Suleyman Demirel University (SDU) is one of the first private higher education institutions in Kazakhstan. It is situated in the mountainous town of Kaskelen, 20 km from Almaty city center. The University was founded in 1996 and opened by the President of the country Nursultan Nazarbayev. SDU currently has four faculties: Education & Humanities, Engineering & Natural Sciences, Law & Social Sciences, and the Business School. SDU operates a trilingual education system whereby 81% of its degree programs are taught in English, 16% in Kazakh, and 3% in Russian. 

In March 2010, Kazakhstan became the first Central Asian state to sign up to the Bologna Declaration and to become a member of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Since then, the country has adopted the three-cycle system of education (Bachelor’s, Master’s & PhD level) and is maintaining standards using different benchmark frameworks, including the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR). Many higher education institutions in Kazakhstan, SDU included, are now also actively implementing the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) to facilitate international mobility by promoting recognition of academic qualifications attained in Kazakhstan.