In a bid to implement the important instructions laid out by General Secretary Xi Jinping on jointly strengthening the operations of Northwestern Polytechnical University’s Kazakhstan Branch Campus, the International Education College/Kazakhstan Branch has been actively developing an integrated talent development system spanning undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies. This initiative aims to cultivate more successors who will contribute to the cause of China-Kazakhstan friendship. In 2025, the Branch successfully enrolled a total of 106 students, including 42 undergraduates, 60 master’s candidates, and 4 doctoral candidates, thereby fulfilling its annual recruitment goals.
Advance Planning for 2025 Enrollment at the Kazakhstan Branch
Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) attach great importance to the student recruitment and talent cultivation initiatives at their jointly-established Kazakhstan Branch Campus. On February 24, the two institutions co-convened a working meeting on the Branch’s enrollment affairs. Vice Presidents from both universities, along with responsible persons from relevant schools and departments, attended the meeting to discuss collaborative mechanisms for student recruitment. NPU Vice President Yue Xiaokui emphasized that enrollment serves as the cornerstone for the Branch’s development, underscoring the need to integrate superior resources from both sides to jointly cultivate successors dedicated to the cause of China-Kazakhstan friendship. KazNU Vice President Sultai Sabit fully affirmed the construction achievements of the Branch and expressed that both universities should continue to deepen their cooperation to collectively ensure the successful development of the Branch Campus.
The meeting featured in-depth discussions on challenges in student recruitment, as well as the design and advancement of undergraduate and doctoral programs. It outlined the work plan for 2025, stressing the importance of consolidating the Branch’s specialized characteristics and driving the high-quality development of its enrollment efforts.
Spring Camp Fosters Exchange, Students Experience NPU’s Charm
From May 12 to 17, the Kazakhstan Branch Campus hosted an outstanding student spring camp, which attracted 17 participants from KazNU and other institutions. The program featured scientific lectures, laboratory sessions, and Chinese language courses, offering a multidimensional showcase of China’s technological and cultural appeal. Through academic exchanges, cultural immersion, and campus explorations, the participants gained an in-depth understanding of NPU’s distinctive educational strengths.
During the camp, the School of Computer Science conducted specialized interviews. Eleven students passed the assessment, qualifying them to directly apply for the 2025 Master’s programs. Ultimately, seven students received official admission offers. This activity effectively demonstrated NPU’s comprehensive capabilities and enhanced the Branch Campus’s influence and appeal in student recruitment.
Multi-Dimensional Outreach Ensures Precision, Recruitment Mechanisms Undergo Refinement
The International Education College, in collaboration with the KazNU Admissions Office, has jointly established a multi-lingual, multi-platform enrollment system. This system reaches over 1,000 prospective students through prospectuses in Chinese, English, Russian, and Kazakh, a dedicated WhatsApp inquiry account, physical advertisements, social media campaigns, and live-streaming information sessions. Starting in January, the recruitment team conducted in-person promotions at universities such as Satbayev University and the International University of Information Technologies. From May to July, they maintained a schedule of weekly live Q&A sessions, which significantly enhanced prospective students’ understanding of the Branch’s academic programs.
During the critical summer phase, the recruitment team was stationed in Almaty to carry out full-cycle admissions operations. Adhering to the principle of “selecting from every applicant”, the team incorporated an additional interview round following the Kazakh National Test to identify outstanding students. This closed-loop admissions mechanism seamlessly integrated promotion, counseling, and follow-up, enabling the Branch to precisely select high-quality candidates.
Academic Excellence Wins Favor, Students and Parents Affirm Their Choice
Building on in-depth research into the development trends of overseas education and Kazakhstan’s national talent needs, the University has fully leveraged its disciplinary strength in artificial intelligence to collaboratively establish a “2+2” dual undergraduate degree program with KazNU.
The Branch’s undergraduate and doctoral programs garnered significant attention in their inaugural enrollment year, with their competitive specializations and educational model receiving high recognition. A parent of an AI student remarked: “Artificial intelligence represents the future of technology, and China is advancing rapidly in this field. Upon learning that NPU’s Kazakhstan Branch offered this program, I immediately encouraged my child to apply. The program is well-designed, with two years of study in Kazakhstan followed by two years in China. I believe this will greatly benefit my child’s future development.”
Even more gratifying is that three of the Branch’s inaugural master’s graduates have chosen to pursue their doctoral studies at the campus itself. Dosmukhambetova Anar, admitted to the PhD program in Materials Science, stated: “It is an honor to be among the first master’s graduates of the Branch. NPU’s world-class laboratories and faculty team deeply attracted me, and I submitted my application immediately upon the opening of the doctoral program. I aspire to become a university teacher after graduation, continuing to pass on knowledge and contribute to the China-Kazakhstan friendship.”
With Deep Roots Comes Lush Foliage. The International Education College/Kazakhstan Branch will continue to consolidate its specialized strengths, actively enhance the quality of student recruitment, stabilize its enrollment scale, ensure robust quality assurance and process management in talent development, nurture more successors dedicated to the cause of China-Kazakhstan friendship, and strive to elevate the brand recognition and influence of the Branch Campus.
(Source: International College；Text: Zhai Wen; Review: Li Ziwei, Kong Jie；Translators: Yang Runze; Mei Leyun)
