Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) is the leading institution of the system of higher education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and one of the top university of Central Asia. As the oldest university in the region, KazNU will celebrate 85 years anniversary in 2019. Today, KazNU counts not only the best Kazakh academics as its alumni, also counts great number of ministers, governors, top managers, members of Parliament, CEOs of National corporations and Olympic Champions. Several world-renowned scholars including Nobel Prize winners – such as John Forbes Nash, Finn E. Kydland, Roger D. Kornberg, Christopher Pissarides and Murray Gell-Mann – gave a series of lectures to KazNU students.
Al-Farabi KazNU is the leader of the National Rankings among the universities of Kazakhstan. The university was the first laureate of the Presidential Award of the Republic of Kazakhstan “For Achievements in the Area of Quality” and laureate of the Award of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) for achievements in the area of quality and services in the history of the country. Al-Farabi KazNU was ranked 220 in the QS World University Rankings 2018/19, making it Kazakhstan’s highest ranked university. Al-Farabi KazNU is ranked 11th in the Emerging Europe and Central Asia (EECA) University Rankings. The university is a member of the following international organizations: the International Association of Universities, European Society for Engineering Education, the international Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience and International Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence, and the Indo-US Collaboration for Engineering Education.
The University was the first among Central Asian universities to join the UN “Academic Impact” (UNAI) program and to become the Global HUB of UNAI on sustainability, aimed at support of 10 internationally recognized principles of the UN. In collaboration with the UN Information Office in Kazakhstan, Al-Farabi KazNU has joined the Global Model UN movement and established its flagship students-led program "The UN Model - the New Silk Road". In May 2018 Al Farabi KazNU has launched the Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development to coordinate all teaching and research activities of researchers and teaching staff in the area of sustainable development and green economy. The KazNU students showed the best results in Beijing-2008, London-2012 and Rio-2016 Olympic game Games.
The University has passed as the first State certification and has justified its right to realize academic activity on all specialties at all levels. All undergraduate and postgraduate programs of KazNU accredited by Accrediting Degree Programs such as, ASIIN, FIBAA, AQ, ACQUIN. In 2015 the university has opened the new faculty – Faculty of Medicine – Higher School of Public health. Nowadays, Al-Farabi KazNU has 15 schools which offer 82 BA, 102 MA and 63 PhD programs in engineering, natural sciences, humanitarian and social sciences, medical sciences and economics. KazNU has grown to enroll a largest cohort of students in Kazakhstan on its campus in downtown Almaty City, overlooking the gorgeous mountains of Alatau. Al-Farabi KazNU covers a wide spectrum of fundamental and applied research which are conducted at 8 research institutes, 25 centers, 2 National Level Labs and in Regional Technopark. In 2019 the university plans to install a supercomputer – the largest in the Central Asian region.
