FROM AULS TO MEGACITIES: KOZYBAYEV UNIVERSITY SUPPORTS YOUTH OF SOUTHERN KAZAKHSTAN

Kozybayev University has launched a large-scale career guidance campaign for more than 10,000 school students in southern Kazakhstan.

In the Kyzylorda and Turkestan regions, the university team visited 25 localities - from major cities such as Shymkent, Turkestan, and Kyzylorda to small auls.

Graduates of schools and colleges received comprehensive information about admission to the university, study conditions, and accommodation in student dormitories. Notably, thanks to the opening of two modern Student Houses at Kozybayev University, accommodation coverage for non-resident students has reached 100%, with even a surplus of available places. In addition, the campus is equipped with a new academic and laboratory building, modern coworking centers, and all the necessary facilities to ensure high-quality education.

Prospective students and their parents were also consulted on relocation to Petropavl under the Serpin program, as well as on accommodation and adaptation issues.

Currently, more than 150 students are enrolled at Kozybayev University within this program area. In 2024, a regional project office, Serpin Qoldau, was established at the university, bringing together all relevant government bodies. The office conducts profiling, training sessions, language courses, psychological adaptation programs, and supports cultural integration. Third- and fourth-year students are directed to dual education programs and provided with further support until the conclusion of individual employment contracts. To facilitate employment, memorandums have also been signed with the largest employers of the North Kazakhstan region. In addition, the university currently provides temporary dormitory accommodation to graduates of the program.

During meetings with school students, special attention was also given to presenting dual-degree educational programs offered jointly with the University of Arizona in the following fields: Information Systems in Management, Biotechnology, Inclusive Education, Business, and Management.

This career guidance initiative is an important step toward opening up opportunities for young people from the southern regions of Kazakhstan to access high-quality higher education and pursue professional development at the international level.