Kazakh-British Technical University (KBTU), one of the country's leading technical universities, is being transferred to state ownership by court decision.
The Company for the Management of Returned Assets (CMRA) will receive 100% of the shares of the university, including its research institutes. The transfer of assets follows the Almaty prosecutor's office challenging the legality of the previous sale of the university, claiming the price was significantly undervalued.
As reported by sources at Ulysmedia.kz, court rulings have ordered the transfer to the CMRA of 100% of the shares of JSC «Kazakh-British Technical University», as well as 100% of the shares of JSC «Institute of Organic Catalysis and Electrochemistry named after D.V. Sokolsky» and JSC «Institute of Chemical Sciences named after A.B. Bekturov».
«Currently, the bailiff is carrying out the process of executing the issued decision», the statement reads.
In turn, the publication Kursiv.media confirms the information about the change of ownership. According to their data, based on KBTU's financial reports, the university has officially been the property of the CMRA since 27 February 2025.
The Nursultan Nazarbayev Educational Foundation, which previously owned the university, has ceased to be a shareholder. According to eGov records, the foundation's founders are Dinara Kulibayeva, Galina Samarskaya and Askar Nurpeisov.
It is worth noting that KBTU has a long history of ownership changes. The university was originally established in 2000 through the joint efforts of the Government of Kazakhstan, the British Embassy in Kazakhstan, and the British Council.
In 2003, KazMunayGas became the sole shareholder of the university, and from 2018, the university came under the control of the Nursultan Nazarbayev Educational Foundation.
The legal proceedings began in February 2024, when the Almaty Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit against KazMunayGas and the Nursultan Nazarbayev Educational Foundation.
The supervisory body sought to have the sale of KBTU for 11.3 billion tenge declared invalid, arguing that the share price was significantly undervalued at the time of the sale.
Incidentally, the main building of KBTU, located in the centre of Almaty, is an important historical building. Built in 1957, it originally housed the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR, then the Parliament of Kazakhstan, and later became an educational institution.
The transfer of KBTU to state ownership could mark a new chapter in the development of one of the country's leading technical universities, renowned for its high educational standards and scientific work.
However, officials have not yet made any statements about how this change will affect the university's development strategy, its academic policies, or its international ties.