General information about the higher education system in the country
Since the independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1991, the country has implemented large-scale educational reforms. In 2010, Kazakhstan became a member of the Bologna Process, a full member of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). It is the first Central Asian State recognized as a full member of the EHEA. Becoming a full member of the EHEA opened many opportunities and widened horizons for Kazakhstan. Today, Kazakhstan is continuing to actively implement parameters of the Bologna process, including three-level higher education system, ECTS academic credits, academic mobility of students, faculty and staff, European Diploma Supplement, higher education quality assurance, European research area formation, lifelong learning, distance learning, etc. Thus, the current higher education system in Kazakhstan, aligned with Bologna Process standards, is structured as follows:
Bachelor’s Degree: A 4-year programme focused on training specialists and awarding a bachelor’s degree in a specific field.
Master’s Degree: Postgraduate education divided into two tracks – a 1-1.5-year professional programme and a 2-year scientific and pedagogical programme, both leading to a master’s degree.
Doctoral Degree: A 3-year postgraduate programme designed to prepare professionals for academic, scientific, or professional roles, culminating in a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or a professional doctorate.
The governmental agency that provides leadership in the field of higher and postgraduate education, language policy, science, quality assurance in the sphere of science, higher and postgraduate education, and digitalization of science, higher and postgraduate education is the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry’s data, today the number of universities in the country is 119: 11 national universities, 29 state, 14 non-civil, 1 international, 1 autonomous, 16 nonprofit joint stock companies and 47 private universities. The student body in the 2022-2023 academic year was 626 208 people. Students have the opportunity to receive their first higher education free of charge on a competitive basis, that is through a state order. In the 2022-2023 academic year, the allocated state order was around 73 000 scholarships. The fee-paying education is also popular. The training is conducted in Kazakh, Russian and English.
In 2018, the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Education” was amended to grant universities greater academic and managerial autonomy. This allows institutions to design flexible and integrated educational programmes that align with modern labor market demands and emphasize practical outcomes. As a result, bachelor’s degrees can now be completed in an accelerated format, reducing both the time and cost of higher education while providing students with current, relevant knowledge in their fields.
The Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Education” has also granted official recognition to non-formal education. The next step in advancing lifelong learning is to establish a comprehensive system for recognizing the outcomes of both non-formal and informal education. Another key focus in the development of higher education is fostering a culture of academic integrity. To support this, the Academic Integrity League was established in 2018 as an independent body, modeled after organizations such as the Ivy League (USA), Russell Group (UK), and C9 League (China). Thus, Kazakhstan's higher education system has been fundamentally reformed in line with leading European models. The country's educational system continues to evolve, ensuring that every citizen has access to high-quality education that is competitive in the global labor market.
Information on recent policy updates, major reforms and related news
The latest document that identifies the priority areas and directions for the development of higher education system in Kazakhstan is the Development Concept of Higher Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023-2029 adopted on 28 March 2023. This document sets 8 priority areas for the upcoming years:
1. Access to higher and postgraduate education
2. Foresight/forward-looking human resourcing
3. Development of infrastructure and digital architecture of higher education
4. Internationalization of higher and postgraduate education
5. 3rd mission of universities
6. Development of life-long learning
7. Development of certification system and expansion of the coverage with non-formal education
8. Improvement of digital competencies of citizens
In line with these priority areas, the Ministry is planning to turn Kazakhstan into an academic hub in the Eurasian region through establishing branches of leading foreign universities in the country since the establishment of foreign university branches is a rapidly growing phenomenon in the field of transnational education. Currently, about 20 leading foreign universities have been invited to Kazakhstan. Since 2021, a total of 14 branches and strategic partnerships have been established, with preparatory work underway for eight more. For instance, a branch of the British De Montfort University was opened in Almaty in 2021, offering business programs. This year, a branch of Coventry University has been established in Kazakhstan following the same model. A campus of the Korean Woosong University will open in Turkestan and more are coming. Graduates of these educational institutions, having received a foreign diploma, can work in these countries. This measure contributes to the development of science and innovation in the country’s regions.
Information about relevant projects and initiatives
N | Project name | Objectives | Length of project | Keywords | Links |
1 | DigCEE: Digital Culture in Higher Education: European Perspective | The objective of the project is to promote theoretical understanding of how culture is developing within the EU digital domain of education by bringing forward relevant theories, approaches and policy documents. | 2022-2025 |
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2 | KAZDUAL: Implementing Dual System in Kazakhstan | elaborate a model for internships, co-tutoring of students, conducting ongoing monitoring of student performance based on practice-based education and introducing modern forms of professional training based on best practices from EU partners. | 2021-2024 |
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| 3 | The CirculEC: Development of innovative curricula and modules in Circular Economy and Sustainable Development | Aimed to build the capacity of the human capital in the HEIs of Central Asian countries on a circular economy in order to provide staff, students and wider public with skills and competences aligned to the needs of local labour markets and environmental challenges CA countries faces. | 2023-2026 | https://erasmus-plus.ec. europa.eu/projects/search /details/101129169 |
Other relevant links:
- National Erasmus+ Office Kazakhstan
- Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Higher Education Development National Centre
- Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Law on Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Development Concept of Higher Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023-2029