ASTANA – In 2018, 811 students graduated from Nazarbayev University, as more than 140,000 students are graduating from high schools nationwide.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev attended the June 1 commencement ceremony of his namesake university and congratulated students on the day of the fourth graduation of the young institution.
“Today, 1,800 graduates of the university are successfully employed in different companies in Kazakhstan and abroad. More than 100 graduates received offers from top universities to continue their studies. This proves the quality of educational programmes at the university,” he said.
The President noted the role and importance of research universities in educational and innovative development. The university is now a symbol of renewal, a key to the country’s potential scientific, innovative and human growth, he added.
As a result, more than 1,700 publications were observed in high-ranking international publications and 36 patents were received. Corporate sponsors allocated more than 40 grants for scientific research. Twenty-one projects were supported to help commercialise research results.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and graduate student Khamza Sharifzoda
The head of state said that the university’s further successful development will contribute to the growth of human capital and help build an educational hub in the Central Asian region.
The President called upon Nazarbayev University to focus on advancing its intellectual and scientific resources, to promote innovative production and entrepreneurship and to develop a distance-learning platform.
“The university should attract the best students not only from Kazakhstan but also from neighbouring countries and beyond. The university should become a platform for joint implementation of youth projects, an educational platform that offers online courses like Harvard University, Coursera and Khan Academy.”
Nazarbayev also spoke about five global trends discussed at the recent Astana Economic Forum, reminding graduates that they play a vital role in the economic, political and spiritual modernisation of their country.
“As a young generation that represents a renewed Kazakhstan, you will implement all the new initiatives. Your energy, drive, intelligence and creativity are the key to the successful development of our homeland. You have your own unique path. I am proud of you,” he said.
Nazarbayev University President Shigeo Katsu noted, “More than half of [Nazarbayev University] graduates are employed immediately. They work in financial services, engineering, robotics, and find jobs in large consulting companies. We are pleased to observe the trend of our graduates opening their own businesses. Our students work in Kazakhstan, and those who leave continue their education. Some students also successfully work for international companies.”
Khamza Sharifzoda from Tajikistan was among those who received a diploma with honours from the Kazakh President.
“I want to thank President Nazarbayev for his initiative to establish [Nazarbayev University], which provided me with competitive knowledge in my field; the staff of the university, whose eagerness to help me made me feel as if I was back at home; and my family for their persistent support,” said Sharifzoda, who studied the politics and governance of the Russian Federation, Eastern Europe and Eurasia.
More than 30 Nazarbayev University graduates from previous years are working in Asia, Europe and North America. Some are employed in leading IT companies including Google, Microsoft and other Silicon Valley-based organisations. Approximately 4,000 students are currently studying in various programmes at the university.
Nazarbayev University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes developed in partnership with the world’s leading universities. Acclaimed national and international researchers are invited to train students; to ensure a close relationship between education, science and production; and to create an effective academic environment for the development of the country’s human capital.
