Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan foreign university hubs risk isolating domestic systems
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Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are expanding international university partnerships, with Kazakhstan hosting 35,075 international students from 88 countries in 2025-26. Oxford professor Maia Chankseliani warns that foreign campuses do not automatically strengthen domestic higher education systems. The two countries are pursuing reputable universities, international students, and research partnerships even as questions remain about wider systemic benefits.
Key Facts
- Kazakhstan reported 40 strategic partnerships with leading foreign universities by the end of 2025, including 33 international branch campuses.
- In the 2025-26 academic year, Kazakhstan hosted 35,075 international students from 88 countries and plans to host 100,000 by 2029.
- Uzbekistan had 32 foreign universities operating by the end of 2025, and 21,042 foreign students arrived between January and June 2026.
- Nazarbayev University, opened in 2010, was built through partnerships with the University of Cambridge and UCL.
Internationalisation Push
Kazakhstan deepened ties with Japan and South Korea through dual-degree programmes in information security and artificial intelligence. Uzbekistan is moving quickly to accelerate partnerships with highly ranked universities using a wider range of models beyond traditional branch campuses, according to consultant Yerbol Suleimenov. Both countries seek reputable international universities, international students, talented academics, and research partnerships, Chankseliani said.
Systemic Impact Concerns
Chankseliani cautioned that bringing in an international university does not automatically strengthen the wider system. The crucial question is what happens around the foreign university, she added. Kazakhstan has a longer history of using international partnerships to reform its own higher education system, while Uzbekistan has a much larger domestic market, Suleimenov noted.
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Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan foreign university hubs risk isolating domestic systems
