IITU boosts academic excellence and employability through Coursera-powered digital transformation
- Industry:
Higher Education
- Location:
Kazakhstan
- Size:
6,000+ Learners
- Topics:
Skill Development, Educational Outcomes
OVERVIEW
International Information Technology University (IITU) educates future leaders for global roles in technical disciplines, such as STEM and IT. Founded in 2009, IITU combines traditional, student-centered values with rigorous curricula. Partnering with Coursera during the COVID-19 pandemic made IITU the first university in Kazakhstan to implement such a large-scale integration, expanding over the years to empower over 6,000 students with industry-relevant skills and provide faculty with professional development opportunities.Coursera’s integration has improved engagement, reduced faculty content development time by 30%, and enhanced student employability through access to credentials in AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics.
THE CHALLENGE:
Preparing for a digital future, IITU aimed to equip their students for success in technical disciplines at scale. The main challenge was to be modern and innovative without compromising their reputation for academic excellence. IITU also sought to offer in-demand courses to be taught in English, providing global experiences and learning from world-class universities.
IITU chose to partner with Coursera, as developing online classes that address these needs required considerable time, effort, and resources. Additionally, IITU wanted to upskill their faculty in the latest tech and generative AI (GenAI) trends, enabling them to add AI and innovations to their teaching toolkit.
THE SOLUTION:
To successfully launch the program, IITU worked with Coursera to map specific courses into its curriculum based on course size, complexity, and duration—creating customized learning pathways that matched traditional courses. Next, IITU and Coursera planned workshops for faculty onboarding, academic integration, and assessment strategies. Promotional activities, including webinars and social media updates, generated so much excitement that over 80% of eligible learners began using Coursera within the first month.
As part of the new program’s integration, faculty members embedded Coursera courses directly into their syllabi, recommending relevant content during lectures. To encourage platform adoption, IITU launched internal awareness campaigns, held orientation sessions, and provided academic support for learners. The university regularly tracked progress, celebrating top-performing students with recognition and certificates.
IITU also leveraged AI-powered tools like Course Builder to streamline content creation and offer personalized support—reallocating physical lecture halls for practical labs—thus improving educational quality.
AZHARKHAN AJIBAYEVA
Head of Educational and Methodological Department, IITU
“Coursera enabled our students to learn from the world’s top universities and companies, helping us align our curriculum with global standards and increase student satisfaction. The flexibility and scalability of Coursera for Campus allowed us to integrate international content easily, while its responsive support team helped us resolve technical or administrative queries quickly and effectively.”
AKKYZ MUSTAFINA
Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at IITU
“Institutions like ours are called on to adapt to the modern age while adhering to quality learning standards associated with traditional universities. With Coursera, we maintain our academic rigor as we expand to virtual learning.”
THE RESULTS:
Over 6,000 IITU students have benefited from the Coursera platform, completing 86,376 courses from 98,998 enrollments—an outstanding 87% completion rate. A recent survey revealed impressive impacts:
60% used the platform to gain proficiency in new technological areas
75% reported that Coursera’s courses significantly contributed to their academic success
90% indicated their skill sets had been enhanced, leading to increased career opportunities
Highly satisfied learners (9/10 ratings) attribute their course selection to industry relevance (45%) and practical application (30%). This comprehensive training approach empowers students to excel academically and professionally.
Integrating Coursera into the IITU curriculum has increased student engagement and completion rates, offering global learning experiences and access to industry-recognized credentials in AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics.
IITU is among Kazakhstan’s forward-thinking universities offering Coursera to empower their instructors in digital pedagogy, emerging technology, and AI and GenAI innovations in teaching. This includes using Coursera Course Builder, which has enabled faculty members to quickly create 12 courses, some of which are integrated into the curriculum. IITU has achieved a 30% reduction in faculty content development time using Course Builder.
This contemporary approach to higher education ensures that IITU students are well-prepared for real-world challenges while fostering an innovative learning environment. It also ensures that teaching staff have up-to-date knowledge and insights into rapidly developing technologies, which they can pass on to students through a highly relevant tech curriculum adapted to IITU’s needs.
Impact Snapshot
6000+
learners, students and teachers, have developed new tech and AI skills
9 / 10
is the overall satisfaction rate for Coursera’s platform at IITU
Significant increase
in internship readiness and job placements