2025, May 13
Share this articleAs of May 2025, Nazarbayev University (NU) has surpassed the milestone of 10,000 research publications indexed in Scopus, solidifying its role as a leading research hub in Central Asia.
The university’s first Scopus-indexed publications appeared in its founding year, 2011, numbering just seven. Within two years, the figure exceeded 100; by 2020, it had reached 1,000, and in 2024, peaked at nearly 1,500 publications. A similar volume of high-impact research output is expected in 2025. Over the past fifteen years, NU researchers have accumulated more than 162,000 citations, averaging 16 citations per publication. Notably, 57.3% of the university's research has been published in top-tier Q1 journals, with 28.1% appearing in the top decile of ranked academic outlets.
NU President Professor Waqar Ahmad praised this achievement: “NU’s founders dreamt of creating an internationally significant university, excelling in teaching, research, and knowledge exchange, and serving as a driver of national and regional development. While we have more to do to fully deliver that vision, our progress is substantial and significant. Our programs are world-class. With the exception of the COVID years, graduate employability has been above 98 percent. Over 500 start-ups have emerged from NU. Our membership in the Asian Universities Alliance — consisting of the region's leading research-intensive universities — and partnerships with leading institutions globally reflect our position as a mature and respected university, performing well beyond our years.”
The share of Kazakhstani faculty at NU has also grown significantly - rising from less than 10% in the early years to over 30% today - demonstrating NU’s commitment to nurturing local academic talent. Student involvement in research is another priority. Undergraduate and graduate students are frequently co-authors alongside senior researchers and professors, highlighting NU’s inclusive approach to academic discovery.
President Ahmad also emphasized NU’s distinctive development model: “We will not rest on these laurels. For NU, the best is still to come. While resolutely world-class, we mimic no institution. We remain a proud Kazakh university, individually and collaboratively committed to driving national and regional development.”
