In accordance with the instructions of the Head of State, since 2023 the Ministry has been implementing the «Coursera – қазақ тілінде» (“Coursera – in Kazakh”) project, aimed at localizing top courses into the Kazakh language and providing students with access to them.

Coursera is a leading global platform offering not only academic courses but also practice-oriented projects and professional certificates that enable learners to upgrade their qualifications, acquire new skills, and consequently enhance their employability through mastering modern competencies.

The goal of the project in Kazakhstan is to equip learners with advanced digital and artificial intelligence skills, train modern professionals for the national economy, etc.

In 2023, the project was launched in 25 universities, and by 2025 it had expanded to cover 95 universities across the country, providing access to world-class courses and professional certificates.

The growth in the number of Coursera certificates earned over 2.5 years can be described as explosive: the average monthly figure in 2025 reached 32 295, compared to 6 083 in 2023 and 21 931 in 2024. This demonstrates a sharp leap in the development of digital education and confirms the strong demand for new learning formats.

Over 2.5 years, a total of 346 443 certificates have been issued.

For reference: on the Coursera platform, students have access to more than 12 000 online courses. Thus, the students have completed around 4 700 different courses, which represents 40% of all available courses on the platform. The following courses are particularly popular: “21st Century Workplace Communication” – 5 392 certificates,   “Word Forms and Simple Present Tense” – 2 786 certificates,  “Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)” – 2 706 certificates, “Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects” – 2 669 certificates, “Time Management for Professional and Personal Productivity” – 2 155 certificates, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Everyone” – 2 118 certificates, “Introduction to Microsoft Excel” – 2 104 certificates, “Entrepreneurship I: Laying the Foundation of a Business” – 2 093 certificates, “Leading Teams: Developing as a Leader” – 2 036 certificates.

Moreover, over the past two years, about 4 500 students have earned 5 344 certificates across 225 courses covering various aspects of artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing, generative AI, and their applications in specific industries. The most popular courses include “Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Everyone” with 2 118 students and its English-language counterpart “AI For Everyone” with 372 students, as well as applied programs such as “AI & ML Applications in the Oil and Gas Industry” (558 students), “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education for Teachers” (271 students), “AI & Law” (173 students), and “Machine Learning with Python” (122 students).

In 2024, Coursera offered a unique free opportunity for university rectors, vice-rectors, deans, department heads, and other academic staff to deepen their understanding of the key principles and capabilities of generative AI, enabling them to make effective strategic and operational decisions in higher education and research management.

A total of 959 university leaders successfully completed the course “Generative AI for University Leaders.” Among them were over 50 rectors and vice-rectors, as well as more than 900 heads of university departments and divisions.

Moreover, the AI-Sana program, developed under the instruction of the President, is being implemented. The program is gradually expanding to cover undergraduate students, master’s students, and young researchers.

At the first stage, 650 000 students will receive basic training in artificial intelligence fundamentals. Already, 440 000 students have completed training and received certificates from Huawei, Coursera, Astana Hub, as well as from university-developed courses, including those of ENU, Satbayev University, EKTU, and others.

The next stages include advanced AI studies, technological entrepreneurship, development of industry-specific projects, and, at the final stage, startup acceleration.

The program will become the main talent pipeline for the Alem.AI Artificial Intelligence Center and serve as an important instrument for the country’s technological development.