The JSC «International University of Tourism and Hospitality» was established by the directive of the Head of State, K.K. Tokayev. The creation of the University was stipulated in the State Program for the Development of the Tourism Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2019-2025. The purpose of its establishment was outlined in the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2020-2024, aiming to «improve the quality and accessibility of tourism products and services».
The University holds an annex to the state license №KZ05LAA00018250 for educational activities in the following areas of personnel training:
6B111 – «Service Sector», 6B014 – «Training of teachers with subject specialization in general development». It is also licensed for postgraduate education in the direction of «7M111 – Service Sector.»
The University has a Certificate of International Institutional Accreditation (ІА-А №0155) issued by the Independent Agency for Quality Assurance in Education.
Additionally, the University holds Certificate №000356, granting the right to participate in competitions for scientific and/or scientific-technical activities funded by the state budget and subsoil user funds of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The University is the first higher educational institution in Kazakhstan approved as a member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Since 2023, the University has been included in the list of foreign universities recognized by the Council of Higher Education of Turkey (Yükseköğretim Kurulu).
In 2024, at the VII General Assembly of the Union of Turkic Universities of the Organization of Turkic States, held at Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC), the University became a full member of the Union.
The University is a specialized higher educational institution that trains professionals for the service sector, actively incorporating dual education into its academic programs.
The mission of the University is to train professionals for the tourism and service industry who recognize the uniqueness of Kazakhstan and are ready to dedicate their lives to developing and promoting their country on a global level.
The University’s motto: «Discover the uniqueness of Kazakhstan yourself, show it to the world!»
The University’s core values: оpenness, Integrity, сontinuous improvement, equal access to education, teamwork, сreativity, scientific research and аcademic аctivities.
Currently, the University is implementing five research projects funded by the republican budget.
Since 2023, the University’s International Journal “Bulletin of the International University of Tourism and Hospitality” has received a Certificate from the Committee on Information of the Ministry of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2024, the journal «Bulletin of the International University of Tourism and Hospitality» was included in the list of scientific publications recommended by the Committee for Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan in the field of «Tourism». The journal publishes articles on scientifically grounded research and results in tourism, hospitality business, economics, management, and marketing.
Since 2023, the University has been operating a Military Department aimed at improving the quality of military education for students and fostering their patriotic upbringing.
In the 2024-2025 academic year, the University operates five schools: School of Tourism, School of Hospitality, School of Physical Culture and Sports, Humanities School, Language School
Personnel training at the University is conducted in three areas:
- «6B111–Service Sector» («B091 – Tourism», «B093 – Restaurant and Hotel Business», «B092 – Leisure Activities»);
- Postgraduate Education «7M111 – Service Sector» («M147 – Tourism», «М149- Hotel and Restaurant Business»).
The University offers 15 educational programs:
- 6B11101 – Organization of Tourism and Hospitality Industry
- 6B11102 – International and Domestic Tourism
- 6B11103 – Organization of Excursion Services and Individual Tours
- 6B11104 – Hotel and Restaurant Business
- 6B11105 – Tourism Destination Management
- 6B11107 – Sports and Wellness Fitness
- 6B11108 – Organized Tourism Management and Excursion-Animation Activities
- 6B11109 – Event Management
- 6B11106 – Sports Tourism
- 6B11111 – Tourism Guide Service
- 7M11101 – Tourism Management (Scientific-Pedagogical Direction)
- 7M11102 – Tourism Management (Professional Direction)
- 7M11105 – Tourism Management (Professional Direction)
- 7M11103 – Global Hospitality Management (Scientific-Pedagogical Direction)
- 7M11104 – Global Hospitality Management (Professional Direction)
From 2020 to 2025, the University conducted training activities in the field of «6B014 -Teacher training with a general development specialization», «B005 -Physical education teacher training», («6B01401 – Physical Culture and Sports», «6B01402 – Physical education and primary military training»).
The University actively works on implementing dual education to ensure the development of professional education through active collaboration with employers and other social partners.
The total number of students at the University is 2261, while the total number of employees, including the faculty, is 291. The University employs graduates from several foreign universities, including Xinjiang University (China), Dokuz Eylül University, Gazi University (Turkey), Tomsk Polytechnic University (Russian Federation), and two foreign scholars. Among the faculty are members of the Republican Educational-Methodological Council, experts from Kazakhstan’s Accreditation Agencies, National Testing Center, National Center for Higher Education Development, and National Center for State Scientific and Technical Expertise.
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