Number of university applicants in Kazakhstan to double by 2040
At today’s Government Hour session dedicated to higher education workforce training, Daniya Yespayeva, the Deputy Chairperson of the Majilis, stated that Kazakhstan is facing mounting demographic pressure on its higher education system, Qazinform News Agency reports.
“According to forecasts, due to sustained population growth, the number of university applicants will double by 2040, exceeding 440,000. Currently, questions are being raised about whether universities are prepared for such an increase, both in infrastructure and in the availability of qualified teaching staff,” Espayeva said.
She also noted that the modernization of curriculum remains insufficient, stressing the need to rethink teaching approaches and ensure that educators adopt contemporary technologies and teaching methods.
“Transforming the mindset of teaching staff is a key prerequisite for higher education modernization. In this context, equipping academic staff to apply artificial intelligence effectively is becoming a priority,” the deputy emphasized.
Moreover, Yespayeva noted that young people remain poorly motivated to pursue engineering disciplines. Some applicants enroll primarily to secure state grants, without intending to build future careers in engineering. As a result, allocated resources fail to prepare in-demand engineering professionals, while the current grant distribution system does not incentivize informed career choices or graduate retention in priority sectors of the economy.
She also reported that a number of serious systemic issues had been revealed following the staff-training audit.
Earlier, it was reported that artificial intelligence is reshaping Kazakhstan’s market, and by 2035, 562 professions, or 44% of jobs, would be transformed by AI, with 46 seeing reduced demand and 14 disappearing entirely.