Colorado School of Mines will open its first international campus in 2026, located in Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. This initiative follows a formal agreement signed in May between the Colorado School of Mines—ranked No. 1 globally in mineral and mining engineering by the QS World University Rankings 2025—and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
The new campus will be established on the grounds of the recently launched Ulytau Technical University in Zhezkazgan, a region recognized as the center of Kazakhstan’s geological industry.
Instruction will be delivered in English, with a strong emphasis on technical and engineering education. Four core bachelor’s degree programs will be offered:
- Mining
- Geology and geological exploration
- Geophysical engineering
- Petroleum engineering
“We have identified Kazakhstan as a priority country for partnership and development,” said John Bradford, vice president of global initiatives at the Colorado School of Mines. “This agreement will allow us to elevate our collaboration and academic exchange.”
This development builds on a previous dual-degree agreement between Mines and Kazakhstan’s Satbayev University, which includes collaborative research in geology, petroleum engineering, and mining.
Once the Zhezkazgan campus becomes operational, it is expected to draw aspiring professionals to the region, stimulate job creation, and produce a new generation of highly qualified specialists equipped to meet the needs of both Kazakhstan’s workforce and the global energy and mining sectors.