Cardiff University opens first overseas campus in Kazakhstan
Cardiff University opens first overseas campus in Kazakhstan
Subscribe to the Businessin Wales daily newsletter for FREE here.
Cardiff University has officially opened its first overseas branch campus in Astana, Kazakhstan, making it the only Russell Group university with a physical presence in Central Asia.
The launch ceremony, held on Wednesday (3 September 2025), was attended by senior figures from the Kazakh government, Cardiff University, and Cardiff University Kazakhstan.
Professor Wendy Larner, Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University, described the opening as a landmark moment in the institution’s global expansion.
“I was delighted to officially open our branch campus in Astana – our first international branch campus of Cardiff University,” she said. “We look forward to welcoming our first cohort of academically excellent students later this month. We are the UK’s first Russell Group university to open a campus in Kazakhstan marking an important step in our future global ambition.
“We share Kazakhstan’s ambitions to become an international education hub and expand higher education as key driver of the country’s future development and prosperity.”
Dr Paula Sanderson, Cardiff’s Chief Operating Officer, praised the speed and scale of the project.
“This really is a milestone worth celebrating, with over 300 students already enrolled, which is an astonishing feat, particularly as this project began less than a year ago,” she said. “As a researcher in the field of Transnational Education I have rarely seen such an ambitious and holistic strategy as the one that has been brought to fruition in Kazakhstan.”
Cardiff University Kazakhstan will welcome its first students later this month onto four-year undergraduate programmes in Computer Science, Business Management, Civil Engineering and Exploration Geology. Each programme includes a foundation year, with teaching delivered in English by academics from both Cardiff University and its Kazakhstan branch.
The campus will be governed directly by Cardiff University to maintain academic standards and will offer student residences and opportunities for academic mobility across Cardiff’s global network.
British Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Sally Axworthy MBE, who attended the launch, said: “The opening marks a new chapter in UK-Kazakhstan educational collaboration, bringing more world-class British academic excellence to Kazakh students and strengthening further the ties between our countries.”
The ceremony featured cultural performances blending Kazakh and Welsh traditions, reflecting the partnership’s international character.
Want more from Businessin Wales? Why not follow us on our socials
Listen to the Businessin Wales podcast
