Report Meeting of the Chairman of the Executive Board - Rector Yerbol Issakaev

Report Meeting on the Results of Kozybayev University for the 2024–2025 Academic Year

At Kozybayev University, a report meeting was held to present the outcomes of the university’s work for the 2024–2025 academic year. Upholding the principle of transparency, Chairman of the Executive Board - Rector Yerbol Issakaev addressed the public, sharing key results and the tasks ahead for the university.

“Last year was full of important decisions and remarkable achievements. For the first time in history, we, among only 20 Kazakhstani universities, entered one of the most prestigious global rankings - QS World University Rankings 2026. We also improved our position in QS Asia 2025, entering the top-50 universities in Central Asia and taking 32nd place out of 65. According to the national ranking ‘Atameken’, 24 of our educational programs ranked from 1st to 10th places,” said Yerbol Isakaev.

The student body for the reporting year consisted of 5,749 students. Today, we have increased it to approximately 6,500 students, studying across 138 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs. In partnership with the University of Arizona (USA) and the North-West University of Agriculture and Forestry (PRC), 7 double-degree and 11 joint programs are implemented.

Currently, more than 1,200 students study under programs with the University of Arizona, taught by the best educators, 30% of whom are international scholars. Twenty-nine students from double-degree programs went to the USA for studies. This spring, the first graduation of 133 students under double-degree and joint programs with the University of Arizona will take place.

A total of 484 academic staff were involved in the educational process at Kozybayev University. Over the past three years, the number of PhD holders among faculty has increased by 50%. Key achievements include:

• 14 faculty members completed international internships;

• 2 new positions introduced: Researcher and High Researcher;

• 14 academic degrees awarded, 5 academic titles conferred;

• More than 180 staff members received awards at various levels.

In 2024, the average salary of faculty increased by 27.2%.

For the first time in Kazakhstan, a branded university bus conducted a career guidance tour across southern regions, covering over 6,500 km and visiting around 30 settlements - cities, towns, and villages.

To implement the university’s strategy, the International Campus, the Digital Transformation Office, and the Serpin Qoldau Office were established.

The Institute of Continuing Education successfully operated in 2024, training 1,663 participants. To ensure quality education with the support of the MNVO RK, students have access to the international platform Coursera, with 2,180 students completing courses during the reporting period.

Professional certification programs were also implemented:

• BAYDALA – 31 students certified;

• 1C – 18 students certified.

The university entered the Register of Programs for Teacher Professional Development and received permission to conduct courses for medical professionals.

One of the strategic directions is internationalization. The university maintains partnerships with organizations and universities from more than 20 countries, including China, the USA, Finland, Turkey, Italy, and France. There are 102 international agreements, and the number of partners continues to grow.

During the reporting period, 28 international students joined the university, mainly from China. Forty students completed internships at environmental enterprises in Germany and Poland. Twenty-one international scholars from Bulgaria, the UK, China, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, the USA, Turkey, and Finland participated in the educational process.

Our ambitious goal for the coming years is to transform into a research-intensive university with a high level of international integration. In the reporting period, two research projects were implemented under joint program-targeted funding totaling 19 million tenge.

The university received an Erasmus+ Diana grant. The “Industrial PhD” project was launched, with 4 doctoral students currently enrolled.

In 2025, research funding significantly increased to over 1.3 billion tenge. In 2026, we plan to reach about 3 billion tenge. The key driver of research in 2025–2026 will be the implementation of a program-targeted project on the development and introduction of high-tech solutions for monitoring, cleaning, and rational use of water resources in the North Kazakhstan region, with funding exceeding 4 billion tenge.

Additionally, in the summer, the university won funding for three major research projects:

• Study of the role of bai communities in North Kazakhstan, their economic potential, and confiscation processes;

• Improvement of state policy in food security in Kazakhstan’s border regions;

• Development of technology for processing rotational composites from secondary polyethylene to produce a wide range of technical products.

Kozybayev University participated in the International Forum of Strategic Partners with the President of Kazakhstan. Special recognition was given to the support of the Head of State for university research projects in partnership with the University of Arizona, including research on sulfur polymerization led by world-renowned Professor Jeffrey Poon. The project aims to develop and implement innovative materials based on recycled sulfur, enabling a shift from raw material export to the production of high value-added products - eco-friendly plastics, fertilizers, and polymers.

An important focus is the implementation of the third mission - social partnership, civic education, and contribution to society. Student involvement in student government increased from 23% to 40%.

A healthy educational environment is supported by the university’s 24-hour Psychological Service call center.

Over the past three years, the university has actively developed students’ sports and cultural activities, with achievements confirmed by medals at national and international competitions: 25 gold, 28 silver, and 34 bronze.

Currently, the university has 6 dormitories with a total capacity of 2,704, providing a surplus of 750 places. For convenience, the MyNKU mobile application allows applicants and students to apply for accommodation, view available dormitories, select rooms, and book places online.

As part of digital infrastructure development, the computer park has been upgraded, including three new servers, over 200 computers, around 200 cameras, and 27 multimedia devices.

Last year, the university actively participated in the AI-Sana innovation program in artificial intelligence, resulting in 100% of students completing courses on Huawei, Coursera, and Astana Hub platforms.

Over the past year, the university significantly expanded its campus with a new building and two dormitories. Renovations included roofs, halls, entrances, classrooms, restrooms, assembly halls, and sports halls. A new football field was built near the ULC. Campus design improvements, including arches, sports halls, the Abai Kunanbaev mural on Building 2, and the first floor of the ULC with a café, were completed over the summer. Soon, a new outdoor area with small architectural forms will be added near the ULC, expected to become a new location for city residents.

The rector also outlined tasks for the coming year and answered questions from the audience.

“Every achievement I mentioned today is the contribution of our faculty, staff, students, and partners. I sincerely thank everyone for their work, initiative, and dedication to the university! Kozybayev University carries special responsibility. We are the only civil university in North Kazakhstan, which is why our role in the region extends far beyond the educational process. Our mission is simple yet ambitious: to be an intellectual center of education, science, and culture, and a driver of socio-economic development in the region,” concluded Yerbol Issakaev.