Kazakhstan Makes AI Education Mandatory as It Pushes for Global Leadership and Talent

AI Education Becomes Mandatory at Kazakhstan’s Universities

Kazakhstan is taking a clear step to integrate artificial intelligence into its higher education system. The Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, Gulzat Kobenova, announced that AI studies are now compulsory across state universities. This move ensures every student gains practical skills to apply AI in their profession, foster innovation, or start AI-driven ventures.

Already, 93 schools have updated their curriculums to include AI, and 20 institutes have introduced 25 new programs focused on AI disciplines. A key goal is to attract foreign students and establish Kazakhstan as a regional leader in AI education. Officials aim to welcome 10,000 AI professionals annually to strengthen the country's talent pool.

This initiative complements the ongoing Kazakh “AI-Sana” program, which has provided foundational AI training to over 390,000 students and certified around 3,000 teachers. These efforts highlight Kazakhstan’s commitment to embedding AI knowledge at every level of education.

Kazakhstan’s Strategic Moves in AI Development

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recently emphasized the importance of AI in the national economic strategy. He noted that Kazakhstan’s progress in AI needs acceleration to remain competitive internationally. The president believes nurturing local AI startups could lead to the emergence of unicorn companies if adequate support and resources are provided.

Significant infrastructure advancements back these ambitions. In July, Kazakhstan installed the most powerful AI supercomputer in Central Asia. Equipped with NVIDIA H200 processors, this system supports KazLLM, the nation’s first large language model developed at Nazarbayev University. The university’s Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence also created Beynele, a national image generation model, and Oylan, a multipurpose AI model combining audio and language.

Earlier this year, Kazakhstan launched Alem.AI, an international center dedicated to machine learning and AI research. Its laboratory, AlemLab, focuses on empowering local engineers to develop practical AI applications for public and private sectors.

According to the United Nations, the AI market is expected to grow by 22% over the next eight years, making Kazakhstan’s investments in education and infrastructure highly relevant for future competitiveness.

Further Resources for Educators

• Explore foundational and advanced AI courses to support curriculum development Complete AI Training – Latest AI Courses.
• Find AI certifications tailored for various education roles and skill levels Complete AI Training – Certifications.

By integrating AI education into universities and investing in research and infrastructure, Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a growing hub for AI expertise. Educators can look to this model as an example of aligning academic programs with technological trends and workforce demands.