With over a billion people under 25 across Central Asia and Eurasia, Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a regional academic hub to meet growing demand for higher education. It aims to attract 150,000 international students by 2029 — nearly five times more than today. Most come from India for its medical programs, followed by students from China, Russia, Pakistan, Turkey, Germany, and the U.S. Kazakhstan is partnering with Western universities, opening their campuses and launching joint research centres focused on critical minerals. The government is also backing AI innovation — funding student-led startups from early learning through incubation and acceleration.