NU Featured on Times Higher Education Podcast
Times Higher Education (THE) has released a new episode of its THE Connect podcast, produced in partnership with Nazarbayev University (NU), featuring a conversation with NU President Waqar Ahmad. In the episode, THE’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Phil Baty speaks with President Ahmad about NU’s rapid rise in global university rankings, the evolution of higher education in Kazakhstan, and the university’s long-term vision for the future.
President Ahmad reflected on Kazakhstan’s early years of independence, noting that the country invested in developing its brightest young people through programs that sent them abroad to top institutions. The majority of those students returned to contribute to the nation’s development.
Reflecting on Kazakhstan’s path and NU’s founding principles, President Ahmad said:
“Over the years, there was an increasing realization that you cannot invest in sending young people abroad into perpetuity. What you need is a world-class institution that follows international standards but is locally relevant – one that is made here.”
President Ahmad described NU as a “precocious university,” highlighting the institution’s rapid progress and its responsibility to support Kazakhstan’s transition into a knowledge economy. He explained that the university’s guiding mantra is simple: global standards and local relevance. In practice, this means maintaining the highest quality in teaching, accreditation, student experience, alumni achievements, and research impact — striving to meet the same benchmarks used to evaluate leading research-intensive universities worldwide.
President Ahmad also emphasized NU’s transformation “from the ground up” into a serious international research powerhouse within just 15 years, a model of higher education that combines global best practices with Kazakhstan’s national priorities.
The THE Connect podcast brings together higher education leaders from around the world to explore transformation, strategy, and innovation in universities.
