QAA recognised as an accreditation body in Kazakhstan

QAA has been included on the Kazakhstan Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s official register of formally recognised accreditation bodies.

QAA's International Quality Reviews (IQR) and International Programme Accreditations are now fully recognised in Kazakhstan.

QAA is a member of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) and is registered on the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR). QAA conducts international institution and programme accreditation in line with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

Maqsut Narikbayev University in Kazakhstan successfully completed QAA’s IQR in December 2023. Nazarbayev University also successfully completed IQR in August 2025.

In September 2024, QAA was commissioned by the UK Government's Department for Business & Trade (DBT) to conduct research supporting the development of UK transnational education (TNE) in Kazakhstan. Last week, we announced that we had been awarded new funding by the DBT for a further project analysing successful TNE models and strategies in Kazakhstan, and supporting institutions with their internationalisation efforts. QAA is also working with the British Council and a group of local experts to develop a quality framework for TNE in Kazakhstan.

In a recent interview, Kazakhstan's Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek told the Astana Times: "The UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education recognition reinforces trust that degrees awarded in Kazakhstan align with international benchmarks and ensures that our institutions are held to the same standards as their global peers."

QAA Chief Executive Vicki Stott said: "We are very proud of this latest important milestone in our work in Kazakhstan and in our productive relationship with the government of Kazakhstan. We are delighted to be working to promote and support not only the development, quality and sustainability of UK TNE in Kazakhstan but also Kazakhstan’s ambitions to become a global education hub."