Surprise at absence of key academic as Cardiff University expands into Kazakhstan
Martin Shipton
Sources at Cardiff University have expressed surprise that the senior academic who led negotiations for the establishment of a branch of the university in central Asia was not present at the official opening ceremony on September 3.
The decision of the university to set up an offshoot campus in Kazakhstan has been controversial, especially at a time when it has been imposing drastic cuts, including many job losses and school closures, on its home operation in Wales.
The university has denied rumours that Professor Rudolf Allemann, the Pro Vice Chancellor, International, who led the Cardiff team negotiating the project had fallen out with the Kazakhs.
New opportunities
A university spokdesperson said: Prof Allemann’s role focuses on identifying and nurturing new opportunities for Cardiff University globally. The operationalisation of Cardiff University in Kazakhstan is the responsibility of the Chief Operating Officer. Professor Allemann’s attention is now focused on other emerging international opportunities.”
A Cardiff University academic source said: “It seems very odd that Prof Allemann, who we have been told played a crucial role in negotiating the deal to set up the campus in Kazakhstan, wasn’t there for the opening ceremony. There were plenty of other Cardiff University people there. Could it be that he had fallen out with the Kazakhs, as has been suggested?
The spokesperson for Cardiff University said: “It is correct to say that Prof Allemann did not attend the official opening. He was invited and accepted an invitation but unfortunately due to other competing personal and work commitments was unable to attend.
“Prof Allemann continues to play a key role in the university’s ongoing plans to develop transnational education.There is nothing further to add.”
Due diligence report
Earlier this year Cardiff University refused to publish a due diligence report on its decision to open the campus in Kazakhstan, despite concerns about the lack of information in the public domain about the project’s partner.
Following revelations in Nation.Cymru about governance failings in the approval process for the branch campus in Astana, Private Eye magazine drew attention to the very sketchy nature of searchable data relating to the Qualified Centre of Education Public Foundation (QCEPF), which is bankrolling the project.
Describing it as a private body apparently set up by Kazakh entrepreneurs, Private Eye stated: “It has no track record of any kind, describing the Cardiff scheme as its ‘first step’ towards improving top-tier education in the country.
“QCEPF executive director Kuanysh Kuchekbayev, the only individual named on the organisation’s website, is described as a seasoned leader from, er, the construction and logistics industries. There’s vanishingly little other information available about his credentials, and his LinkedIn account lists his role at QCEPF and nothing else.
“What Cardiff brings is an international reputation and branding as well as designing and providing quality control for the courses.
“Lecturers’ union UCU has warned that it would require ‘significant and time-intensive planning’ to protect against lowering academic standards.”
Vote
In April 2025 Nation.Cymru revealed how the university had admitted that no formal vote was taken at its supreme governing body, the University Council, to endorse the project in Kazakhstan.
At the same time, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Wendy Larner, ordered that an email about the governance failure sent by the Council’s Chair to its members should not be released to Nation.Cymru.
Despite the university’s admission that no formal vote on the project took place, the university issued a press release in the wake of the University Council meeting stating: “Last week, our Council met to consider the proposal for Cardiff University to establish a branch campus in Astana, Kazakhstan. After extensive discussions, including contributions and questions to the HM Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Ms Kathy Leach, Council has approved the proposal, subject to final legal agreement, marking an important step in Cardiff’s global engagement strategy.”
FOI request
In March 2025 a Nation.Cymru journalist submitted an FoI request to the university stating: “Please let me know if there was a formal vote at the last Cardiff University Council meeting to endorse Cardiff University’s plans for its Kazakhstan development; and what was the content of the email that was subsequently sent by the Chair of Council, Pat Younge, to Council members.”
The university responded, stating: “There was no formal vote undertaken at the last meeting of Cardiff University Council.
“The subsequent email by the Chair to Council members was sent in the expectation of confidentiality and without prejudice in order to inform the University’s approach to areas of institutional vulnerability or strategic risk. Council are the supreme governing body of the University. They must be able to conduct their business and the business of the University in a safe and secure way. Aligned, individual Council members must feel safe to express their views on such matters without fear.”
Responding to the request for details about the due diligence, a Cardiff University spokesperson said: “We have undertaken extensive due diligence. This includes external consultants and a strategic intelligence firm. We’ve also consulted with the UK Embassy in Astana, the British Council and other relevant bodies before proceeding.
“We have confidence in the process undertaken. In the interests of openness and transparency, we have kept our staff updated on the project. As is the case with most due diligence reports, they contain personal and commercially confidential information. As a result, they are not routinely published. Where appropriate, we will provide as much information as we can to our staff, students, trade unions and other relevant stakeholders.”
Former Welsh Liberal Democrat leader and ex-Deputy First Minister Lord Mike German has said that the project came about as a result of his friendship with Kazakhstan’s Higher Education Minister.
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I am now clear why I wasn’t the kind of person to attend university because THIS I do not understand.
You really lost out not studying criminology in the desert in Kazakh.
I know what you mean. I have mixed feelings about it too. On one hand it’s good to see Welsh soft power looking outwards for development opportunities. Places like Kazakhstan are developing and place high value on international education, so it’s good that Cardiff will have a presence and gaining experience in these economies. Any international development and engagement is valuable, especially in the wake of Brexit.
On the other hand, is it a case of them spreading themselves too thinly at a time of economic constraints here in Wales. Let’s hope the long game is beneficial.
England has had lots of construction projects funded by Middle Eastern Airlines. Heathrow Airport is part Chinese, Bristol Airport owner is Canadian.
Wales needs to balance economic growth with the correct international partnerships.
Kazakstans main airline is very profitable and part-owned by BaE https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/12/bae-systems-in-line-for-windfall-from-kazakhstan-national-airline-air-astana-flotation
Lets hope that Cardiff Universitys investment of time and resources grows both the economies of Wales and Kazakstan; and Welsh academic standards do not fall.0
This absurd project is yet another example of the failing commercial model of higher education. The quality of courses available is diminished and any courses with serious practical work like chemistry or nursing tend to be stopped. In a sense this is a failure of governments to ensure that each generation has the core skills to support and develop the economy. Rather than buggering about in Central Asia Cardiff University should be working out how to train enough nurses to run the hospitals in Wales. It isn’t helped by the superficial quality of GCSE education with ridiculous course to run… Read more »
This smacks of hypocrisy. People may remember Cardiff University’s Prof Leighton Andrews, whilst being a member of the Welsh Government led a politically motivated campaign to close down the University of Wales degree franchise international network. Soon after he became a professor at Cardiff University, now Cardiff University are entering into the international degree provision market.
Remember the two golden rules of life in contemporary Cymru. 1. Certain things (some good, some bad) happen in Wales in Wales’ name. 2. Certain things (generally good) happen in Cardiff in Cardiff’s name. These things are rarely interchangeable, as Prof Andrews would tell you.