On September 9, AlmaU held an extended meeting of the Academic Council and Rectorate dedicated to the university’s results for the 2025-2026 academic year and its key development priorities for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The meeting began with the presentation of the Akhmet Baitursynuly Badge of Honour to Asylbek Kozhakhmetov, President and Founder of AlmaU. The award is a departmental distinction of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan for creative activity and contribution to the development of cooperation in the humanities.
AlmaU Rector Timur Buldybaev delivered a report outlining the key results of the past academic year and the university’s priorities for further development. These include transforming educational programmes in line with labour market demands, advancing research and AI, expanding international cooperation and academic mobility, developing the student environment, and upgrading AlmaU’s infrastructure.
Speaking about the university’s further transformation, Timur Buldybaev emphasized:
“Our next task is to move towards a realization-oriented university where people, relationships and development remain at the centre.”
One of the strategic priorities is the further development of AI. “We need to become an AI and Data-driven University in practice,” Timur Buldybaev noted, emphasizing that the transformation should begin with the university’s internal processes.
International recognition and the quality of education remain important indicators of AlmaU’s development. The university maintains its QS 4 Stars status, has joined the PRME Champions 2026-2027 cohort as the only university from the region, received recognition at the THE Asia Awards 2026 and THE Impact Rating 2026, and continues to strengthen its positions in the Atameken National Ranking.
As part of its academic development, AlmaU continued transforming its educational environment, including the attestation of faculty members and the transformation and optimization of its schools. This work is aimed at improving the quality of education and strengthening the university’s alignment with modern academic requirements.
Strengthening ties with industry also remains an important priority. According to the Rector, the university needs to build systematic cooperation with companies and engage alumni more actively in AlmaU’s life: “And that will be the best advertising.”
One of the outcomes of transforming AlmaU’s educational portfolio has been the development of minor programmes and micro-credentials in cooperation with industry partners. In the 2025-2026 academic year, more than 70 students received certificates for completing such programmes, strengthening their professional competencies and competitiveness in the labour market.
Strengthening industry partnerships remains a key priority. The strategic partnership with Freedom Insurance includes the development of educational programmes, grant and scholarship initiatives, and joint projects. Partnerships with the AIFC Academy, Freedom Shapagat, Freedom Broker, and CPA Eurasia further expand opportunities for practice-oriented education.
Social responsibility also featured prominently in the Rector’s report. He emphasized the importance of making sustainable development not a separate area, but an integral part of the university’s culture: “Our task is to make sustainability not a separate project, but part of AlmaU’s DNA.”
AlmaU begins the new academic year with clear priorities focused on further university development, strengthening its academic and international positions, and creating new opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.
We wish the entire AlmaU community a successful academic year, new achievements, strong projects, and every success in achieving the goals ahead!