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Abstract

In post-Soviet Central Asia, higher education reform is often framed as central to national development and global integration. This paper explores how presidential universities—state-created institutions designed to model new academic standards—reflect the complex interplay between external influences and domestic priorities. Focusing on New Uzbekistan University (NewUU) and drawing initial reflections on Nazarbayev University (NU), the paper considers how these universities selectively engage with international models while navigating their own national contexts.

These universities are designed not simply to import external frameworks through strategic partnerships with globally recognized universities, but to introduce new practices that reflect evolving priorities—such as advancing research capacity, fostering innovation, and preparing graduates for a changing economic environment. However, the process of adopting and adapting international practices is shaped by local realities—political structures, institutional legacies, and shifting societal expectations. NewUU, for example, operates within a more centralized administrative environment, which influences its autonomy, decision-making, and the pace of reform.

Rather than treating internationalization as a uniform or linear process, the paper explores how global academic norms are interpreted, contested, or reshaped within these settings. It also examines the broader ecosystem of international branch campuses in the region, which contribute to the spread of global standards but vary in how meaningfully they align with national development goals.

The paper argues that external influences—such as imported curricula, accreditation frameworks, and global metrics—are not inherently transformative. Their impact depends on how they interact with internal institutional cultures and the broader political environment. The cases of NU and NewUU highlight different configurations of this interaction, offering insight into how flagship universities in emerging economies mediate between global visibility and local relevance.

By examining these dynamics, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how higher education institutions in Central Asia are shaped by both visible and less visible external forces, and how they navigate the challenges of aligning global models with national ambitions.