South Korea's Woosong University will open a branch in Turkestan, Kazakhstan, before the new academic year, according to Kazakhstan's Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek. The news came at a meeting with South Korea's Vice Minister of Education, Oh Seok Hwan, on April 28 in Almaty.
Construction of the university's facilities is underway. For its first intake, Woosong University has reserved 110 scholarships, which will supplement academic grants from the Kazakh government.
Strengthening Educational Links
In the course of the meeting, Minister Nurbek highlighted a number of ongoing joint educational and scientific cooperation projects of institutions in Kazakhstan and South Korea:
Dong-Eui University, one of South Korea's top institutions for mechanical engineering, is collaborating with Akhmet Baitursynov University to produce mechanical engineers for Kostanay automobile production factories.
Korkyt Ata University in Kyzylorda has launched two-degree programs in cooperation with Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech).
Satbayev University in Almaty is collaborating with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) on developing a center for processing rare earth metal.
Nurbek pointed out that the development of foreign branches of universities is crucial to achieving Kazakhstan's aspirations to become an educational hub for the region and increasing its integration into the international educational community. Vice Minister Oh Seok Hwan was convinced that Kazakhstan's methodical action and scholarly resources would guarantee the country's position as a leader in the educational market of Central Asia.
After the meeting, Nurbek and Oh Seok Hwan were present at the opening of the Study in Korea exhibition in Almaty with the participation of more than 30 Korean universities.
Kazakhstan's Expanding Educational Horizon
Kazakhstan’s emerging reputation as an academic center is further highlighted by other international initiatives. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), one of Russia’s premier universities, is set to open a branch in Astana in September 2025. Additionally, Cardiff University in Wales plans to establish a campus in Astana later this year, further solidifying the Kazakh capital’s status as a regional hub for higher education.
