On August 14, 2025, a ceremony was held in Almaty to officially transfer minor programs developed by the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Academy to SDU University.

The new educational modules cover key areas of finance and are designed to enhance students’ competitiveness in the labor market by equipping them with relevant knowledge and practical skills.

Business support and strategic partnership

The project was implemented with the support of Freedom Broker and the corporate foundation Freedom Shapagat. The initiative was first announced at the Astana Finance Days 2024 forum, where the parties signed a memorandum of understanding.

Program content

Minor programs are short-term certification courses lasting from three to four months. They complement students’ core curriculum and expand their professional competencies.

Among the new courses offered are “Derivative Securities – Options”, “Asset Management”, “Financial Market Regulation”, “International Commercial Dispute Resolution”, and others.

Voices of the participants

Balzhan Myrzabayeva, CEO of the AIFC Academy, highlighted the value of the programs for students:

“Minor programs help young people quickly adapt to labor market requirements and build the human capital needed for the sustainable development of the financial sector.”

Berik Sabdenaliev, Dean of the SDU School of Law and Business, emphasized the importance of the collaboration:

“This is a strategic step for our school. For the first time, we are introducing programs created by financial market experts. This will strengthen the university’s reputation and help students gain confidence in global competition.”

Zhanna Kashenova, Director of Educational Projects at Freedom Broker, stressed the long-term impact of the initiative:

“The transfer of programs to SDU is an investment in preparing a new generation of professionals who will shape Kazakhstan’s financial landscape.”

Future prospects

Starting from the current academic year, senior students of the SDU School of Law and Business will be able to choose these courses to deepen their knowledge in finance. The introduction of the programs is expected to broaden students’ horizons and increase their career opportunities in a competitive global environment.