Abstract
This article discusses the role of the Kazakh language in Kazakhstan's higher education system amid institutional reforms, including changes in university admissions, unified national testing (UNT), internationalization, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). Despite its constitutional status, the Kazakh language's functional role in academic communication remains uneven. The study uses a policy-oriented approach, relying on legislative documents, national statistics, sociological research, and international research on higher education reform and AI in education. It pays particular attention to the interaction between perception mechanisms, language selection in standardized testing, and Kazakhstan's multilingual context. The analysis shows that admission and assessment reforms can change language incentives. Internationalization and English- and Russian-language programs create contradictions between global competitiveness and national language policy. The article examines AI as both a threat and an opportunity. AI can support academic writing and inclusive language teaching in Kazakh, but reliance on English-oriented AI models and limited Kazakh datasets can strengthen the existing language hierarchy. The article concludes that the future role of the Kazakh language depends on language policy, perception reform, and digital transformation strategies. Strategic integration of AI tools and academic language development can strengthen the Kazakh language in higher education and research.