The Essential Ingredients To Build A World Class University

Universities in Asia continue to gain in global prestige and are making solid advances in the various world university rankings. The region now boasts some of the strongest academic brands, and is contributing to a shift in the global knowledge economy.

As Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer at Times Higher Education explained at the World Economic Forum last year, “The data does not lie: in successive editions of the annual THE World University Rankings, Western nations have been losing ground while the East rises.”

For the first time, the results of the THE World Reputation Rankings 2022 published last week includes two Asian universities in the world’s top ten – Tsinghua University and The University of Tokyo, while the 2022-23 Best Global University Ranking published recently by US News features more universities in the rankings from China than the U.S.

But while the universities of China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea dominate the regional league tables, the rest of Asia is also on the rise. The QS Asia University Rankings 2023 are the biggest yet, featuring 760 institutions from across the continent. And in Central Asia, one country in particular is emerging as a key source of graduate talent and academic excellence – Kazakhstan.

Four times the size of Texas, and home to the world’s largest space launch complex, Kazakhstan is fast emerging as the dynamic heart of Central Asia. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, a country of breath-taking beauty that is rich in natural energy resources is also focusing on developing human resources, most recently through a world-class university based in the capital city, Astana.

Since its launch in 2010, Nazarbayev University has become the destination for many of the best and brightest students in the region, partnering with leading international universities including UPenn, Duke Fuqua, and the UK’s University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge in a broad range of disciplines from engineering, life sciences and humanities to business and education. Rather than heading overseas as part of the State’s Bolashak Programme, talented students can now aspire to a world-class education and cutting-edge research on their doorstep.

In discussing what the university represents for students and faculty, Mr Shigeo Katsu, inaugural and current President of Nazarbayev University, explains, “For the first time in the post-Soviet space, academic freedom and institutional autonomy were legally enshrined in a bespoke law. That means, for instance, we do not report to the Ministry of Education and Science, and can design our own programmes, research focus and admission policies.”

Mr Katsu was offered the position of President after his previous role with the World Bank brought him to Kazakhstan. A graduate of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and the University of Tokyo, he joined the World Bank in 1979 as part of the highly selective Young Professionals Programme (YPP). No more than 30 to 40 talented individuals are recruited annually from among 10,000 applicants and trained for future senior professional and management positions.

Over the course of a 30-year career at the World Bank Mr Katsu held various positions including leading financial sector reform support for China, Director for Cote d’Ivoire and in his final years he served as Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, became familiar with the leadership of Kazakhstan. After retirement, the Kazakh government contacted Mr Katsu about the opening of a new university, asking him to be a member of the External Advisory Council and participate in the formal opening of the institution in June 2010. Soon after, they offered him the position of President of Nazarbayev University.

“I almost fell off my chair,” remembers Mr Katsu. “It’s one thing to visit universities and give lectures from time to time. It’s another thing to head a university. And not only that, to also build it from nothing.”

With a dedication to academic freedom, Nazarbayev University is a strong advocate of academic integrity. For applicants, there is no favouritism or easy way in. “Being very strict in admission criteria, everything has to be merit-based,” insists Mr Katsu. “We needed to show merit and academic integrity from the very beginning, otherwise we would never develop into a top-class research university.”

In an example of the university’s commitment to academic integrity, their initial undergraduate class of 470 students was whittled down to around 350 by the time they held the first Graduation Commencement Ceremony in 2015.

“A lot of it was due to low academic performance, but some of them were found to be plagiarising or cheating. We had some prominent cases of students with leadership potential who unfortunately let themselves down, and we had to remove them from the programme,” Mr Katsu calmly explains. Despite the complaints of influential parents the university stood its ground.

“We are committed to being merit-based and making sure that academic integrity drives all our instructions as well as research. I think it’s really proven its worth as we are not only attracting the most talented students but also instilling a new mindset.”

Alongside a dedication to academic integrity, Nazarbayev University is also developing strategic partnerships with top international universities, with each of its seven schools and affiliated education centres hosting their own specific partners from the U.K., U.S., or Singapore.

University College London (UCL), ranked #10 among the top universities in the world by QS was an initial partner that contributed to the development of the university, providing wide-ranging support in building the university, setting its governance and academic structures, and developing academic programmes. Since then, tailored partnerships have grown and developed.

The University of Cambridge and the University of Pennsylvania support the NU Graduate School of Education, while the University of Wisconsin-Madison partners with the NU School of Humanities and Social Sciences. One of the world’s leading business schools, Duke University Fuqua School of Business has a strategic collaboration with the NU Graduate School of Business, including an Executive MBA.

Among other disciplines, NU Graduate School of Public Policy works with the oldest higher learning institute in Singapore – The National University of Singapore – while NU School of Mining and Geosciences partners with the Colorado School of Mines and the NU School of Medicine’s is supported by the University of Pittsburgh.

“Entering into strategic partnerships with top international universities was very important for us to jumpstart our institutional development. As each of our schools are signed with a different partner, it adds to the complexity of management, but also allows us to learn a lot from the variety of organizations we work with.”

When it comes to their students and graduates, Nazarbayev University’s mandate is to develop future leaders with academic expertise and knowledge, while also ensuring they are considerate, inclusive and contribute decisively to the future of the country.

Mr Katsu acknowledges that while STEM subjects are a heavy focus in education, other subject areas are just as important to achieve their ambitious goals. “When we launched the university, many expected us to be just STEM-oriented. I think it’s unfortunate that we are seeing increasing pressure on universities to emphasise STEM over traditional liberal arts and other subjects. In my view, it’s a mistaken belief that unless you focus on the digital sciences and engineering, you’re not supporting your country or economy.

“We are trying to develop graduates who benefit human society. But society is not made up of robots and in many ways is driven more by humanities and social sciences. That is why we emphasised from the outset that while we do offer STEM and other related subjects, we still need to develop strong social sciences and humanities.”

Just 12 years after launching, Nazarbayev University now boasts a diverse international population. The student body of almost 7,000 includes students from 35 different countries. The global background of the faculty is even more pronounced, with 70% originating from 59 countries.

Mr Katsu emphasizes that everyone is different in how they learn and operate, and he is passionate about the concept of personalised learning.

“From early on in our educational lives, especially throughout primary and secondary education, we’re almost all trained for industrial society. We go into education, sorted by birth dates, and are put through the modern education system. And despite knowing that young people all develop differently at their own pace, we treat them all the same. The move toward personalised education is so important. In order to develop a truly student-centred institutional system, we really need to take into account the differences between each individual.”

Data from Times Higher Education shows that many of the world’s most dynamic and exciting younger universities are in Asia, it is clear Nazarbayev University is not only dedicated to exemplifying academic freedom and integrity in the post-Soviet space, but also being an example to the rest of the world in how universities can and should develop and operate in the future.

Though Mr Shigeo Katsu has ambitious plans for the growth and recognition of NU on the world stage, he also offers reassuring advice for any young student. “Don’t set yourself goals too soon. Explore, and don’t worry about failure!”