The Kazakh Ministry of Science and Higher Education has finalized an agreement with Grenoble INP-Phelma, UGA – France’s premier engineering school specializing in physics, electronics, and materials science, to open a branch campus in Almaty in 2026. The new campus will operate in partnership with Satbayev University, one of Kazakhstan’s top technical institutions.
The agreement was signed by vice presidents of both universities in the presence of Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek and French Ambassador to Kazakhstan Sylvain Guiguet.
Grenoble INP-Phelma, located in the city of Grenoble, is part of the Grenoble Institute of Technology and is internationally recognized for its excellence in engineering education.
The Kazakhstan branch of Phelma will offer dual degree programs in Nuclear Engineering, Renewable Engineering, and Advanced Studies. The initiative aims to train highly qualified specialists in nuclear and renewable energy, fields of growing strategic importance as Kazakhstan prepares to construct its first nuclear power plant.
Participating students will have the opportunity to undergo practical training at French nuclear power facilities, which operate 56 reactors and supply more than 70% of France’s electricity. This hands-on experience is expected to prepare graduates for careers in Kazakhstan’s evolving energy sector.
The Times of Central Asia previously reported that the Colorado School of Mines will also open its first international campus in Kazakhstan in 2026. That campus will be located in Zhezkazgan, the center of the country’s geological industry.
The Colorado School of Mines has already established a dual degree partnership with Satbayev University in geology, petroleum engineering, and mining, which includes joint research collaborations.
