‘Steep competition’ as Central Asia emerges as branch campus hub

More universities are setting up outposts in Central Asia, but academics have warned they may struggle to stand out among increasing competition.

Demand for international education has risen in the region in recent years, with countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at the forefront of opening up to foreign branch campuses and other transnational education programmes.

For foreign institutions, these countries offer a large and underserved youth population and, in some cases, a welcoming regulatory environment, which universities are keen to capitalise on. In Uzbekistan, for example, the government has offered tax breaks and subsidised land to incoming foreign institutions, while Kazakhstan has also introduced similar incentives.

This month, India’s Lucknow University announced potential plans to establish a branch campus in Kazakhstan, subject to regulatory approval.

If it goes ahead, the new branch will join the likes of the UK’s Coventry University, which opened a new campus in October 2024, and five Russian institutions. In neighbouring Uzbekistan, a branch campus of Indian private institution Sharda University has already been established.

Last year, researchers found Uzbekistan ranks third globally as a host of international branch campuses, behind China and the United Arab Emirates. While almost half of the country’s foreign institutions are Russian, the rest come from a range of countries including Italy, Malaysia, the US and Singapore.

For newcomers – and non-Western ones in particular – “the competition is steep”, said Maia Chankseliani, associate professor of comparative and international education at the University of Oxford. “Western universities entering Kazakhstan typically bring established global reputations, which make their degrees desirable. Indian universities, in contrast, may need to work harder to demonstrate comparable international credibility.”

The number of students from Uzbekistan studying abroad increased by 182 per cent over three years, from 52,820 in 2019 to over 150,000 in 2022, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). The number of foreign students enrolled in the country’s higher education institutions also nearly doubled in the same period, from 2,685 in 2018-19 to 5,140 in 2021-22.

Similarly, there were about 78,000 Kazakhstanis studying abroad in 2022 and the country hosted 28,169 foreign students in 2023, according to government data. 

For the host countries’ part, they hope encouraging foreign universities to set up, including by offering financial incentives, will boost their development.

“Universities which can boast advanced technological knowledge are primary targets for the Kazakhstani government,” said Eriks Varpahovskis, an associate professor at Russia’s National Research University Higher School of Economics.

Additionally, governments see hosting institutions – including Indian ones – as an important way of strengthening bilateral ties. “Greater presence of India would allow [the] Kazakhstani government to have extra leverage in their diplomatic manoeuvres between such major partners like Russia and China,” said Varpahovskis.

Innovative approaches to transnational education

“The rise of international branch campuses in Central Asia is more than a matter of educational demand,” agreed Chankseliani. “It reflects how local needs, institutional strategies, and national priorities converge in shaping the higher education landscape in this rapidly evolving region.”

Students may also look beyond where a university comes from. “In my experience, the home country of an international is not the only factor that influences student choice,” said Martha Merrill, professor of higher education at Kent State University. “Language of instruction is another,” she said, as are tuition fees – an area where Indian institutions may compare favourably.

“For Indian universities to succeed in this environment, they need to play to their strengths,” said Chankseliani. “Offering degrees in areas where Indian higher education is particularly strong – such as technology or engineering – could help them stand out.

“Tailoring programmes to meet local demand, building partnerships with Kazakh institutions, and showing a clear commitment to quality and relevance could further strengthen their position.”

And crucial for any newcomers, Merrill said, was appreciating the diversity of the region. “Universities considering opening international branch campuses have lots of homework to do and should not assume that because they are familiar with higher education in one Central Asian country that they know anything about higher education in another country.”

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com