Turan-Astana University

What Turan-Astana University does

Turan-Astana University (TAU) is a private higher education institution headquartered in Astana, Kazakhstan, founded on May 15, 1998 as a branch of Turan University and subsequently established as an independent legal entity. It operates under the Turan Educational Corporation and is led by Rector Gulzhamal Japarova. The university delivers the full educational cycle — Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral (PhD), and MBA programs — across two main schools: the Higher School of Business and Digital Technologies and the Higher School of Law and Humanities, with coverage in law, economics, IT, design, tourism, psychology, translation, and management. It ranked 5th among leading humanities and economics universities of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2025.

The university runs on a digital infrastructure stack consisting of the Platonus academic information system, the KABIS library automation system, an electronic library aggregating EBSCO, Springer, Elsevier, and national Kazakhstani repositories, and AI-enabled tools including the TAU AI and JASTAR AI chatbots. It administers the AI-SANA national project on its perimeter and operates specialized AI competence centers in Education, Urbanistics, and Fintech, alongside the TAU-InnoHub startup accelerator. International institutional accreditations from ACQUIN (Germany, valid through September 30, 2029) and IQAA (valid through December 8, 2028) underpin cross-border recognition, supported by 11 partner universities across 8 countries and Erasmus+ mobility programs.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees across degree levels (subscription-style recurring annual billing) supplemented by State Scholarships of the Republic of Kazakhstan and a Rector's Grant Competition. Go-to-market is B2C with a direct admissions office supported by a 24/7 AI-driven Media Hub for student recruitment across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and messaging platforms. Over 80 employer partners facilitate internships and graduate employment. No public revenue disclosure is available; financial scale cannot be triangulated precisely from the inputs.

Name

Turan-Astana University

Legal name

Университет «Туран-Астана»

Website

https://tau-edu.kz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Turan-Astana University is a private Kazakhstani higher education institution in Astana delivering Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, and MBA programs across law, economics, IT, tourism, and humanities, with dual international accreditation (ACQUIN, IQAA) and AI-driven digital infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIABAI

International Branch Campus & Offshore Program Partnerships

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/University/College Exchange Programs & Partnerships

SECONDARYEDAIABAD

Dual/Joint Degree Programs (International)

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/University/College Exchange Programs & Partnerships

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• University degree programs
• Business school education
• MBA programs
• Doctoral programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Astana

HQ country

Kazakhstan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: The university generates revenue primarily through tuition fees for bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and MBA programs. Tuition is charged per program with costs varying by degree level and specialization.
2. State Funding: The university receives government grants and state scholarships for qualified students, including the State Scholarship of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Rector's Grant Competition for talented youth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Turan-Astana University is a private higher education institution in Astana, Kazakhstan, that delivers accredited Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral (PhD), and MBA degree programs across multiple faculties, supported by international academic partnerships and bilingual (Kazakh/Russian/English) instruction. It operates as part of the Turan Educational Corporation and serves both domestic and international students seeking professionally oriented university credentials.

Product overview

Turan-Astana University operates as a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products across Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral (PhD), and MBA programs. The university provides a continuous learning cycle from undergraduate to doctoral levels through its Higher School of Business and Digital Technologies, Higher School of Law and Humanities, and various departments. Supporting infrastructure includes the TAU-InnoHub startup accelerator for innovation, the KABIS library automation system, electronic library services, and AI-powered assistants (TAU AI and JASTAR AI). The institution also provides specialized professional master's tracks and research-pedagogical master's programs, with doctoral programs in Economics, Finance, and Management. TAU-InnoHub serves as the ecosystem for student startups with acceleration programs, mentorship, and virtual programs supporting AI-focused innovative projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs Four-year undergraduate degree programs across multiple faculties, designed for high-school graduates seeking an accredited private university education with bilingual instruction and applied curricula.
• Master's Degree Programs Postgraduate degree programs for graduates who hold a Bachelor's degree and seek advanced academic credentials, typically completed in 1–2 years of full-time study.
• MBA Program Master of Business Administration program designed for working professionals and managers seeking to develop business leadership and management competencies through an accredited postgraduate curriculum.
• Doctoral (PhD) Programs Research-oriented doctoral degree programs for candidates pursuing academic and research careers, typically completed through a combination of coursework and original dissertation research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked 5th among leading humanities and economics universities of Kazakhstan in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• EBSCOsupportingTechnology or IntegrationProvides access to e-books from world's largest publishers through the Library and Information Center.
• SpringersupportingTechnology or IntegrationAcademic database provider for the Library and Information Center.
• ElseviersupportingTechnology or IntegrationAcademic database provider for the Library and Information Center.
• Rzeszów University of Technology (Poland)Strategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner for student exchange. Specialties include Public Administration, Management, Translation Studies, Information Systems.
• Pomeranian Academy in Słupsk (Poland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner offering programs in Translation, Law, Information Systems, Psychology, Management.
• Kadir Has University (Turkey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner, particularly for International Law programs.
• Chang'an University (China)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner for Translation Studies programs.
• 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia (Romania)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner for Accounting and Audit, Tourism, and Social Sciences programs.
• Horizon University College (UAE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner for Marketing, Tourism, Social Sciences, Information Systems programs.
• Nanjing Vocational University of Industry Technology (China)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner for Information Systems and Software programs.
• Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) (Malaysia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner for Social Sciences, Information Systems, Accounting and Audit programs.
• Northwest University of Political Science and Law (NWUPL) (China)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner for Economics, Management, International Law programs.
• Kodolányi János University (Hungary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner for Tourism, Information Systems, Management programs.
• Altınbaş University (Turkey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partner for Management, Law, Information Systems, Psychology programs.
• 80+ Employer Partners (Kazakhstan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 80 permanent social partners including Best Western Plus hotel, Astana Institute of Integrative and Family Psychology LLP, Eurasian-Holding LLP, and school-gymnasium No. 2 providing internships and employment opportunities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Almaty Management University: Private Kazakh university specializing in business, management, and economics programs with international partnerships. Directly comparable in target student segments (undergraduate, MBA, professional master's) and program mix.
• KIMEP University: Private university in Almaty, Kazakhstan offering bachelor's through doctoral programs with strong international accreditation and Western-style curriculum. Comparable as a private Kazakh institution competing for tuition-paying students in similar disciplines.
• Narxoz University: Private Kazakh university in Almaty focused on economics, finance, law, and digital disciplines with multiple international partners. Comparable competitor for the same student demographic in Kazakhstan's private higher-education market.
• Suleyman Demirel University (Kazakhstan): Private Kazakh university offering multidisciplinary programs with international partner universities. Comparable in operating model, international mobility strategy, and broad undergraduate-to-graduate program stack.
• Kazakh-British Technical University: Private technical university in Almaty offering bachelor's through doctoral programs with English-language instruction and international partnerships. Comparable peer for international academic mobility and quality accreditation positioning.

Emerging players

• EDX (online education platform): While not a direct Kazakh competitor, MOOC and online platforms are increasingly substituting for traditional higher-education seats, especially at the master's level. Relevant as an emerging disruptor to TAU's program stack.

Regional players

• Westminster International University in Tashkent: Private Central Asian university with a UK partner university offering Western-style programs. Comparable as a regional private peer targeting international academic mobility in Central Asia.
• Astana IT University: Public-private IT-focused university also based in Astana. Comparable as a same-city peer competing for students in IT and digital programs, a key growth area for TAU.
• International University of Kyrgyzstan: Private Central Asian university offering multidisciplinary programs with international partnerships. Comparable as a regional private peer operating in the same Central Asian higher-education market.

Broad incumbents

• Al-Farabi Kazakh National University: Kazakhstan's flagship national university, the largest and most established higher-education institution in the country. Broad incumbent competitor that absorbs top students and faculty, setting the benchmark TAU must compete against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqnRq2ISMcTG7HF60n0LXdA
• Facebookfacebook.com/turan.astana
• Instagraminstagram.com/tau_edu.kz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/turan-astana-university

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Turan-Astana University