How a Kazakh woman built the international business institute YASSA EDU

Alina Abdrakhmanova, Astana city, co-founder of YASSA EDU

How it all started

I am an entrepreneur in the education sector and have been working in EdTech for several years. My journey began in Switzerland, where I studied and started my career. In 2012, I began working at Geneva Business School, and two years later, I brought its branch to Kazakhstan. We were among the first to launch an Executive MBA program in Astana and Almaty that allowed professionals to study without leaving their jobs.

In 2021, I was also invited to lead the business school at Maqsut Narikbayev University. At the same time, I served as Executive Director of the Q88 Urbanists Association and developed my EdTech startup IN VR, focused on virtual reality-based learning.

Two years later, my life entered a period of change: I became Managing Director at Astana Hub. This stage became a turning point for me. In spring 2023, we traveled with a large delegation to Stanford University, where I recalled my long-standing dream — to create my own university. That dream had faded due to life circumstances, but at Stanford, I felt that inspiration again. I realized it was time to return to my calling.

Launching the startup

In November 2023, we launched our international business institute, YASSA EDU. Our mission is to develop entrepreneurs from Central Asia and help them enter the global business arena. We do this through practical tools, as we have personally experienced a journey where there is plenty of motivation but not enough structure.

That’s why it is important for us to combine academic approaches with practice-oriented tools to help companies build operational efficiency, strategic vision, and clear action plans for implementation.

Team

Today, the project is driven by a team of four key people. Alongside me is Kristina Weber, CEO and co-founder of the institute, who moved from Moscow to Kazakhstan in 2023 when we launched the project. Thanks to her discipline and high performance, all operational processes run smoothly.

This year, we formed a Board of Directors of five members, including Adil Nurgozhin and Zhan Karsybayev, co-founders of Big Sky Capital, Regina Ryan, President of Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs, and Amanat Moldokeeva, our Development Director in Kyrgyzstan and a Board member.

Who studies at YASSA EDU

YASSA EDU is not business training, not an MBA in the traditional sense, and not a classical university. It is an ecosystem. When people come to us, they receive solutions tailored specifically to them. We build a full range of tools and partnerships around this principle.

We offer both short intensives and long-term programs. Over the past two years, around 1000 people have gone through our courses and events. Currently, about 60 students are enrolled in our Executive MBA.

We have organized several successful international business trips: two to China, where participants signed export-import contracts, as well as visits to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Europe, including Spain. All trips are tailored to students’ industries and needs.

In October, we held our first Executive MBA graduation. Leading entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan and international speakers from companies like Amazon, NASA, and Meta spoke at our events, largely thanks to our partners.

This year, we focused on international experts and entered the Kyrgyzstan market: we presented our program in Bishkek and are already enrolling the first MBA cohort.

We also host closed lectures and quarterly networking sessions. Each meeting is structured: participants introduce themselves, share their needs, and explain how they can support others. Mutual support is a key element.

Additionally, we organize informal events and collaborate with our sister project, The Boardroom, focused on corporate governance. YASSA EDU students can attend these events and expand their network.

Graduates of our one-year Executive MBA program receive a Swiss diploma issued by the Swiss Institute of Entrepreneurship and Technology. We are actively expanding our partner network, negotiating with Washington University of Science and Technology and Rutgers University, as well as developing collaborations with universities in Latin America.

We have also signed an agreement with Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs. Its president, Regina Ryan, recently visited Almaty and delivered open lectures. Together, we developed certification programs for our students and partners.

We finalized a program with Alibaba — an AI transformation intensive in China with participation from the company’s top managers.

We also collaborate with the China-SCO Trade and Economic Institute and have organized multiple business missions to China. Participants have signed contracts and memorandums in import-export sectors and are already executing major deals.

Additionally, we became exclusive representatives of the AI HR consultant LANCE, a U.S.-developed tool created by former NASA consultant Robert Abbanat. It is used for team diagnostics and competency development and has been integrated into our programs.

Challenges

We are not a traditional university with large infrastructure — the project is young. We launched in 2023, and in November we will only turn two years old. Therefore, skepticism at the start was expected from both partners and students.

Much of this was resolved thanks to reputation. I have worked in Kazakhstan’s education sector for over 12 years, and many of our first partners and students knew me personally. They trusted my experience, which helped build credibility for YASSA EDU.

Of course, the early stage was not easy: we had to build a team, establish processes, strengthen our reputation, and deliver first results. Now it is easier — we understand the market, have strong momentum, and real success stories from graduates and partners.

How business education will change

Today, people are much more demanding about educational outcomes. Education is no longer seen as a goal in itself — what matters is practical results that can be applied immediately.

The second trend is personalization. People want programs tailored to their goals and needs, not standardized ones. We see this demand and design courses accordingly.

The third trend is that offline is becoming the new luxury. In a world that has shifted online, in-person learning has become more valuable: it is more complex and expensive, but delivers deeper impact.

Education is also becoming global. It is no longer enough to be strong locally — access to international networks and fast-growing regions is essential.

Finally, the self-study format is evolving. Simply providing video lectures is no longer sufficient — interactive and engaging formats are needed to maintain motivation.

Plans

Our goal is to become a full ecosystem, not just a business institute. We are creating a space where entrepreneurs, top managers, and mid-level leaders can find the right tools — education, skill development, or networking.

We are developing personalized learning tracking: each student works with an individual tracker. We are also actively integrating AI to analyze profiles and career paths, adapting programs to real market needs.

The next step is scaling to global markets.

Advice

My main advice is not to be afraid to try and make mistakes. The “fail fast” approach works: test ideas quickly, learn what works, draw conclusions, and move forward.

Entrepreneurship is like swimming in the open sea — standing still gets you nowhere. Waves, storms, and rocks are part of the journey. A true entrepreneur is made for challenges and learns to navigate them.

It is hard work, especially in the early years, requiring sacrifices of time, energy, and emotions. But the result is worth it. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone — it is not a universal path to success, but a path full of pain, doubt, and blows to self-esteem.