The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a transaction advisory services agreement to support the development of modern, affordable student accommodation at Satbayev University in Kazakhstan through a public-private partnership model, as reported by ADB Organization.

The agreement was signed by Satbayev University Rector Meiram Begentayev and ADB Country Director for Kazakhstan Utsav Kumar, alongside the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Satbayev University is Kazakhstan's largest technical university, with more than 10,000 students enrolled, nearly 80% of whom come from regions outside Almaty. Existing on-campus accommodation provides only approximately 2,300 beds, limiting access for students from remote areas and placing pressure on the private housing market.

Under the agreement, ADB will act as transaction advisor for a design-build-finance-operate-maintain model, providing feasibility studies, project documentation, marketing and tendering support. Once tendered, the project will be among the first user-pay public-private partnerships in Kazakhstan targeting international investors under the country's newly consolidated 2025 PPP Law.

Kumar said the initiative is designed to serve as a replicable model. "The project will help improve access to higher education and student welfare while mobilizing private sector investment for social infrastructure," he said. "This pilot is expected to set a replicable model for future student accommodation projects through PPPs across Kazakhstan."

The agreement marks ADB's third PPP advisory engagement with Kazakhstan, following earlier projects in the energy and healthcare sectors.

Kazakhstan joined ADB in 1994, since which the bank has committed over $8 billion in loans, grants and technical assistance to support the country's development priorities including infrastructure modernisation and private sector participation.

Explore the full details of the ADB and Satbayev University agreement in the original announcement.