Construction of a new Coventry University Kazakhstan campus with an area of over 35,000 square meters has begun in Astana. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The building will house learning spaces, research infrastructure and areas for the university's collaboration with companies. At the ceremony, students laid a capsule with a message to future generations of students in the foundation of the future campus.
The event was attended by Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, Deputy Akim of Astana Talgat Rakhmanberdi, member of the House of Lords and UK Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan and Central Asia John Alderdice, UK Ambassador to Kazakhstan Sally Axworthy, Kazakhstan's Ambassador to the UK Alibek Bakayev, as well as university faculty and students.
Nurbek stated that the project envisages not only the opening of a foreign campus, but also investment in the human capital of Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries.
"We have natural resources, national strategies, critical minerals, nuclear energy, agriculture. However, it is quality human capital that allows us to create additional value and fully unlock the potential of these resources," the minister noted.
The campus will train specialists in in-demand fields, conduct applied research and develop technological solutions together with business. Students will be able to participate in research projects, work on practical tasks of companies and create their own developments during their studies.
One of the priority areas will be artificial intelligence. It is planned to be integrated into educational programs as a tool for solving applied tasks in industry, the financial sector, business and design.
Education will be conducted according to Coventry University programs. International specialists with academic and professional experience in the UK will be involved in teaching.
Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University Group John Latham reported that more than 30,000 students study under the university's programs in various countries. According to him, in Kazakhstan the university is developing faster than at other foreign sites thanks to cooperation with Primus Education, state and local authorities.
President of Coventry University Kazakhstan Miras Daulenov called the start of construction a new stage in the university's long-term development and part of Primus Capital's strategy to develop British education in Kazakhstan.
Coventry University Kazakhstan has been operating in Astana since 2024 and is the first licensed campus of a British university in the capital. It currently enrolls more than 850 students and employs over 40 foreign teachers.
In September 2026, the university also plans to open a second campus in Almaty, where it will develop educational areas in engineering, art and design. Coventry University Group will become the first British university with two campuses in one country.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that Oxford University students came to Turkestan for a two-week Kazakh language study program. In addition to classes, cultural and educational events and trips to historical sites of Turkestan, Shymkent and Taraz will be organized for them.