Wales’ Cardiff University Launches First Branch Campus in Kazakhstan

Cardiff University, one of Wales’ top institutions, has officially opened its branch campus in Kazakhstan’s Astana.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Kazakhstan’s Science and Higher Education Minister Sayasat Nurbek, Enlightenment Minister Gani Beisembayev, British Ambassador Sally Axworthy, and senior officials from the university, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

The campus will welcome an initial cohort of 315 students into English-taught bachelor’s programs in computer science, business administration, civil engineering, geology, and mineral exploration.

Over the past three years, Kazakhstan has launched 40 international branch campuses, offering programs in areas including nuclear physics, geology, business administration, and computer science.

Nurbek emphasized that expanding international branches supports Kazakhstan’s strategic goals: establishing the country as a regional academic hub, transforming universities into research-driven institutions, and promoting technology transfer.

“Top-ranked universities have enabled Kazakhstan to host 31,500 foreign students this year alone,” he said, citing an international collaboration between the University of Arizona and Kozymayev North Kazakhstan University to produce polymers and optical materials from sulfur.

The minister added that the new Cardiff University branch will help retain top local talent while offering world-class education. The Kazakh government has allocated 3,000 grants for international branch campuses in 2025, including 300 specifically for Cardiff University.

Founded in 1883, Cardiff University is a member of the UK’s prestigious Russell Group and is ranked 186th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2025. Its alumni include Nobel laureate Martin Evans, politician Neil Kinnock, and composer Karl Jenkins.

The branch opening follows the November 20 agreement between the Kazakh Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Cardiff University, and the Qualified Centre of Education Public Foundation to establish the British university’s campus in Kazakhstan.