Extended Meeting of the Academic Council at KAFU

On May 13, 2026, an extended meeting of the Academic Council was held at the Kazakh-American Free University. Faculty, university administration, department heads, deans, representatives of departments, and students participated in the event.

KAFU First Vice President and PhD Dr. Zhassulan E. Baikenov delivered the opening remarks. During the meeting, key issues in preparation for the 2026 admissions campaign were discussed and the departments’ performance for the 2025-2026 academic year was summarized.

One of the central topics on the agenda was the strategy for preparing for KAFU’s 2026 admissions campaign. Azamat B. Berdibekov, Head of the Marketing and Admissions Department, delivered the report. Participants discussed the objectives of increasing full-time enrollment, ensuring a stable student body for educational programs, improving the effectiveness of career guidance, and strengthening personal accountability for admissions results. At the meeting, department heads presented the results of their work for the current academic year, outlined existing challenges, and outlined development prospects for the 2026-2027 academic year. Particular attention was paid to the transformation of educational programs in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the demands of the modern labor market.

KAFU President and Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerezhep A. Mambetkaziev delivered the closing remarks, emphasizing the importance of consolidating the efforts of all university departments to successfully achieve the set objectives.

The following were identified as priority areas for department development:

– implementation of micro-qualifications and digital educational modules;

– enhanced engagement with employers;

– increasing faculty publication activity in Scopus/Web of Science and Science and Higher Education Quality Assurance Committee journals;

– participation in grant and program-targeted funding competitions;

– expansion of academic mobility for students and faculty;

– development of double-degree and joint educational programs.

Following the meeting, decisions were made aimed at further developing the university, improving the quality of the educational process, and strengthening KAFU’s position in Kazakhstan’s higher education system.