Assylbek Kozhakhmetov (b. 22 May 1958, North Kazakhstan) is the President and founder of the Educational Institution Almaty Management University (AlmaU), formerly the Almaty School of Management—the first business school in Kazakhstan. Under his leadership, AlmaU has become a leading regional business school with strong international recognition.
In 2010, AlmaU became the first institution in Kazakhstan to receive European institutional accreditation (IQA CEEMAN), with successful re-accreditations in 2017 and 2023. For 36 years, the University has pursued an innovative development strategy, pioneering MBA and DBA programs and establishing itself as Kazakhstan’s first entrepreneurial university.
Dr. Kozhakhmetov has also advanced AlmaU’s Third Mission through civic engagement and social initiatives. The University has contributed to Almaty’s cultural and educational landscape, promoted lifelong learning, and launched projects such as:
-Kazakh language development through the cultural-immersion camp Ulytau;
-Support for rural education, including the “Support of Rural Schools by Universities” program and the founding of the Higher Multidisciplinary College Zeynep in North Kazakhstan.