President Waqar Ahmad on academic outcomes, global opportunities, and why Nazarbayev University is building more than just a university — it’s building a launchpad for future leaders
Nazarbayev University (NU), Central Asia’s leading English-medium institution, isn’t aiming to replicate Oxford, MIT, or Harvard — it’s carving its own path, combining international excellence with local and regional relevance.
Established in 2010 in Astana with the support of the Kazakh government and international academic partners, NU is an autonomous university modeled on global best practice. Since its establishment, NU has been a pioneering institution recognized for its academic excellence and its role as a world-class research university.
The University and its academic programs have gained or are in the process of securing prestigious accreditations, including AMBA for the MBA, AACSB, European and UK QAA institutional quality assurance, ABET for engineering, as well as accreditations for medicine and public policy.
According to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025, NU ranks in the top 24–29% of the world’s best research universities.
At the helm is President, Professor Waqar Ahmad, a distinguished British higher education leader whose previous roles span top UK institutions such as the Universities of Bradford, York, Leeds, and Middlesex, as well as his recent role as president of Abu Dhabi University.
Forbes sat down with him to explore NU’s mission, graduate success, global partnerships, and opportunities for Georgian students and institutions.
Q: You are leading the most ambitious university project in the region. What do you see as the university’s key mission today?
At NU, our mission goes beyond quality education. We aim to prepare globally minded leaders equipped for today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. Our students receive a world-class education, in English, guided by international faculty, and graduate with the academic foundation, personal confidence, and skills to lead and collaborate — to succeed anywhere.
Since its founding, NU has aimed to become a leading international university. Today, we are focused on strengthening global partnerships, creating dual-degree programs, and attracting top-tier international students.
One of NU’s strongest assets is its world-class faculty drawn from over 50 countries, holding degrees from leading research institutions around the globe. This global expertise brings diversity of thought and a standard of research and teaching that matches top international universities.
We are also investing in strengthening our academic leadership and will be announcing some outstanding senior appointments in the coming weeks.
Q: What do your graduate outcomes look like?
Our graduate success is one of our strongest achievements and matches the global elite institutions. 98% of NU graduates are employed or in further study within one year.
Many continue their education with us or at world-renowned institutions, including Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, Columbia, and others — often on full scholarships.
NU is increasingly recognized as a launchpad for academic and professional careers worldwide. Our alumni work in leading transnational companies like Google, Apple, BMW, Airbus, and in innovative startups across the globe.
Q: What new opportunities can NU open up for talented Georgian students looking for a world-class education and global career paths?
As we deepen academic ties between Kazakhstan and Georgia, we see many shared values: a strong commitment to education, a dynamic youth population, and a growing regional role in innovation and diplomacy.
Georgia is a key country in our international recruitment strategy. We offer named scholarships to top Georgian applicants to attract exceptional talent.
In 2024, NU leadership visited Georgian schools, universities, and the Ministry of Higher Education to build stronger ties and explore academic and research collaborations. These visits combined strategic meetings with cultural exchange to deepen mutual understanding.
For Georgian students and families seeking both academic excellence and future global mobility, NU is a compelling option. Our graduates benefit from a rigorous education, global exposure, and a proven track record of success.
NU offers the quality of a world-class education — right in the heart of Central Asia. Our strategic location makes global excellence accessible, bridging East and West through cutting-edge research and international faculty and, often, the opportunity to spend time at a partner university.
In addition, our students are not only recipients of knowledge but active contributors to innovation. For instance, many are directly involved in flagship projects at NU’s Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI), such as the development of KazLLM, a multilingual ChatGPT-like platform for Turkic languages. Remarkably, about a quarter of our publications are co-authored with students.
Q: Who are your key international partners for exchange students or joint programs?
We collaborate with globally recognized institutions. NU has around 40 partners for semester student exchange across continents — Europe, Asia, North America.
Among our partners are:
University of Toronto
Duke University
University of Hong Kong
Tsinghua University
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
National University of Singapore
Humboldt University and Freie Universität Berlin in Germany
Grenoble University in France
Our bachelor’s and master’s students can experience studying abroad for a semester in credit-bearing programs. They also interact with exchange students spending time at NU.
We are one of the founding members of the Asian Universities Alliance, alongside Tsinghua, Peking University, National University of Singapore, and the University of Tokyo.
These partnerships enrich our curriculum and help our students and faculty stay at the forefront of global knowledge and innovation.
Q: What opportunities do your students have in entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary innovation?
Since our founding, we’ve supported over 500 startups from students and faculty. Every undergraduate now takes a course in entrepreneurship — a life skill, not just a business one.
We offer hands-on resources such as our Fab Lab, where students and researchers can prototype tech innovations, including in medical robotics. Through initiatives such as the Astana Business Campus Incubation and Acceleration Programs, our students develop ventures from idea to market.
Beyond incubation, NU supports deep-tech commercialization through its Founders School, while programs such as Go Abroad and participation in Stanford’s StartX accelerator offer global exposure.
Notable NU-affiliated ventures include:
CerebraAI, an AI-powered stroke diagnostics platform
Arlan Biotech, which uses generative AI to develop nanobodies for biomedical applications
Kunde, a social enterprise that provides employment for socially vulnerable people
Several NU graduates are annually recognized in Forbes Kazakhstan’s 30 Under 30 list, underscoring the long-term success of our entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Q: What is your vision for the next decade?
Our goal is to be counted among the leading research institutions in Central Asia and a competitive global player. We will continue to invest in leadership, talent, infrastructure, and innovation while maintaining our strong focus on student outcomes.
Recognizing the importance of research skills, this year we have doubled the number of doctoral scholarships we offer to outstanding students.
Our programs are gaining global accreditations, and we aim to move into the top 300 in the global rankings in the next four years — and even higher in specific subjects.
We will build on our role as a catalyst for national development in:
Higher education (through our Graduate School of Education — ranked among the top 200 globally)
Integrated healthcare (through our School of Medicine and the University Medical Centre)
Artificial intelligence and digitalization (via the development of KazLLM)
Smart materials and energy storage systems
We are continually evolving to meet the demands of a digital world. We offer courses in AI, entrepreneurship, and digital skills to all students, regardless of major.
New programs in applied AI, cybersecurity, and digital diplomacy are being introduced to prepare students for modern careers. Flexibility and interdisciplinarity — such as combining data science with business or engineering with AI — are key to keeping our graduates future-ready.
We are also expanding our doctoral offerings, especially for working professionals. Recognizing the importance of professional doctorates for senior professionals, we have launched a Doctorate in Public Policy and are working on introducing:
Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA)
Doctorate in Education (EdD)
Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH)
These programs will be delivered in flexible formats to accommodate busy professional schedules.
Thank you for your time and answers!
