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The Maritime Academy at the Kazakh-British Technical University has no analogues in the country.

On April 7, KBTU hosted an event dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy (the KMA). The event brought together representatives of major Kazakh marine and oil companies such as TCO, KMTF, COC, NCOC, etc., as well as foreign companies Chevron, STC International, Mercy Ships, SAAB, Staff Center Group, who contributed to the development of the Maritime Academy.

Over the years, the Academy has graduated 124 mariners  who successfully work both on ships and on shore positions related to the sea. KMA graduates are an important human capital of the country and for this reason are in demand in such large companies as Kazmortransflot, NCOC, COC, Topaz Marine, TCO and other global corporations. 50% of KMA mariners  are in demand in Panama and around the world.

It is worth recalling that in 2021, the Commission of Independent Experts of the International Maritime Organization included Kazakhstan in the "White List", thereby ensuring the recognition of professional diplomas of Kazakhstani mariners by the international community and allowing them to work in all signatory states of the STCW Convention.

Ramil Biktashev, Dean of the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy:

"We are the only ones in the country who train specialists according to all international standards. Every year the Academy accepts only 25-30 cadets. We train ship drivers and ship engineers. According to the convention, the KMA provides cadets with 365 days of practice at sea. Every year we send students to the Caspian Sea. This year, for example, Kazmortransflot provided 18 positions. Also, there is a growing trend from year to year and more and more companies support, cooperate with the Maritime Academy and accept our cadets for practice. We have also launched master's programs that are unique for the entire CIS."

A variety of marine laboratories, simulators, international maritime practice, qualified teachers trained in Germany, Oman, the USA and the Netherlands, allow the programs of the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy to pass international audits without hindrance from year to year.

Maratbek Gabdullin, President of the Kazakh-British Technical University:

"Today we can say with confidence that the KMA contributes to the implementation of the tasks of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of the marine industry. Over the 10 years of its existence, graduates of the Academy have managed to form a team of competitive and competent mariners capable of working both on Kazakhstani and foreign ships in any country of the world. The diploma of the KMA in the maritime companies of Kazakhstan is associated with highly qualified personnel, respectively, giving graduates broad career opportunities."

The establishment of the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy in 2012 was supported by Tengizchevroil and NCOC. Lori Sasko, General Director of Marketing and Transport of Tengizchevroil:

"Kazakhstan Maritime Academy is a national educational program. Back in 2009, when we supported the development of the marine industry in Kazakhstan, we understood that Kazakhstan is a country rich in resources and people, and the key to success in this case is the transportation of its raw materials to the world. It is also important that the Kazakhstan Academy is distinguished by the fact that already in 2012, 30% of those enrolled in the first graduation were women.  KMA is the only Academy that admits women to the maritime industry. For TCO, this is a huge pride and achievement."

Jurre Jan Schutte, Chief Project Manager of STC Group Holding BV, said that in the early years, lecturers from the Netherlands taught at the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy, who trained Kazakh teachers and jointly developed the curriculum: "In 2011, a request came to us. I remember, we were offered to go to London, there were many different schools there. Then we heard about the initiative to create a Maritime Academy in Kazakhstan. Everyone was thinking "how is it possible to launch a maritime academy in the mountains?". But we love challenges. We submitted an offer and became a partner of KMA…I am very pleased that the Academy is growing, the partnership is expanding, projects are scaling up, and programs are developing. Our initial goal was to train naval leaders, not just mariners and cadets."

The 10th anniversary celebration was also attended by graduates of the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy, who congratulated the management and told about their experience of practicing at sea. Ayakoz Slambayeva, graduate of 2020: "The academy is a special place for us. When we came to KMA, we were not ordinary students, as in other parts of the world. We didn't see the sea and we didn't have sailor parents. In addition to the high quality of education,  the MA has a special place in the heart for us. Thanks to the academy, we received internships in companies, on ships, and saw the world. I recently completed an internship in a project with NCOC as a marine specialist. Even if most of us did not work at sea, we applied all the knowledge that we received and coped."

Within the framework of the 10th anniversary, a memorandum of cooperation on the development of education between the Kazakh-British Technical University and Kazmortransflot was also signed.  The memorandum implies the improvement of personnel training, strengthening the practical preparation of the process, as well as conducting joint scientific research and implementing their results into the company's activities.

Aidar Orzhanov, General Director of NMSC Kazmortransflot, said that today 18 cadets from the KBTU Maritime Academy are practicing in the national company: "Now the best graduates will go to tankers in the open seas. I would like to note that we are not only taking cadets to practice, graduates of the KMA are already working on our ships. I appreciate your education highly, as I see how graduates show themselves in their work. A cadet of the KBTU Maritime Academy has already become a senior assistant for 4 years and will soon become a captain – this says a lot. Our girls also work as third assistants, they carry our oil in the Caspian Sea. Close attention is paid to the navy of Kazakhstan now, so we really need young specialists."

This year, a memorandum was also signed with the Indian company TMC Shipping. Today, the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy continues to work on the development of cooperation with large maritime, transportation companies, aims to increase open maritime practice and to train highly qualified specialists for their country.