It was a true privilege to lead last month’s BEI Higher Education Trade Mission to Kazakhstan. From 17th to 22nd March, I had the opportunity to work alongside an incredible delegation of BEI members: Advance HE, Arup, QAA, Rosetta Stone, UCL Consultants, Pearson, and NOCN Group - as we met with senior officials, university leaders, and education stakeholders in Astana and Almaty.
If you know me, you will know that I am one of the strongest supporters of Kazakhstan and have long admired its bold vision and drive to improve quality in its education system. The Kazakh authorities’ ambition to build a more inclusive, modern, and sustainable higher education landscape is not only inspiring, but is also a reminder of how powerful education can be in shaping a country’s future. I left every meeting energised by the depth of commitment and the openness to new ideas collaboration and reform.
Our mission began in Astana, where we were hosted by Minister Sayasat Nurbek and his team at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. We engaged in productive discussions on international cooperation, quality assurance, teacher training, national testing and the growing role of public-private partnerships in shaping the future of Kazakhstan's education system. Our visit also included a special evening hosted by H.E. Kathy Leach, British Ambassador to Kazakhstan, at her residence in Astana. This event allowed us to engage with key stakeholders from Kazakhstan’s education sector and deepen the conversations around partnerships.
We also visited leading institutions including Coventry University Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev University and Astana IT University, where we explored opportunities for collaboration on AI in education, professional development and expanding vocational education. A standout moment during our first three days in Astana was the signing of an MoU between Pearson and TALAP, the national TVET agency, further strengthening UK-Kazakhstan ties in vocational education. In Almaty, we had the pleasure of engaging with KazGASA and the IEC, where our discussions focused on employability, lifelong learning and aligning education with industry needs.
Before you go, I would like to leave you with some key takeaways from our visit:
A Landscape of Opportunities
The mission gave us the chance to delve into new policy and investment frameworks shared by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MoSHE):
• International Student Recruitment Strategy: MoSHE aims to attract 100,000 international students by 2030, launching global education fairs and a new digital platform – StudyInKazakhstan - to streamline applications, visas, and support services.
• AI in Higher Education: Kazakhstan is rolling out a national AI initiative - AI-STANA - with pilot universities already equipped with high-performance computing labs. The programme includes student incubators, business accelerators, and commercialisation pathways via Astana Hub.
• Regulatory Reforms: International universities ranked in global league tables (QS, THE) will be able to bypass Kazakhstan’s national accreditation when opening local campuses - a clear and very positive signal to global institutions.
• Bolashak Scholarship Expansion: MoSHE is evolving the programme to include research fellowships and scientific internships, with more flexible language testing requirements (e.g. acceptance of Duolingo instead of mandatory IELTS).
• English Language and Teacher Training: With a nationwide shortage of English-speaking educators, MoSHE is keen to collaborate on Applied Language Centres and teacher development programmes - areas in which the UK holds significant expertise.
• Centres of Academic Excellence: Backed by the World Bank, this initiative supports higher education reform and will soon include English language training for lecturers.
• Medical Education: There is strong interest in scaling up medical training provision, with a focus on both domestic capacity building and attracting international students. Another excellent opportunity for the UK.
• Infrastructure and PPPs: The Kazakh government is offering financial incentives to investors who build schools and dormitories. Education providers are also exempt from corporation tax, with additional subsidies for projects in underserved areas.
• New Centre for Government Efficiency: MoSHE is leading the way in digital government transformation, including a three-stage AI integration strategy across universities, backed by the Council on Technology Advancement under the President.
I came away from this mission even more inspired by Kazakhstan’s momentum and more convinced than ever that the UK has the opportunity to play a huge part in this next chapter.
Thank you to everyone who welcomed us, challenged us and reminded us of the power of global partnerships in driving educational transformation. But most of all, I would like to thank my Davids, for making this visit so memorable and successful.
Here’s to the next step in this exciting journey!
