Accreditation

• Certificate of International Specialized Accreditation 2025

• Certificate of Institutional Accreditation

• Independent Kazakhstan Accreditation Center (IKAC) 2024

• IKAC 2024-1

• Certificates 2023

• Certificates 2021

The University of Peoples’ Friendship named after Academician A. Kuatbekov is now one of the leading educational, scientific, methodological, and cultural centers in the southern region of the country. The University provides high-quality educational services across a wide range of fields by introducing new teaching technologies and expanding its research facilities. Its graduates are competitive in the labor market and successfully work in leading sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy and education system, as well as abroad. The history of the institution’s establishment and development spans more than 20 years.

The University of Peoples’ Friendship named after Academician A. Kuatbekov is one of the first non-state higher education institutions in Kazakhstan.

The University’s mission is to ensure high-quality training of highly qualified specialists by integrating education, science, and industry in accordance with the needs of the region and the country.

Specialists are trained in education, law, economics, natural sciences, humanities, engineering and technology, and the arts. In accordance with State License No. 12013451 dated October 1, 2012, the University offers 30 undergraduate and 15 master’s degree programs in Kazakh and Russian. UDN operates a quality management system in accordance with the ISO 9001 international standard, which has been successfully certified by the Russian Register Certification Association.

In January 2017, UDN’s quality management system was successfully certified by the Russian Register Certification Association, and the University received certificates from Russian Register and IQNet.

In 2017 and 2018, the University of Peoples’ Friendship named after Academician A. Kuatbekov underwent accreditation by the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating (IAAR) and was successfully certified for periods of 3 and 5 years, respectively. It is worth noting that the University was the first higher education institution in the region to complete both levels of accreditation—institutional and specialized—at the same time.

All university academic buildings have libraries, reading rooms, and electronic reading rooms. The University also has a student cafeteria, a buffet, and a medical center. Two assembly halls are available for university-wide and faculty events, including conferences, symposiums, round-table discussions, KVN competitions, concerts, and other activities. The University operates the Alan Debate Club, one of the leading teams among higher education institutions in the South Kazakhstan Region. The Zertas student KVN team competes in the top league of KVN in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The university also has a youth wing, Zhas Otan, and the Alliance of Students of Kazakhstan. In 2015, the University’s women’s football team took first place in the National Student League in Almaty. In 2016, the Dostyk men’s volleyball team won the Grand Prix of the Student League among higher education institutions in Kazakhstan.

Students and academic staff take part in sports activities in a modern gym equipped with the necessary sports equipment. University students and employees participate in sports competitions at various levels.

The University employs approximately 258 full-time professors and lecturers, including 19 Doctors of Sciences who are professors, 127 Candidates of Sciences and associate professors, and 8 PhD holders. Approximately 6,000 full-time and part-time students are enrolled. The University has trained many specialists, more than 300 of whom graduated with honors.

Many University graduates work successfully in general education schools, various public- and private-sector organizations, and industry.

If a country’s prosperity is measured by the well-being of its society, educational institutions and universities should become centers for preserving and enriching the nation’s spiritual heritage. At the current stage of social development, particular attention is being paid to improving the quality of training highly qualified and competitive specialists for all sectors of industry.

The University of Peoples’ Friendship named after Academician A. Kuatbekov has its own history and achievements and actively works toward these goals, guided by the policies of the Head of State.

The idea of establishing the University occurred to A. M. Kuatbekov, President of the National Academy of Natural Sciences, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, and Professor, in 1996, when he was offered the opportunity to head the Shymkent branch of Qainar University.

The idea was realized in 2000. That year, at the Summit of Central Asian Heads of State, the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan discussed the establishment of a joint university. At the opening of the Uzbek Drama Theatre in Sairam District, Kazakhstan’s President N. A. Nazarbayev emphasized the importance of strengthening unity among brotherly peoples, including cooperation in education, science, and culture. The presence of two million Kazakhs in Uzbekistan and more than half a million Uzbeks in Kazakhstan was cited as an important sign of friendship between the two peoples.

At the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, N. A. Nazarbayev, and by a decision of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated August 25, 2000, the South Kazakhstan branch of Qainar University began operating in Shymkent. It was established to strengthen unity between the Kazakh and Uzbek peoples and develop cultural and scientific ties. The creation of a joint university was seen as a necessity of the time.

In 2001, an Engineering and Humanities University was established on the basis of the above-mentioned institution. It was later renamed the Kazakhstan University of Peoples’ Friendship.

To implement the policies of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, N. A. Nazarbayev, and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan aimed at optimizing higher education institutions, three leading institutions in the southern region—the Kazakhstan University of Peoples’ Friendship, the South Kazakhstan Pedagogical University, and the Academy of Languages—merged and became known as the Kazakhstan Engineering and Pedagogical University of Peoples’ Friendship.

In February 2013, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan conducted a state attestation to verify compliance with the State Compulsory Standard of Higher Education. The University’s work was highly rated, and it was issued State License No. 1201345.

The University currently has four academic buildings, four libraries, four medical centers, nine computer labs connected to the Internet, three gyms, two student dormitories, sports grounds, and cafeterias.

The University operates a postgraduate and distance learning complex. Its chemical and biological laboratories and oil and gas laboratories are equipped with the necessary facilities.

To maintain close ties with industry, the University has signed agreements with major regional enterprises, including Petro Kazakhstan Oil Products, HILL Corporation LLP, Transtelecom, the TUSM-11 branch of Kazakhtelecom’s long-distance communications department, Kazakhstan Republican Television and Radio Corporation JSC, Ontustik Zharyk Transit LLP, M. Auezov South Kazakhstan State University, and the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, among others.

One of the University’s main priorities is teacher training. Innovative teaching methods are used in the educational process to improve training quality by developing students’ professional competencies, creativity, and self-development skills.

Over the years, the University has established an adequate material and technical infrastructure, including modern buildings and sports facilities. The Platonus and Irbis automated information systems have been introduced into the educational process. The University has a regularly updated website (info@kipudn.kz). A unified local network connects all computers to the Internet, and Wi-Fi is available in all academic buildings.

The University is implementing the main principles of the Bologna Process in stages:

• In the 2004–2005 academic year, work began on implementing the credit-based education system.

• Since 2014, the University has worked to promote academic mobility among students and teaching staff by inviting foreign specialists to conduct seminars and organizing research placements at partner universities abroad.

• In the 2015–2016 academic year, curricula were developed using a modular competency-based approach based on the Dublin Descriptors.

• Since the 2016–2017 academic year, employers’ opinions have been taken into account when developing undergraduate and master’s degree programs. Since that year, employers have also been invited to meetings of departments, faculties, the Educational and Methodological Council, the Academic Council, and other collegial bodies. To improve the University’s work and involve employers, the Alumni Association was established in March 2016.

• In January 2017, UDN’s quality management system was successfully certified by the Russian Register Certification Association, and the University received Russian Register and IQNet certificates.

• From May 15 to 17, 2017, the Kazakhstan Engineering and Pedagogical University of Peoples’ Friendship underwent institutional and specialized accreditation for pedagogical programs by the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating (IAAR). As a result of this first stage, the University was certified for three years.

• From February 12 to 14, 2018, the University completed the second stage of specialized accreditation by the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating (IAAR). Eleven educational programs were certified for three years and four programs for five years.

• In 2018, the University participated in the IAAR National Ranking of Demand for Higher Education Institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan 2018, in which the top 20 institutions were identified by aggregating key indicators across the main ranking criteria.

• That year, the University’s undergraduate programs also participated in a ranking of higher education institutions by educational program and specialist training area. The results included:

  • “5B011700 — Kazakh Language and Literature” — 8th place;

  • “5B072900 — Construction” — 11th place;

  • “5B071900 — Radio Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications” — 8th place.

Thus, the Kazakhstan Engineering and Pedagogical University of Peoples’ Friendship, celebrating its twentieth anniversary, ranked 20th among the country’s leading higher education institutions. It was expected that this ranking would improve further in subsequent years.

On July 11 and August 8, 2018, the University underwent an inspection by a commission to verify compliance with licensing requirements for newly opened programs. As a result, licenses were issued for the doctoral programs 6D011200 — “Chemistry” and 6D010300 — “Pedagogy and Psychology.”