Abstract
Achieving academic excellence is essential for enhancing education quality, research impact, and institutional competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global landscape. This study examines how academic excellence is understood and implemented in Kazakhstan’s higher education system, as the country launches national Academic Excellence Initiatives (AEIs). Based on 28 semi-structured expert interviews analysed using Atlas.ti, the study investigates stakeholder perceptions, enabling and constraining factors, and practical implementation strategies. Findings show that excellence is understood in broad terms – centred on talent, institutional development, and social impact – rather than narrowly defined by rankings. While some challenges reflect global trends, such as resource limitations and governance constraints, others – like regional disparities and legacy structures – are context-specific. Experts highlighted the importance of long-term funding, inclusive decision-making, and a stronger focus on human capital, with particular attention to the needs of regional universities facing structural disadvantages. The study offers timely insights for policymakers and contributes to debates on excellence in post-Soviet and developing countries. Conceptually, it extends the literature by applying the World-Class University, institutional isomorphism, and Triple Helix frameworks to explain tensions between global visibility and national relevance. It calls for context-sensitive, differentiated approaches that balance global ambitions with national priorities and institutional diversity in higher education reform.