Can a fledgling Central Asian university become a global player?
This question, posed by Times Higher Education, was answered by Professor Waqar Ahmad, President of Nazarbayev University, not with theory, but with his own story. His life stands as proof of how education can transform individuals, shape destinies, and change societies.
Founded in 2010 as an English-speaking, research-focused institution, NU represents Kazakhstan’s most ambitious educational experiment. The university recently entered the top 500 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, joining the global conversation on academic excellence and innovation.
Professor Waqar Ahmad’s story embodies the power of education to transform lives. Raised in Glasgow in a working-class immigrant family, he once imagined a modest future as a bus driver. But education changed his path entirely. Over the decades, he built an international academic career, earning a PhD, teaching at Leeds, and holding senior leadership roles at Middlesex University in London and Abu Dhabi University in the UAE.
When he arrived in Astana in 2023, Doctor Ahmad brought not only extensive leadership experience but also a deep understanding of how universities evolve in complex environments. “I had tremendous regard for this institution,” he says. “Also, when I started looking at it, I felt that I could do something with it. It’s achieved a lot in its 15-year life, but it could have achieved more. The focus wasn’t as sharp towards the last few years as it might have been.”
Discussing the global landscape, President NU places its institution’s development within a broader shift in higher education — one defined by data-driven assessment, research integrity, and equitable collaboration. He emphasizes that NU’s ambitions go beyond rankings: its mission is to prove that academic excellence can emerge from anywhere, given focus and purpose.
Professor Waqar Ahmad often returns to one theme — academic freedom. He insists that institutional autonomy is nonnegotiable for NU’s growth. And when asked whether a young university from Central Asia can truly compete with global peers, his answer is characteristically direct. “I can absolutely guarantee that {NU} will be in the top 300 in the next three to four years,” he says. “And we will do it by sorting out substance – there won’t be any games played.”
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