Government Spotlight: Kazakhstan’s Digital Transformation Initiative in Higher Education
How the Ministry of Science and Higher Education partnered with Coursera to prepare students for the digital economy
About the Kazakhstan Upskilling Initiative
Scope: National higher education modernization program
Partners:
Coursera for Government
Ministry of Science and Higher Education
Bilim Media Group (BMG Upskill)
93 universities across the country
Program objectives:
Modernize higher education curriculum
Improve student employability through practical skills
Bridge the gap between academia and industry needs
Promote Kazakh language in online education
Key skill areas:
Digital skills
Software engineering
Business and entrepreneurship
Data science and AI
Project management
Cybersecurity
Impact:
80,000+ learners
140,000+ certificates earned
152 courses translated into Kazakh and Russian
4,000 courses translated into Kazakh using machine learning translations
The project has expanded from 25 to 93 universities after one year
Overview & Challenges
Before Kazakhstan partnered with Coursera, its government recognized that modernizing its higher education system was key to building a competitive workforce. With an economy transitioning from raw material exports to value-added production and a job market impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the country needed to overhaul its approach to higher education.
However, institutions faced a misalignment between labor market demands and economic objectives. With more employers demanding a digitally savvy workforce, the country’s leadership recognized a growing need to reach students and address the shortfalls of an outdated, non-digital education system.
By 2025, 70% of employees globally will be expected to heavily use data in their work, according to Tableu’s report on Data Literacy. This global trend highlights the urgency of Kazakhstan’s efforts to prepare students for the digital and data skills needed in today’s job market.
The challenges were multifaceted and deeply rooted:
Language barriers: Many students lacked access to educational content, especially in their native languages, limiting their ability to engage with digitally advanced material.
Skills mismatch: There was a significant gap between the skills taught in universities and those required by employers, leading to students having a hard time securing a job upon graduation.
Limited international exposure: The higher education system needed to internationalize to provide students with a global perspective and competitive edge.
Technological integration: Many institutions lacked the infrastructure and expertise to integrate online learning into their traditional teaching methods.
We are part of the global chain at its lowest level by producing raw materials. We are not part of the value-added chain. If you want to move up higher on the value-added chain, you need a workforce. You need trained people, professionals, and engineers who do the processing, [and] who add value. To add value, it all comes at the end to your universities and colleges.
—Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The Partnership
In September 2022, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, met with the CEO of Coursera, Jeff Maggioncalda, where they discussed collaboration opportunities. That same year, following the President's directive the Ministry of Science and Higher Education partnered with Coursera.
The collaboration, supported by local partner Bilim Media Group (BMG), introduced Professional Certificates, courses, and Specializations to prepare students across the university system for careers in cybersecurity, project management, UX design, and software development. The project initially encompassed 25 universities and, in just one year, has expanded to 93 higher education institutions across Kazakhstan.
This partnership has done more than just provide access to online courses; it is overhauling Kazakhstan’s approach to higher education. Universities have begun directly integrating Coursera courses into their curricula, offering students standalone courses and blended learning experiences.
In 2023:
853 Coursera standalone courses replaced 116 university disciplines across the country
3,244 courses were partially integrated into 1,631 university disciplines
Language accessibility is core to this initiative. BMG translated and dubbed 152 courses into Kazakh and Russian, creating over 8,700 new academic terms in Kazakh. By localizing these courses, Kazakhstan is enriching the Kazakh language with new scientific and academic terms. It’s a milestone in the mission to deliver high-quality education to everyone.
The initiative prioritizes courses in high-demand areas, with learners showing particular interest in:
Communication in the 21st Century Workplace, University of California, Irvine
Time Management for Personal and Professional Productivity, University of California, Irvine
Leading Teams: Developing as a Leader, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python), University of Michigan
Impact
The results of this initiative have been felt across the country. In 2023 alone, over 46,000 learners earned 73,000 certificates across various skills. The partnership's success led to the country’s leaders incorporating Coursera into its Concept on Higher Education Development.
More importantly, the program is impacting student outcomes and career prospects:
Career Advancement: Eight business administration learners secured jobs at a local programming school after completing Python and other programming-related courses.
Empowering Change: Rakhat and Abat, students from Zhubanov University, developed an electronic queue system for the university to reduce lengthy applicant wait times, leveraging their new skills from Coursera despite facing integration and real-time update challenges.
Entrepreneurial Success: Zhanbota, another student from the same university, launched her own bakery, applying the insights gained from Coursera’s Business Strategy course to tackle the challenges of entrepreneurship.
Innovation Champions: At Atyrau University, thirteen learners who completed Coursera certificates in innovation and entrepreneurship won local startup competitions, showcasing the practical application of their newfound skills.
Together, these efforts are not just helping to modernize Kazakhstan's education system. We're ensuring that our students are ready to excel in a globalized digital world. This is the future of education in Kazakhstan and we are committed to leading this way.
—Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The initiative has also spurred innovation among faculty, with over 300 professors interested in developing their own Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Several of these courses have already launched or are in development.
Looking Ahead
As this program enters its second year, its focus has expanded to more customized learning. Kazakhstan’s universities are incorporating Coursera’s AI technologies, including Course Builder, to develop locally relevant content. This integration has led to the creation of courses by Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Atyrau University, Yessenov University, Amanzholov University and Ualikhanov University.
The program has already surpassed expectations, leading to high enrollment and integration across several institutions nationwide. As the country continues to expand and refine its approach, its higher education system will become a model for digital transformation in the region.
The Kazakhstan upskilling initiative highlights what’s possible when government, academia, and industry collaborate with a shared vision — an engaged and digitally proficient workforce ready to take on tomorrow’s challenges.
This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.