In April 2026, Prof Liz Jones (Vice Dean, Education), Jon Wheatley (Head of Communications and Marketing) and Naomi Britton (Senior SRM Manager) from the Faculty of Engineering Sciences completed a successful six-day visit to Central Asia, strengthening relationships with key partners, engaging prospective students, and exploring new opportunities for collaboration across Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The visit, which included time in Astana and Tashkent, brought together senior staff to advance UCL and the Faculty’s international engagement strategy in a region of growing importance for student recruitment and academic partnerships.
In Kazakhstan, discussions with the Bolashak Scholarship programme and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan focused on expanding collaboration to support both students and academic exchange. The delegation also held a productive planning session with the British Council, identifying opportunities to further promote UK education and enhance joint initiatives in the region.
Engagement with UCL’s global alumni community was another key priority, and the team met with local alumni and offered advice on starting a UCL Kazakhstan Alumni Chapter, reinforcing UCL’s commitment to building strong, connected communities worldwide.
In Uzbekistan, the delegation met with Year 10 students studying the International Baccalaureate at Al-Beruni International Boarding School. The session introduced students to study opportunities at UCL and highlighted the wide-ranging pathways that an engineering education can offer.
The visit also included a meeting with colleagues at the National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan, where discussions centred on developing new approaches to collaboration, including potential academic partnerships and knowledge exchange.
Alongside institutional engagement, UCL Engineering participated in StudyIn recruitment fairs in both countries, meeting prospective students, applicants and offer holders interested in studying in the UK. The strong interest and high calibre of students highlighted the region’s growing potential as a source of future talent.
The trip forms part of UCL Engineering’s broader commitment to global engagement, supporting talented students worldwide and developing meaningful, long-term collaborations with leading institutions.
