Working across the University, the Doctoral Institute supports the quality and continued development of masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral education, strengthens the graduate student experience, and creates opportunities for researchers to develop the knowledge, skills and networks needed to thrive within and beyond academia.
At the heart of our work is a commitment to developing the next generation of researchers and academic leaders. Through high-quality research training, effective supervision and mentoring, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional development, the Doctoral Institute helps create an environment in which aspiring researchers can pursue ambitious research goals and contribute to NU’s growing research community.
Main Objectives
The Doctoral Institute works across NU to:
- Advance the quality and continuous development of masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral education
- Strengthen the support, supervision, mentoring and academic experience of masters, doctoral students, and postdoctoral researchers
- Expand opportunities for advanced research training and professional and career development on campus and beyond
- Foster interdisciplinary collaboration and build connections among researchers across schools, disciplines and research communities
- Promote innovation in master’s doctoral education, including new approaches to research training, researcher development, and digital learning
- Support a vibrant, internationally connected research culture that contributes to NU’s wider research ambitions
Young Scholars, Growing Research Impact
At NU, graduate students play an integral role in our research-intensive university’s success. For example, in 2025 alone, NU graduate students co-authored 434 publications, which amounted to 27% of all NU publications. Among those papers co-authored by doctoral students, 74.5% were in Q1 journals, a testament to the quality of research produced by this key cohort. The Doctoral Institute aims to build on and extend the exceptional success of graduate students at NU.
Infrastructure, People, and Purpose
As a leader in research and innovation, Nazarbayev University leverages world class infrastructure and an international faculty to be among the top tier of research universities in the world. In terms of world class infrastructure, NU has a high-tech research ecosystem with a massive 18,400 m2 Interdisciplinary Research Building (IRB) with 120 specialized labs, a premier artificial intelligence research center (ISSAI), and advanced core facilities housing high-end instruments spanning electron microscopy, nanofabrication, and pulsed ion accelerators. In terms of people, NU recruits faculty from 54 countries with large representations from the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, Canada, and South Korea. With the support of the Doctoral Institute, NU offers graduate students a unique opportunity to be supervised by top international scholars with 77% of lead supervisors of foreign origin.
Future Focus of the Doctoral Institute
Building on its early success, NU is now entering an ambitious new phase in the development of its master’s and doctoral education programs and research. Leveraging the University’s world-class research infrastructure, well-qualified international faculty, and growing research community, the Doctoral Institute will play a central role in strengthening the environment in which the next generation of researchers continue to develop and succeed.
The Doctoral Institute is dedicated to build the people, research culture, and early-career community needed to achieve its continued success as the regional leader in research and innovation.
