Coventry University Kazakhstan Opens Almaty Campus, Expanding British Degree Opportunities

Coventry University Kazakhstan has opened its second campus in Almaty, giving students another opportunity to study for British degrees without leaving the country. The new campus also makes Coventry the first British university to operate two campuses in Kazakhstan.

Officially opened on 22 September, the Almaty campus builds on the university’s presence in Astana, established in September 2024. Both campuses are being developed in partnership with Primus Capital LLP.

For students and families, the expansion brings a wider choice of international higher education closer to home. It also introduces new academic pathways in engineering, arts, design and emerging technologies.

Coventry University Kazakhstan Expands Into Almaty

The Almaty campus will initially offer foundation courses in Business, Computing, International Relations, Engineering, and Arts and Design.

Undergraduate programmes will follow in subjects including Electronic Engineering, Architectural Technology, and Games Design and Development. Meanwhile, planned postgraduate options include Air Transport Management and Control, Robotics, and Intelligent Automation.

This broader subject range gives students more opportunities to pursue specialist degrees locally. It also reflects the university’s intention to build on its existing academic offer in Kazakhstan.

Professor John Latham CBE, Coventry University Vice-Chancellor and Group CEO said,

The new campus in Almaty is another step in our journey to be a global education group. Students at this new campus will be studying in state of the art facilities alongside 30,000 others studying Coventry University degrees overseas. Coventry University Group is dedicated to creating better futures through accessible international education. Our students in Kazakhstan will be able to study in a modern and inspiring environment, taught by world-class academics alongside our course teams in the UK.

Astana Campus Set For A New University Complex

The university’s first Kazakhstan campus opened in Astana in September 2024. It became the first British university campus in the country’s capital.

However, the Astana site is now undergoing redevelopment as part of a major investment in a new flagship university complex. The project is scheduled to open in 2027.

A ceremony on 21 September marked the start of construction, with a time capsule placed in the foundations. The gesture was intended as a message to future generations of students.

The two campuses have already attracted more than 850 students, according to Dr Miras Daulenov, President of Coventry University Kazakhstan. He said the university is helping students access internationally recognised British education without leaving Kazakhstan, while supporting the country’s human capital and technological development. He said,

More than 850 students have placed their trust in Coventry University’s academic expertise in Astana and Almaty, benefiting from a world-class education and an international learning environment.

Dr Daulenov added that the new Astana campus, scheduled to open in 2027, forms part of the university’s long-term investment in modern facilities for its growing student community. He also highlighted how the Almaty campus will broaden the academic offer to include Engineering, Art and Design, and emerging technologies. He thanked the university’s partners, including Rise Group, Astana Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, DOSCAR Group and Air Astana, for supporting new opportunities for students.

At the same time, opening our new campus in Almaty will expand our traditional academic offer into Engineering, Art and Design and emerging technologies, drawing on Coventry University’s expertise in these fields.

UK And Kazakhstan Officials Attend Campus Ceremonies

Representatives from the governments of Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom attended the opening events. Senior officials from Astana and Almaty also joined representatives of Coventry University.

Those attending included Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, Gulzat Kobenova; Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek; and Deputy Mayor of Astana, Talgat Rakhmanberdi.

The UK delegation included Lord John Alderdice, the UK’s Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan and Central Asia, and His Majesty’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Sally Axworthy MBE. Coventry University Group Vice-Chancellor and CEO Professor John Latham CBE also attended.

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek said,

The development of a new campus by an international university reflects young people’s growing demand for high-quality education and strengthens Kazakhstan’s academic capacity. Projects of this kind create new opportunities for students, educators and researchers while contributing to the country’s human capital.

What The Expansion Means For Students

The two-campus model gives students in Kazakhstan access to a wider range of British degree programmes. It also creates opportunities to study subjects linked to engineering, technology, design and other specialist fields.

For families, studying locally may provide an alternative to relocating abroad for an international degree. Students can access an international learning environment while remaining closer to their communities.

Furthermore, the planned Astana complex and the new Almaty campus represent a longer-term investment in local higher education infrastructure. Their development will be important to follow as programmes expand and further details emerge.

Coventry University Kazakhstan’s next stage will therefore be measured not only by its campus facilities, but also by the courses available and the opportunities they create for students.