The Higher Education Review

Established in early 2001, Kazakh British Technical University (KBTU) was established with the mission to provide high-quality education for future leaders in business and industry to promote innovative technologies and research in the most advanced and perspective areas of science for the benefit of the region and the country as a whole. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev envisioned the inception of Kazakh British Technical University. Marching ahead towards his objective, Nursultan Nazarbayev, after conducting several meetings with the official representatives of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) in November 2000, according to which, British Prime Minister – Tony Blair and Nursultan Nazarbayev became patrons of the university.

Founded by the Republic of Kazakhstan Government with the authorized agency being the Republic of Kazakhstan Ministry of Education and Science, KBTU, in accordance to the MoU between the Republic of Kazakhstan Ministry of Education and Science and the British Council, envisions providing high-quality education in business and industry, promoting innovative technologies, research in latest scientific areas, and partakes in the development of the Kazakhstan nation. The institute thrives on its modern material and technical base, following the goals of a highly-qualified scientific and pedagogical potential, delivering dual vocational training to professional and personal competent specialists, emphasizing on financial, power-generation sector, high-end informative technologies, and the maritime industry. Implementing advanced international education technologies, KBTU is renowned for attracting academics and experts who hold immense professional experience and foreign practice.

Delivering Different Courses under One Umbrella
Recognized as one of the best English language teaching and learning centres in Central Asia, KBTU offers professional development of academic teaching staff, strategically plans and improves administration system, policies of modern principles of management, secure sustainable interconnection between the university academic, educational, creative research, and production divisions. Being one of the ten best universities in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, KBTU is the only university in Kazakhstan to have most of its educational programs to be accredited by international agencies – Finance program received accreditation from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA – only officially recognized Master of Financial Analysis program in Kazakhstan and Central Asia), CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute USA, and International Accreditation CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants). It is the Certified Institute of Management Accounting. KBTU has also achieved confirmation from the International Accreditation of ACBSP Business School and it is the only

university in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the CIS with ABET accreditation of IT specialist educational programs.

KBTU’s International School of Economics is Kazakhstan’s only Kazakhstan Teaching Centre of Excellence University of London (UoL, UK). The students studying undergraduate courses in this school receive diploma by KBTU and the University of London. Currently, KBTU is increasing the learning horizon by introducing Master’s degree in Bioinformatics KazNMU (Asfendiyarov and Dundee University, Great Britain) Information Systems and MBA in Finance with Shanghai Polytechnic University (PRC), and Masters in Chemical Engineering of Organic Substances with Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de St-Etienne (France). Offering joint program with the STCGroup (Netherlands), by Kazakhstan Maritime Academy (KMA) is one of the best in the Republic of Kazakhstan with invaluable quality of graduates and program uniqueness. KMA cadets also receive an international diploma, granting them for getting jobs in freight.

“Implementing advanced international education technologies, KBTU is renowned for attracting academics and experts who hold immense professional experience and foreign practice”

Additionally, KBTU students are constantly trained by highly informed faculty of KBTU that includes leading foreign professors and graduates of the Bolashak program, industrial specialists, graduates of foreign universities and KBTU, which helps them regularly become finalists of international Olympiads and competitions.

Emphasizing on Holistic Development
KBTU constantly encourages students for social activities and projects, discussions, and the university has a library, music instruments, gym, startup space, and study rooms, adding essence to learning. “The students get the facility of applying for more resources for organizing social events and this cultural learning process churns out the students’ actual career interest as they converse with others and imbibe creative thoughts within KBTU” – comment international students Timur Turaev (Uzbekistan) and Enoch Boadu (Ghana).

From 2017 to 2019, KBTU also actively engaged in the expansion of international cooperation, implementing projects and joint master’s programs in the oil and gas business with Italian partners – Eni Corporate University, Turin Polytechnic University, and the Polytechnic University of Milan supported by EniAgip Karachaganak. “The students, undergraduates, and doctoral students underwent a free internship at the Zohr oil field (Egypt). Aligned with Eni Corporate University, the master’s program – industrial project management and engineering is launched for giving students jobs in the future in oil and gas construction companies and services companies. Only KBTU undergraduates in the Republic of Kazakhstan have this opportunity. We have 9 faculties offering training in 15 prestigious undergraduate educational programs, 15 master's programs and 6 doctoral programs (Ph.D.) in Faculty of Energy and Oil and Gas Industry, Faculty of Geology and Geological Exploration, Faculty of Information Technology, School of Mathematics and Cybernetics,

School of Chemical Engineering, Research and Education Center for Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology, Business School, International School of Economics and Kazakhstan Maritime Academy,” elaborates Ramesh G. Kini, Professor, Faculty-IT.

Joining Hands for Brighter and Stronger Future
Reading University (Great Britain) and KBTU collaboration launched an international entrepreneurial hub for developing entrepreneurial skills and creative economy in regions of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan), South Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia) and Ukraine. In 2019, KBTU and Reading University prepared a team which secured first place in the region and acclaimed the main prize in the nomination – Social Significance. KBTU adapts the education programs to fulfil the employment requirement in the oil and gas industry companies like KazMunayGas, Tengizchevroil, and NCOC. It grants practical learning experience to the students and in national and multinational companies for the purpose. The same year witnessed KBUT also launched the ‘Honey Regional Automation Training Centre’ for providing training on practical skill development of the production automation process, adding local enterprise engineers to it for improving their skills at the centre.



Kazakh-British Technical University does not offer scholarship but consider discounts for group of people to the specialties opened in Business School and International School of Economics. Till date, the government has installed scholarship for international students from countries like Tadjikistan, Azerbaijan, China, Kyrgyzstan that have signed intergovernmental agreement on education and cultural activities.

Organizations namely Kazenergy Association, British Council, NC KazMunay Gas JSC and its subsidiaries, EniSpA, Chevron, Tengizchevroil, NCOC, Exxon Mobil, CNPC - AktobeMunaiGas, Schlumberger, Deloitte Kazakhstan, Bank Center Credit JSC, Astana International Financial Center, National Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna JSC and its subsidiaries such as NAC Kazatomprom JSC, advise KBTU on strategic development for effective cooperation between KBTU and business structures in educational activities. These companies help in oncampus placements in addition. Having been an alumni in Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, booking.com, imo.im, Siemens, Schneider Electric ABB, and Emerson, KBTU completes placement with a success rate of 95 percent! “With a strategic vision of the university being to promote the ideals of academic excellence, scientific progress and national well-being, to maintain the status of an undisputed leader in the field of technical and business education, the government continuously considers opportunities to expand base of intergovernmental agreements and scholarship and in future we hope same will happen with Indian government”, signs off Ramesh.