Nazarbayev University positions itself as Central Asia’s launchpad for global leaders

The UAE is one of the best global examples of a young nation that has strategically invested in higher education and reaped the benefits. The country is home to a number of successful universities founded over the past few decades, including United Arab Emirates University, University of Sharjah, Khalifa University, American University of Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi University. These institutions have played a central role in supporting the UAE’s transition to a knowledge-based economy, while cultivating a new generation of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and public leaders. A similar story is unfolding in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.

Nazarbayev University (NU), Central Asia’s leading English-medium institution, is not attempting to replicate Oxford, MIT or Harvard. Instead, it is carving out its own path, combining international standards of excellence with strong local and regional relevance.

The university is led by Professor Waqar Ahmad, a British higher education leader with senior leadership experience at Bradford, York, Leeds and Middlesex universities, and most recently as president of Abu Dhabi University. He has also held visiting professorships at the London School of Economics, University College London and the University of York.

“Nazarbayev University is building more than a university — it’s building a launchpad for future leaders,” he says.

Established in 2010 and supported by the Kazakh government and international academic partners, NU is an autonomous institution modeled on global best practice. It has secured, or is in the process of securing, major international accreditations, including AMBA, AACSB, QAA, ABET, and accreditations in medicine and public policy.

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, NU ranked in the top 23 per cent globally, placing first in Central Asia and the Caucasus and fourth in the CIS.

Gulf News spoke to Professor Ahmad about NU’s mission, outcomes and global partnerships.

At NU, our mission extends well beyond delivering quality education. Our students are comparable in calibre to those at Ivy League institutions in the US or Russell Group universities in the UK. Our focus is on preparing them to become globally minded leaders equipped to address current and future challenges, both regionally and internationally.

Students receive a world-class education in English, delivered by international faculty, and graduate with strong academic foundations, confidence and the skills needed to lead and collaborate across borders. Since its founding, NU has pursued an international outlook, and today we are strengthening global partnerships, expanding dual-degree programmes and attracting high-calibre international students.

One of our key strengths is our faculty, drawn from more than 50 countries, with degrees from leading research institutions and active global research collaborations. This diversity of experience underpins the quality of our teaching and research.

We are also strengthening academic leadership. Professor Rehan Sadiq has joined us as Provost from the University of British Columbia (Okanagan), while Professor Bjorn Birgisson has been appointed Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, joining from the University of Georgia following his tenure at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. Further senior appointments will follow.

Graduate outcomes are among NU’s strongest indicators of success. More than 98 per cent of graduates are employed or in further study within one year of graduation.

Many pursue postgraduate studies at leading global universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford and Columbia, often on full scholarships. Within the region, institutions including Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology attract a growing number of NU graduates. Our PhD alumni secure postdoctoral positions at leading universities and roles across industry.

NU is increasingly recognised as a launchpad for global careers. Alumni are employed by multinational companies such as Google, Apple, BMW and Airbus, as well as by innovative startups worldwide.

As academic links between Kazakhstan and the UAE strengthen, there are clear shared values, including a commitment to education, a young population and an expanding role in innovation and diplomacy. For students seeking academic rigour combined with global mobility, NU presents a strong option.

Our graduates benefit from a rigorous education, international exposure and a proven record of success. NU offers world-class education in Central Asia, with a strategic location that connects East and West. Students benefit from international faculty, cutting-edge research and opportunities to study at partner institutions abroad.

We are also expanding doctoral offerings, including industrial PhDs and professional doctorates such as the Doctorate in Education, Doctorate in Business Administration and Doctorate in Medical Science. In addition, we offer 200 fully funded PhD scholarships, attracting highly competitive applicants from within and beyond the region.

NU collaborates widely in research and is a founding member of the Asian Universities Alliance, which includes institutions such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, National University of Singapore and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, alongside United Arab Emirates University and King Saud University.

In teaching, we offer a joint master’s degree with SOAS University of London and a dual bachelor’s programme with Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. We also partner with more than 40 leading universities on semester-long exchange programmes, including the University of Toronto, Duke University, University of Hong Kong, Humboldt University and Freie Universität Berlin, and Grenoble University.

These partnerships allow students to study abroad in credit-bearing programmes while hosting international exchange students at NU, strengthening research collaboration and curriculum relevance.

Since its founding, NU has supported more than 500 startups launched by students and faculty. All undergraduates complete a course in entrepreneurship, which we view as a core life skill.

Students have access to facilities such as the Fab Lab, where they can prototype innovations including medical robotics. Through the Astana Business Campus incubation and acceleration programmes, students develop ventures from idea to market. NU teams compete internationally, recently winning the Silver Prize at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s $1 million enterprise competition.

Beyond incubation, NU supports deep-tech commercialisation through its Founders School, global exposure programmes and Stanford’s StartX accelerator. The NU Impact Foundation provides financial support for early-stage ventures.

Notable initiatives include CerebraAI, an AI-powered stroke diagnostics platform; Arlan Biotech, which applies generative AI to biomedical development; and Kunde, a social enterprise providing employment for vulnerable groups. NU graduates are regularly featured in Forbes Kazakhstan’s 30 Under 30 list.

Our goal is to strengthen NU’s global profile while maintaining relevance to Kazakhstan and the wider region. We will continue investing in leadership, talent, infrastructure and innovation, with a strong focus on student outcomes.

We have doubled doctoral scholarships this year and aim to enter the global top 300 universities within four years, alongside higher subject-specific rankings. We are also strengthening our position in the Shanghai and Leiden rankings, where our biomedical research already ranks among the top 50.

NU will continue contributing to national development through higher education, integrated healthcare, artificial intelligence and digitalisation initiatives such as KazLLM, as well as advances in smart materials and energy storage.

To meet the demands of a digital economy, all students gain exposure to AI, entrepreneurship and digital skills. New programmes in applied AI, cybersecurity and digital diplomacy are being introduced, while interdisciplinarity remains central to keeping graduates future-ready. Alongside teaching, we will continue expanding research capacity, including increasing fully funded PhD scholarships beyond 200 in the coming years.

- In association with Nazarbayev University