Swiss International Institute Lausanne (SIIL) has signed a cooperation agreement with West Kazakhstan Innovative Technological University (ZKITU).
Under the agreement, students can study at both universities in parallel on the Economics and Psychology bachelor's programs. If they meet each party's academic requirements, graduates receive two separate diplomas.
West Kazakhstan Innovative Technological University (ZKITU) is a higher education institution in Uralsk, Republic of Kazakhstan. The university is listed in the international DEQAR database, which holds data on external quality assurance in higher education, and ranks 15th in the national IAAR ranking.
The student enrolls separately at SIIL and at ZKITU. Studies are organized around each party's curriculum, academic requirements and final assessment rules. SIIL credits courses completed at ZKITU where they match the curriculum and academic requirements of the program.
After successfully meeting all requirements, the student receives two different diplomas: one from the Swiss institute SIIL and one from West Kazakhstan Innovative Technological University.
This is not a dual degree, but parallel study with the option of receiving two independent education documents.
The advantage of this track is that it combines two strengths. From SIIL the student receives a Swiss institute diploma, which gives their profile an international dimension and strengthens how employers perceive their qualification. From ZKITU the student receives a diploma from a university operating within Kazakhstan's national higher education system. That matters for later recognition of educational documents in other countries: such procedures often consider whether the institution is recognized and whether the diploma was issued in the country of origin (the home recognition test). This improves the chances of subsequent state recognition under a given country's rules.
What this cooperation model gives students
- receive two separate diplomas;
- study a program at a university operating within Kazakhstan's national higher education system;
- strengthen their educational and professional portfolio by combining a SIIL Swiss diploma with a ZKITU diploma;
- choose a more flexible study route and career path.
For SIIL, the agreement with ZKITU is another step in developing international academic cooperation and expanding educational opportunities for students.
