign degrees, officials hope to keep talented students at home and build a more globally competitive university system. As Minister Nurbek said last year, these partnerships will not only bolster academic quality but also train thousands of specialists for the economy. The government frames this drive as “academic diplomacy,” strengthening ties with key partner countries while aligning programs to regional development needs. With the latest announcement of seven new branches, Kazakhstan is steadily moving toward its goal of becoming a leading educational hub in Central Asia.