NU leaders participated in two major international higher education summits held on November 3–5 in Indonesia and Morocco. Discussions focused on global university competitiveness, international research collaboration, workforce development, and institutional reputation.
NU President Professor Waqar Ahmad and Vice President Gulmira Qanay attended the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2026 in Bali, Indonesia, which brought together more than 1,000 delegates. The summit explored the changing role of universities, internationalization, workforce readiness and cross-border collaboration.
Professor Ahmad joined the panel “What Makes a University Globally Competitive Today?” Participants discussed the role of international partnerships, flexible learning and skills development in strengthening university competitiveness.
“For NU, global competitiveness is not about rankings. It is about whether a student in Astana can build a technology that saves a life in Jakarta or Nairobi. That is education with purpose and impact — and that is the future we are building, together with our partners across Asia and the world,” Professor Ahmad said.
Vice President Qanay took part in the panel “Research for Shared Futures: Collaborative Education and Social Impact Projects Across the Belt and Road,” alongside representatives of United Arab Emirates University and The Education University of Hong Kong. The discussion explored international initiatives addressing rural education, inequality, digital divides and lifelong learning.
“Transferable knowledge includes an understanding of how an approach works, whom it benefits and what conditions it requires. International collaboration helps us develop that understanding; local partnerships help us put it to use,” Vice President Qanay said. She added that international collaboration can also help develop educational responses to technological, demographic and environmental changes.
At the ninth Times Higher Education (THE) Arab Universities Summit 2026, held at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir, Morocco, NU was represented by Provost Rehan Sadiq and Vice President Assel Uvaliyeva. The summit brought together around 250 higher education leaders and more than 60 speakers.
Provost Sadiq joined a panel addressing brain drain and the development of skills for a global workforce. Participants discussed how universities can retain talent, strengthen links with industry and prepare graduates with the digital, entrepreneurial and adaptive skills needed in a changing labour market.
Vice President Assel Uvaliyeva participated in a panel on building institutional reputation and long-term brand value. Drawing on NU’s experience, she emphasized that the international recognition of a young university is shaped primarily by the quality of its research, academic achievements and contributions to addressing global challenges.
“You don’t have to talk about yourself; it’s research that talks,” Dr. Uvaliyeva said.
She also noted that meaningful internationalization goes beyond signing memorandums of understanding. It requires long-term collaboration through joint research, dual-degree programs and academic mobility.
Participation in the summits provided NU with an opportunity to share its experience with the international academic community, exchange perspectives on the development of higher education and strengthen ties with universities across the Asia-Pacific and Arab regions.
