Foreign student enrollment in Kazakhstan breaks all-time high record
Kazakhstan's Transnational Education Strategy Boosts International Student Enrollment
Kazakhstan is making significant strides in enhancing its international education profile, with a goal to attract 100,000 international students by 2028. This ambitious plan, known as the Transnational Education (TNE) strategy, involves a series of coordinated efforts to boost the number of international students and establish Kazakhstan as a leading destination for global education.
The TNE strategy is multifaceted, encompassing various initiatives such as hosting international education fairs, expanding digital recruitment efforts, and promoting English-taught programs and career-aligned, internationally recognized degrees. The government, alongside institutions like the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the "Center for International Programs," is working to improve the quality and relevance of higher education by prioritizing fields like Artificial Intelligence and the nuclear industry within scholarship programs, strengthening cooperation with foreign universities, and increasing internship opportunities abroad in official languages of host countries.
These strategic approaches are designed to elevate Kazakhstan's status in global education markets, improve international collaboration and student mobility, and achieve the targeted growth in international student enrollment by 2028. The 100,000-student goal reflects Kazakhstan’s broader ambitions in developing human capital and internationalizing its education system.
Geopolitical changes, such as Ukraine being out of the picture and Russia withdrawing from the Bologna Process, are influencing the Eurasian educational landscape, causing students to look for alternatives in Kazakhstan. Over the past three years, Kazakhstan has opened five branches of foreign universities, including Coventry and De Montfort universities in the UK, Cardiff University, Wusong University, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea.
The growing demand for studying in Kazakhstan is evident, with the number of Russian students surpassing 3,000, up from 1,263 in 2021. This year, residents of Asia, particularly India and China, who came to Kazakhstan to study, outnumbered those from the CIS countries.
One of the significant parts of the TNE strategy is the joint project between the American Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and Nazarbayev University (NU), aiming to develop scientific potential and postgraduate programs at NU and attract foreign staff. To attract foreigners and meet the demand for higher education in Kazakhstan, the state is expanding international cooperation in this field.
Kazakhstan is currently experiencing a demographic boom, which positively impacts the demand for higher education. Last year, the number of international students in Kazakhstan reached 31,500, setting a historical record. The authorities have developed a strategy for transnational education (TNE) and launched the "Study in Kazakhstan" project.
To support the financial sustainability of foreign universities in Kazakhstan, the education minister provides material support for 5-10 years. The state also offers reciprocal incentives to these universities, such as free land for universities building full-fledged campuses in Kazakhstan and tax benefits.
All these efforts are aimed at making Kazakhstan an attractive destination for international students, supporting the country’s sustainable socio-economic development goals. The hybrid recruitment strategy combining digital and in-person engagement is designed to reach a broad student base, including remote regions and neighboring Central Asian countries, supporting recruitment goals by catering to a globally curious and well-educated youth population, supported by public investment in scholarships and expanding K–12 English-medium programs.
New education-and-self-development opportunities are being created through Kazakhstan's Transnational Education strategy, such as the joint project between the Colorado School of Mines and Nazarbayev University to develop scientific potential and postgraduate programs. To attract international students and meet the demand for higher education, Kazakhstan is expanding international cooperation and offering financial incentives to foreign universities establishing campuses in the country.
