Twenty master’s students are entering a new training track.
Kazakhstan and India have launched dual-degree programs in Astana to train law enforcement specialists in digital forensics, cybersecurity and related fields. The programs bring together the Academy of Management of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and India’s National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), DKNews.kz reports.
The initiative is particularly significant as Kazakhstan’s law enforcement system faces a growing need for specialists capable of working with digital evidence, cyber threats, artificial intelligence and technology-driven investigations.
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20 master’s students join the first intake
The official launch of the dual-degree programs brought together acting Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, acting Minister of Internal Affairs Yerzhan Sadenov, NFSU representatives Naveen Kumar Chaudhary and Purvi Pokhariyal, and Chetan Mukundan, head of NFSU’s Brain Research Laboratory.
A total of 20 students have enrolled in the master’s programs for the current academic year.
The project builds on earlier agreements to develop cooperation between Kazakhstan and India’s National Forensic Sciences University in areas directly linked to law enforcement and national security.
NFSU is based in Gandhinagar and specializes in forensic sciences and related disciplines. Its School of Cyber Security and Digital Forensics focuses on preparing specialists to deal with cybercrime, digital evidence and emerging security challenges.
Students will study cybersecurity and digital forensics
The new programs are designed to train managers and specialized professionals for Kazakhstan’s law enforcement sector while incorporating international academic standards and new technological requirements.
Training is organized in three areas:
- Law Enforcement;
- Digital Forensics and Information Security;
- Cybersecurity.
Students will study digital technologies, modern forensic analysis, IT solutions for law enforcement, management and national security.
The choice of these disciplines reflects how criminal investigations are changing. Digital evidence, cyber incidents and information systems increasingly require investigators to combine traditional law enforcement expertise with advanced technological skills.
NFSU already offers postgraduate training covering areas such as network security and forensics, incident response, threat intelligence, malware analysis, mobile security and artificial intelligence.
Graduates will receive two degrees
One of the central features of the project is the dual-degree model.
Students who successfully complete the program will receive a Kazakhstan state-recognized diploma and a diploma from India’s National Forensic Sciences University.
The educational process itself will have an international format. Classes, laboratory work and project defenses will be conducted in English using the ECTS credit system.
Students will also have opportunities to:
- undertake internships at the partner university in India;
- attend lectures delivered by international experts;
- participate in laboratory research;
- exchange practical experience with Indian specialists.
This combination is intended to give Kazakh law enforcement professionals access not only to academic knowledge but also to practical approaches used in a specialized international university environment.
Sayasat Nurbek: Cooperation is moving to a new level
According to Sayasat Nurbek, the initiative goes beyond launching another set of university courses.
«This project is one of the important initiatives that takes cooperation between Kazakhstan and India in education and science to a new level. These are not simply educational programs. This is a joint academic platform that brings together Kazakh and Indian educational experience and creates opportunities for mutual exchange of expertise between faculty members and students,» Sayasat Nurbek said.
The launch also fits into Kazakhstan’s broader strategy of expanding international university partnerships. The country has been developing joint and dual-degree models with overseas institutions as part of efforts to internationalize higher education and bring international academic practices into domestic universities.
For example, Kazakhstan is simultaneously expanding partnerships with leading US universities, including new double-degree and joint programs in several fields.
The project began with talks in 2025
The Astana launch is the result of cooperation that had been developing before the first students entered the program.
The foundation was laid during bilateral talks in July 2025, when NFSU representatives visited Satbayev University and discussed mechanisms for training specialists in digital forensics and cybersecurity for Kazakhstan’s law enforcement agencies.
The cooperation subsequently moved toward a more institutional model. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education and Ministry of Internal Affairs worked with NFSU on plans to develop joint programs and specialized training for law enforcement personnel.
The broader agenda includes not only education but also research.
The priority areas identified for further cooperation include:
- digital forensics;
- cybersecurity;
- combating cybercrime;
- artificial intelligence;
- modern IT solutions for law enforcement;
- joint research projects;
- academic exchanges;
- training of research personnel.
The direction is consistent with Kazakhstan and India’s wider security dialogue. The two countries have previously discussed threats linked to new technologies as part of bilateral cooperation on security and counterterrorism.
Why this matters for Kazakhstan
The immediate scale of the program is modest — 20 master’s students — but its significance lies in the specialization of their training.
Cybercrime investigations require professionals who understand how to identify, preserve and analyze electronic evidence while operating within law enforcement procedures. NFSU’s own cybersecurity programs combine digital forensics with incident response, network security, cyber law and emerging technologies such as AI.
For Kazakhstan, the partnership therefore creates a direct channel for bringing specialized international expertise into the training of law enforcement personnel.
It also extends the internationalization of Kazakhstan’s higher education system into an area closely connected with national security. Rather than limiting cooperation to conventional academic exchanges, the new model combines two degrees, English-language instruction, laboratory work, mobility and joint research.
Kazakhstan and India have been gradually broadening educational cooperation alongside their political and economic relationship. Earlier, we looked at how Astana and New Delhi identified education, technology and academic exchanges as areas for deeper bilateral cooperation.
