NU's contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Vision: To be a leading institution in promoting sustainability, innovation, and social responsibility, contributing to the well-being of society and the environment.
Mission: To integrate sustainable practices into all aspects of campus life, ensuring that education, research, and community engagement align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mission: To integrate sustainable practices into all aspects of campus life, ensuring that education, research, and community engagement align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SDG 5: Gender Equality
Empower all women and girls and achieve equality between genders.
Our goals in action
Nazarbayev University (NU) actively promotes Sustainable Development Goal 5 by fostering an inclusive academic environment and removing structural barriers to women’s full participation in education, research, and leadership. Through partnerships, policy advocacy, research, and student engagement, NU strengthens its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Teaching and student life
Operations and Administrations
Data and Institutional Performance
According to NU’s 2024–2025 Data Digest:
The university continues to track gender data and disaggregate metrics in its reporting to identify areas for improvement and action.
According to NU’s 2024–2025 Data Digest:
- Female students comprise 52% of the undergraduate population.
- Women represent 46% of graduate students and 44% of doctoral candidates.
- Female faculty members make up 42% of NU’s academic staff, including leadership roles within schools and governance bodies.
The university continues to track gender data and disaggregate metrics in its reporting to identify areas for improvement and action.
Gender Mainstreaming Strategy: Together with UNDP, NU is co-developing a university-wide strategy for integrating gender perspectives into institutional planning, budgeting, and academic programming. This includes gender-responsive resource allocation and leadership training.
Code of Ethics: NU’s Code of Ethics outlines a commitment to equality, transparency, and accountability. It explicitly prohibits discrimination, favoritism, and harassment, and encourages fairness in all institutional processes. The Code is applied in hiring, admissions, governance, and academic evaluations.
Global Reach
Community impact
NU ACM-Women Student Chapter and Women in Engineering Club: These student groups support and empower women pursuing careers in STEM fields by providing mentorship, hosting networking events, and organizing workshops. These initiatives aim to break down barriers and increase female representation and leadership in STEM disciplines.
NU Debate Club and NU Women’s Society conduct campaigns to raise awareness of gender stereotypes and rights.
NU’s student clubs also engage in creative expression and social outreach through activities hosted by NU Theater, NU Choir, NU Orchestra, and NU Contemporary. These promote gender narratives through the arts and open cultural space for women’s voices.
NU Debate Club and NU Women’s Society conduct campaigns to raise awareness of gender stereotypes and rights.
NU’s student clubs also engage in creative expression and social outreach through activities hosted by NU Theater, NU Choir, NU Orchestra, and NU Contemporary. These promote gender narratives through the arts and open cultural space for women’s voices.
Through the Nazarbayev University Social Development Fund, the following initiatives are designed to support gender equity:
- Access4All: Offers scholarships to women from rural and low-income backgrounds.
- STEM4Women: Encourages female enrollment in STEM fields by providing financial and mentoring support.
- Girls Leadership Initiative: Summer workshops and boot camps introduce high school girls to university life, research labs, and leadership training.
- Community Engagement Grants: Funds student and faculty projects that promote gender equality in local schools, communities, and institutions.
NU Mentorship Program: Managed by the Academic Advising Office, this program matches students with peer and professional mentors. It encourages academic success and personal growth. In 2023–2024, over 300 mentor–mentee pairs were formed, with more than half identifying as women. Topics include academic goal setting, university adaptation, leadership, and work-life balance.
Strategic Partnership with UNDP
In April 2023, NU and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form a university alliance for gender equality. This alliance brings together faculty, researchers, and students from higher education institutions across Kazakhstan to share best practices, conduct collaborative research, and implement institutional reforms that advance gender equity.
Despite women comprising over 50% of Kazakhstan’s scientific community, there remains a significant gender gap in leadership roles and doctoral completion rates. Through this partnership, NU and UNDP aim to tackle these systemic issues by integrating gender perspectives into policy development, curriculum design, and administrative decision-making.
In April 2023, NU and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form a university alliance for gender equality. This alliance brings together faculty, researchers, and students from higher education institutions across Kazakhstan to share best practices, conduct collaborative research, and implement institutional reforms that advance gender equity.
Despite women comprising over 50% of Kazakhstan’s scientific community, there remains a significant gender gap in leadership roles and doctoral completion rates. Through this partnership, NU and UNDP aim to tackle these systemic issues by integrating gender perspectives into policy development, curriculum design, and administrative decision-making.
Community Engagement Grants:
Strategic Partnership with UNDP:
- Funding for student and faculty projects that promote gender equality in schools and communities.
Strategic Partnership with UNDP:
- Formation of the University Alliance for Gender Equality, sharing best practices and promoting reforms across Kazakhstan’s higher education.
- Develop a national higher education gender equity platform in collaboration with UNDP.
- Organize an annual conference on gender mainstreaming in academia.
- Expand access to sexual health education through the "It’s Okay" project and launch new parent–student discussion groups.
- Continue publishing gender-disaggregated data and reports that track trends in education, research, and employment outcomes.
Research and Innovation
Current Initiatives
Anti-Harassment Campaign: A campus-wide initiative designed to prevent harassment and promote mutual respect among students and faculty. The campaign fosters an environment of safety and empowerment for women, focusing on education, awareness, and support systems to ensure that all individuals feel respected and protected.
It’s Okay Project: This initiative focuses on enhancing sexual education through workshops targeting parents and teenagers. It addresses the importance of open communication around sexual health, rights, and equality, ensuring young people are well-informed and empowered to make responsible decisions. This project aims to build a healthier, more informed generation.
Selected Publications (2024):
These publications contribute to global discourse on gender equality, offering localized insights from Central Asia.
- A Framework for Designing Gender Inclusive Mobile Learning Experiences (Lukhmanov et al.)
- Experiences of Female Early-Career Professionals in Male-Dominated STEM Companies in Kazakhstan (Kuzhabekova et al.)
- Breaking Barriers and Bridging Gaps: Entrepreneurship Policies and Women’s Entry into Business (Raza et al.)
- Thirty Years of Gender Mainstreaming: Evolution and Research Agenda (Kataeva et al.)
- The Role of Environment on Women's Perceptions of STEM in Global South (Tsakalerou et al.)
These publications contribute to global discourse on gender equality, offering localized insights from Central Asia.
NU produces gender-focused academic research that informs public policy and advances scholarly understanding of equality issues. Key themes include:
Women in STEM: Studies explore challenges faced by women in male-dominated industries, including structural discrimination, unconscious bias, and lack of mentorship.
Higher Education and Gender Equity: The Institute of Education’s 2025 report "Gendered Success" highlights gender disparities in enrollment, academic performance, and graduate outcomes. Findings revealed that women tend to graduate with higher GPAs but face structural obstacles in pursuing graduate education and leadership roles.
Gender and Policy: NU faculty examine gender dimensions of national education, healthcare, and employment policies in Kazakhstan, with implications for reform.
Women in STEM: Studies explore challenges faced by women in male-dominated industries, including structural discrimination, unconscious bias, and lack of mentorship.
Higher Education and Gender Equity: The Institute of Education’s 2025 report "Gendered Success" highlights gender disparities in enrollment, academic performance, and graduate outcomes. Findings revealed that women tend to graduate with higher GPAs but face structural obstacles in pursuing graduate education and leadership roles.
Gender and Policy: NU faculty examine gender dimensions of national education, healthcare, and employment policies in Kazakhstan, with implications for reform.
Planned Initiatives