Winner. University of the Year 2021

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Type: Public
Established: 1934
Rector: Prof. Dr. Zhanseit Tuimebayev
Academic staff: 4047
Administrative staff: 342
Students: 25223
Address: 71 al-Farabi Ave., Almaty, 050040, Republic of Kazakhstan
Website: www.kaznu.kz

January 15, 1934 is the day of the official opening of the Kazakh State University (KazGU). On December 2, 1934, KazGU was named after the famous Soviet political leader S.M. Kirov.

Following independence in 1991, the most important task of the University was to choose a new path. As the general vector for development, KazGU identified consistent integration into the global educational system, and transition to the international standards for specialists training. The status of the University has changed significantly, which in the first year of sovereignty was named after Abu Nasr ibn al-Farabi, the great thinker of the East, “The Second Teacher after Aristotle”.

The University has been assigned a status of the state autonomous higher educational institution according to the special Resolution “On the Status of al-Farabi Kazakh State University” issued on January 09, 1993 by N.A. Nazarbayev, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and was renamed into al-Farabi Kazakh State National University.

The Regulation on special status of Republican State Enterprise “al-Farabi Kazakh State National University” as an autonomous state higher educational institution was approved on July 25, 2000 by Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The University was the first among higher educational institutions in Kazakhstan to be assigned a special status of the national university according to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan issued on July 05, 2001.

In 2006, KazNU became the first higher educational institution in the history of the state named the winner of the prize of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for achievements in the field of quality.

Today, al-Farabi Kazakh National University is a large scientific, educational and innovative center, wherein new knowledge, progressive ideas, and technologies are being generated. The main University’s benchmarks are the objectives set in the First President’s Address to the Nation: entering the ranking of the best world universities, conducting innovative activities, and transferring results of scientific research into production.

The university is a world-class modern higher educational institution, a leading scientific-methodical and research center for development of the higher education system in the Central Asian region.

KazNU takes the 175th place among the 1000 best universities in the world according to the international QS World University Rankings, and it is the first of the country's universities to be awarded the international sign of excellence in 2021–QS STARS - 5 STARS in terms of educational services provision, scientific and innovative activities and academic reputation.

Al-Farabi KazNU is the only Kazakhstani higher educational institution that has been accepted into the United Nations’ Academic Impact Program, and until 2022, it will be the Central Asian hub of this program.

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University is the only university in Central Asia that entered the top 200 among the best universities in the world in the international QS "World University Rankings" and took the 175th place. In the QS University Rankings for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA 2020), KazNU ranked 19th among 200 universities in 2020. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject, KazNU occupies the top positions in 11 subject areas and 2 areas of training.

The University implements 162 educational programs for Bachelor's degrees, 332 for Master's degrees and 152 for Doctoral PhD.

The University has a highly qualified teaching staff. More than 2000 teachers, including 29 Academicians and 59 Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 525 Doctors and 891 Candidates of Sciences, and 411 PhD Doctors conduct training. More than 35% of teachers speak a foreign language and have the appropriate IELTS and TOEFL certificates.

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University has a Quality Management System (QMS) that meets the requirements of the ISO 9001-2015 standard and is certified by IQNet.

95% of educational programs are successfully internationally accredited by ASIIN, AQUIN, FIBAA, AQA, ARQA, KazSEE, among which there are programs awarded the EUR-ACE® label.

In 2020, the employment rate of graduates of KazNU for Bachelor's Degree was 90%, in particular, the employment rate for Master's Degree reached 93%, and for Doctoral Studies - 100%. This indicates the high competitiveness and demand for graduates.

KazNU created innovative enterprises and spin-off companies, launched small-scale production of high-tech products, and effectively operates about 10 mini-production facilities for the creation of shungite concentrate, polyester resins, gas-discharge lamps, medicines, carbon nanostructures, and others. The Technological Corridor “From Idea Generation to its Commercialization” is efficiently functioning. About 500 scientific projects were carried out by the University scientists covering many sectors of the economy, ½ of them carried out in collaboration with foreign partners.