Abai University’s reputation in global education continues to grow, while the university’s international partnerships are expanding year by year. A clear indication of this is the admission of nearly 1,000 international students for the new 2026–2027 academic year. Today, Chairman of the Management Board – Rector Bolat Tilep held a special meeting with a group of young people who arrived from abroad to pursue their studies at the university.

As previously reported, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University has been ranked among the world’s top 50 universities in the “Education & Training” subject area of the QS World University Rankings by Subject. As Kazakhstan and Central Asia’s leading pedagogical university, Abai University is carrying out extensive work to strengthen international cooperation. In particular, the number of international students coming to Abai University through the Erasmus+ programme, implemented at universities around the world, continues to increase. In the new 2026–2027 academic year, students from the University of Turin in Italy, the University of Poitiers in France, and the Universities of Zagreb and Zadar in Croatia will join the university under this programme.

At the same time, Abai University and the U.S.-based Middlebury College are expanding their bilateral partnership in the field of international academic mobility. Last year, five students from Middlebury College came to the university, while this year their number has increased to 11. A further five students from the United States are expected to join the university in the spring semester of 2027.

Ahead of Knowledge Day, Chairman of the Management Board – Rector of Abai University Bolat Tilep welcomed a group of international students who had travelled from across the ocean and wished them success in their studies. He also shared with the American students from Middlebury College the history and rich traditions of the university. The meeting was also attended by Aigul Iskakova, Vice-Rector for Strategy and Internationalization, and Bayan Saparghalieva, Director of the Department of International Cooperation.

The programme is expected to contribute to the exchange of experience between the two sides, enhance the quality of educational programmes, and support the development of academic teaching policies. Currently, more than 3,000 international students are studying at Abai University. In the new academic year, their number increased by 911 students: 838 international students were admitted to bachelor’s degree programmes, 61 to master’s programmes, and 12 to doctoral programmes.

 “Abai University” Media Center