Kazakhstan Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in kazakhstan, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Education Services and Technologies
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Overview

Kazakhstan’s education sector underwent a major transformation in 2025, fueled by state investment, demographic growth, and a strong push for digitalization and internationalization. With over 3.9 million students enrolled in primary and secondary schools and 680,000 in higher education, the government is addressing challenges like teacher shortages and infrastructure gaps through initiatives such as AI integration in K–12 curricula, full digitization of textbooks, and cyber-pedagogy training for over 200,000 teachers. Education spending is projected to exceed $1.9 billion, supporting the construction of 232 new schools, modernization of 1,000 rural schools, and increased scholarships and stipends.

Kazakhstan is emerging as a regional education hub, attracting a record 31,500 international students in 2025 and planning to host 100,000 by 2028. Five new foreign university branches are set to open, and inbound student demographics are shifting toward Asian countries. Outbound mobility remains strong, with over 90,000 Kazakh students studying abroad annually. In 2023–24, 2,712 studied in the U.S., an 11.1 percent increase from the previous year. The Bolashak Scholarship program continues to support graduate-level study abroad, with agreements in 30 countries and 279 institutions, including 63 in the U.S.

Digital literacy is a key focus, with national standards for AI in education guiding ethical use, data protection, and academic integrity. Starting in the 2025–26 academic year, AI courses will be mandatory across all universities, integrated into subjects like Digital Literacy and Informatics. These reforms aim to make education more flexible and accessible, while addressing the skills gap noted by multinational employers in fields such as engineering, IT, and public health. The Unified National Testing system remains the gateway to local universities, while students applying abroad on a self-funded basis are exempt.

Despite progress, disparities between urban and rural areas persist, particularly in infrastructure and access to qualified teachers. The “Digital Kazakhstan” initiative is helping bridge these gaps, with local startups developing AI-powered learning tools, virtual labs, and digital platforms. These innovations, backed by government support, offer promising opportunities for U.S. education providers and EdTech firms to engage with a rapidly evolving market.

With rising disposable income, a growing middle class, and strategic policies aimed at global integration, Kazakhstan presents a compelling landscape for U.S. institutions and companies. Opportunities span higher education, vocational training, digital learning, and academic partnerships, especially for organizations that can navigate local dynamics and build long-term relationships in this reform-driven environment.

Leading Sub-sectors

There are several sub-sectors where U.S. education industry stakeholders hold competitive advantage: 

Education Technology: Kazakhstan continues to seek digital learning content from international sources that can be adapted to local standards. To address future teacher shortages, the country is exploring online teaching platforms. A lack of learning devices—especially in rural areas—remains a key issue, and the shortage of cyber-pedagogy expertise presents an opportunity for U.S. education training providers. The centralized education system enabled a swift transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, with most secondary schools and universities prepared, though technical colleges lagged behind. Despite 92.9 percent internet penetration, some rural areas relied on TV and radio for instruction. Teacher training and digital content development were prioritized, but further improvements are needed.

As of late 2025, according to the Government of Kazakhstan, over 700,000 university students were taking compulsory AI courses developed with Google, Huawei, Nvidia, Binance, Meta, and OpenAI. This reflects Kazakhstan’s commitment to preparing educators for a digital-first environment. The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development is piloting AI integration across grades 1–12, and there is growing interest in partnerships with U.S. institutions for online degrees and dual-degree programs, which may be co-funded by the Ministry of Education and delivered directly or via local distributors.

U.S. Higher Education: Kazakhstan aims to become a regional hub for higher education by attracting foreign faculty and students. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education is focused on expanding access, building academic capacity, increasing institutional autonomy, and digitalizing the sector. President Tokayev has announced plans to open three AI-focused institutions at domestic universities. The Academic Mobility Strategy promotes inbound and outbound student exchange and supports the internationalization of higher education. With enrollments projected to exceed one million students within a decade, Kazakhstan faces potential shortages in programs, faculty, and infrastructure. This presents opportunities for U.S. universities to offer dual-degree programs and academic mobility initiatives. The most popular fields of study include education, business, engineering, ICT, and healthcare. The government’s investment in AI education further expands collaboration potential for U.S. institutions.

Other Opportunities: The Bolashak program is actively seeking U.S. companies that offer internships, especially in Tech/STEM fields. These placements, referred to as “internships” under Kazakh regulations, may also include research and fellowship-style experiences, offering valuable hands-on training for graduate students. Since 2021, more than 500 Kazakh scientists have received Bolashak scholarships for training at leading global research centers. This initiative supports the country’s ambition to strengthen its scientific capacity and global research partnerships. Kazakhstan’s labor market faces a mismatch between available qualifications and industry needs, particularly in technical fields. Multinational companies have consistently reported a shortage of skilled technicians, engineers, scientists, and managers. While student interest is shifting toward business and social sciences, demand for technical education is rising, creating opportunities for U.S. institutions to offer relevant programs and training. Despite long-standing government efforts, including the 2007 Trinity of Languages initiative, Kazakhstan’s English proficiency remains low, ranking 104th out of 116 countries globally in 2024. This gap presents opportunities for U.S. institutions to expand English-language instruction and teacher training programs.

Opportunities 

A key challenge in the sector is the significant disparity between urban and rural areas in terms of infrastructure and access to qualified teachers, compounded by a curriculum that has been slow to align with modern workforce needs. The country’s “Digital Kazakhstan” initiative presents a strong opportunity to address these issues, with substantial government support driving the growth of the emerging EdTech sector. Local startups are developing innovative solutions—from AI-powered personalized learning platforms to virtual reality labs—that directly tackle resource shortages and advance digital literacy.

Resources                     


For more information on the education services and technologies sector, contact Commercial Specialist: Aliya.Shaikhina@trade.gov.

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