Kazakhstan’s higher education system is adapting to the changing demands of the labour market. Universities are tasked not only with providing theoretical knowledge, but also with preparing students for the real professional environment, strengthening cooperation with employers and developing competencies required by industry. This was stated by Sаyasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at a Government meeting.

The Minister noted that particular attention is now being paid to integrating students’ professional training with practical experience. For example, within the framework of joint projects with the Samruk-Kazyna Fund, around 10,000 young specialists annually undergo dual education and industrial internships at the Fund’s portfolio companies. In the first half of 2026, more than 4,300 students were covered by this format.

Dual education covers mining, energy, IT, telecommunications, digital technologies and other industrial sectors. Over the past seven years, 832,500 of the 1.15 million graduates of higher education institutions in Kazakhstan have found employment. The average employment rate amounted to 72.2%, while among graduates who studied under the state educational order, the rate reached 78.2%.

Sаyasat Nurbek also addressed the digital transformation of the higher education system. Today, 93 higher education institutions have access to global educational platforms, including Coursera, while more than 697,200 students have received training in artificial intelligence as part of the AI-SANA programme.

Changes in the labour market also place new demands on the teacher training system. Combining the theoretical training of future teachers with practical experience in schools, establishing close cooperation with educational institutions and adapting students to the professional environment at an early stage are among the key priorities of modern teacher education.

In this context, the experience of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University is of particular importance. For more than a century, the university has been training teaching professionals and has established its own model of continuity between schools and higher education. Today, its teaching methodology is complemented by modern educational requirements and is focused on preparing future teachers not only with subject-specific knowledge, but also to work in a digital environment, master new pedagogical approaches and respond to the actual needs of schools.

«Abai University» Media Centre