Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University

Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University was founded in 1952 in the city of Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk) as a pedagogical institute and is today one of the leading multidisciplinary public universities in East Kazakhstan. Its official website is vku.edu.kz.

In the IQAA 2025 ranking, the university ranks 2nd among the best multidisciplinary universities in Kazakhstan, and in the IAAR 2024 national ranking it holds 7th place among the country’s Top 20 universities. Internationally, it is ranked in the 621–640 band of the QS Asia University Rankings 2025. In several educational programs (particularly foreign languages, mathematics-physics, biology education, and military training), it has reached first and second positions in national rankings.

The university offers a total of 112 educational programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The main fields of study include pedagogy and psychology, preschool and primary education, foreign languages (two foreign languages), mathematics, physics, computer science, chemistry, biology, geography, history, Kazakh language and literature, Russian language and literature, law, economics, accounting, finance, translation studies, tourism, physical education and sports, special education (defectology), ecology, and journalism. In addition, the university runs 10 double-degree programs and maintains academic mobility agreements with more than 200 universities worldwide. The graduate employment rate stands at 98 percent. There are four student dormitories on campus. The university accepts international students; however, the current exact number of foreign students has not been publicly published in official sources.

The university serves as an educational and research center for the East Kazakhstan region and has particularly strong infrastructure in teacher training, natural sciences, and social sciences.