Almaty Management University (, AlmaU) is a higher educational institution in Almaty, Kazakhstan, providing preparation of specialists of economic fields under bachelor's degree programs, MBA (Master of Business Administration) and DBA (Doctor of Business Administration).
ALMA is one of the first business higher schools in Kazakhstan — the University was organized in 1988 as Alma-Ata School of Managers, in 1996, it became the International Academy of Business. In 2014, it adopted its current name.
History
Almaty School of Management In the autumn of 1988, the Alma-Ata City Executive Committee initiated creation of "Union" Republican Cooperative Association, Leonid Solomin was invited to be head of the association. Together with Bazhangali Kozhshibayev, he decided to create the first business school in Kazakhstan. On December 12, 1988, the Alma-Ata School of Managers (ASM) has been organized in Alma-Ata on the basis of "Union" Republican Cooperative Association, its first listeners were engaged in assembly hall of the Soviet district committee of the Communist party exactly during a month. During the first period of existence of the school education was conducted in the form of short-term courses which were listened to by the top and medium-level managers, people with higher education.
In October 1989 Asylbek Kozhakhmetov who was working in the school as the teacher of computer science became the director of ASM. In 1990 the staff of ASM has taken part in the organization of Association of Schools of International Business, the director of ASM Asylbek Kozhakhmetov became a member of its council, assembly of institutes, schools of preparation of entrepreneurs of the CIS.
In 1992 the staff of the school began doing steps to create a Master of Business Administration program and project on realization of programs for administrative personnel, ASM was the first institution in Kazakhstan proposing MBA on the educational market of the country.
In 1994 the Ministry of Economy of Kazakhstan announced a tender for the project on consultation of the enterprises, financed by the World Bank. Five of six western organizations participating in the tender (the European Foundation for Management Development, École de management de Lyon, the Maastricht School of Management and others) named ASM as the most preferable partner. In 1995 the educational institution has been renamed into Almaty School of Management (ASM).
In October 1995, the competence, reliability and actual success of the Almaty School of Management was highly appreciated by the People to People International, which awarded the “Torch of Birmingham” for successful economic survival and development under conditions of the emerging market relations.
In 1996 ASM organized the international conference «Management of human resources: strategy and practice» with participation of more than 100 delegates from 15 countries, the Minister of Economy Umirzak Shukeyev, an adviser of the President of Kazakhstan for economic issues Altay Tleuberdin, the first secretary of representation of the European Union in Kazakhstan Onno Simons, the representative of the United Nations in Kazakhstan Nigel Ringrose and others.
Transformation to IAB On November 14, 1996, according to the Order of Government of Republic of Kazakhstan #1387 Almaty School of Management has been transformed to the International Academy of Business (IAB). The first intake of to evening program of MBA with corporate management specialization has been carried out the same year.
In 1998, the International Development Association of the World Bank chose the Academy as a partner in realization of the program of creation of research base for working out of 1998–2001 economic policy in the countries of Central Asia.
In 1999, the Almaty School of Management had an agreement with the Canadian McGill University about start of joint program of preparation of financiers under the name "Professional Financial Diploma". At the same year an agreement of cooperation with the HEC Paris (France) has been signed with support of embassy of France in Kazakhstan and the first intake to the program «Master of Professional Management» was done.
On January 14, 2000, official opening of the International Academy of Business in a new building (the corner of Abay Avenue and Bayzakov Street in Almaty) took place with participation of the President of Association of Financiers of Kazakhstan, the Chairman of the Council of Trustees of IAB Daulet Sembayev, the Vice-Mayor of Almaty Kozy-Korpesh Janburchin, diplomats and businessmen. At the time of opening IAB included eight institutions providing economic education: Almaty School of Management, Almaty Center of Bank Education, educational center of network and telecommunication technologies «CISKO», Institute of Managers McGill — ASM, Institute of Economy and Finance, Kazakhstan Institute of Marketing and Management, business class, program «Begin and improve your business».
In July 2000, IAB has received a grant from Philip Morris Kazakhstan JSC for purchase of computers.
In 2000, the Academy started the program of the higher professional education.
In 2002, IAB as a pilot high school participated in public accreditation passing by criteria of European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) initiated by the Central Asian Foundation for Management Development (CAMAN). From 65 high schools from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan applied for accreditation, only four educational institutions including IAB were able to pass it successfully.
According to the results of 2002, the Academy became the winner of “With Overall Quality to the 21st century” competition of the Republican Quality Association in the category “Education” for the best management system.
In 2003, the International Executive MBA (IE MBA) program was developed in cooperation with HEC Paris and Louvain School of Management (Belgium). This program became a development of the one-year program «Master of Professional Management» operating from 1999.
In 2003, the representative office of the International Academy of Business was opened in Astana for realization of MBA programs, organization of corporate seminars, trainings and consulting services.
In July 2003, the Kazakhstan-European Center of Strategic Management of Universities was created on a basis of IAB, the founders of the center were the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan, the European Foundation for Management Development, Association of High Schools of Kazakhstan, Association of Institutions of Professional Education of Kazakhstan, the Central Asian Foundation for Management Development (CAMAN).
The same year in Kazakhstan business schools rating under МВА programs conducted by the National Business magazine the International Academy of Business has won the first-place outstripping KIMEP and UIB.
Recent history
In 2009 the president-rector of MAB Asylbek Kozhakhmetov initiated the program «Support of rural schools by high schools»; according to the initiative it was offered to each of 144 Kazakhstan high schools to look after one of 200 rural districts of the country. IAB within the framework of the program has been incurring support of educational institutions of Aiyrtau District of North Kazakhstan Province. Within the framework of the program teachers of Aiyrtau District schools are gratuitously invited to Almaty for improvement of professional skill during spring and autumn school vacations.
Since 2009 within the framework of republican competition "ZachOT" founded by the International Academy of Business more than 20 Kazakhstan journalists and mass-media are annually awarded for the best illumination of vital topics in sphere of Kazakhstan education.
In autumn of 2009 teachers of IAB published the book «Business Express Course» within the framework of the project "Business Adviser" — gratuitous methodical support of individual entrepreneurs in village areas organized by Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund.
Since June 2010 IAB holds the international summer session Business Education Teachers Academy (BETA-2010) directed on development of professional skills and personal growth of teachers of Kazakhstan and foreign high schools.
Since 2010, IAB has organises the Ulytau cultural-linguistic camp — a project for the studying of the Kazakh language through immersion in the language and cultural environment. In the summer of 2010, the first participants of camp-aul numberes 83 persons — heads and experts from the national companies participating in the National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna". In 2011 60 participants passed "immersing" in Ulytau camp.
In 2010 the International Academy of Business has opened representative office in the West Kazakhstan region (Atyrau).
Since autumn of 2011 the Academy became the first private high school in Kazakhstan technically ready to accept students and listeners with the limited possibilities (with infringement of the musculoskeletal system and visual system); toilets, wheelchair ramps and special lift were equipped for this purpose.
In 2014, the International Academy of Business changed its name to Almaty Management University, with ALMA University used as a shortened form of the new name.International Association for Management Development in Dynamic Societies. B has obtained the UNIVERSITY status! Viewed April 2, 2015.
Academics Almaty Management University uses the model for continuous educational process which includes: College of IAB Bachelor's degree Master's degree Master of Business Administration (MBA) Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Distance education Short-term training and retraining
College of IAB was created in 2009 and prepares specialists for seven specialties of technical and economic education: economics, marketing, management, accounting and audit, finance, information systems, assessment.
Higher Professional Education Department of Almaty Management University prepares bachelors in the following specialties: Economics, Management, Marketing, Accounting and Audit, Finance, Information Systems, Regional Studies, Restaurant and Hotel Management, Business Analytics and Big Data, Jurisprudence, State and Local Administration, Public Relations, Logistics.
Master's degree programs: Management, Marketing, Finance, Business Analytics and Big Data, Jurisprudence, Informatics (in pedagogy).
Doctoral (PhD) programs: Management, Marketing, Finance, Business Administration.
Master of Business Administration Department of the Almaty Management University provides educational services according to the following MBA programs: Kazakhstan MBA program «Common Management»; Kazakhstan MBA program «Innovation-technological management» (with the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore); «Common and strategic management» with the Maastricht School of Management (Netherlands), in framework of the program 2 weeks module in Maastricht is provided; «Master of Economics and Business» with EADA Business School (Spain), 2-week module in Barcelona is provided.
There are plans of development of new joint MBA programs with leading business schools of the European Union and ASEAN.
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program in IAB is maximally individualized and allows listeners to create variants of studying programs consisted from various modules of basic and special courses. Education includes auditorium work in groups and independent work under direction of a supervisor of studies, and also individual work of listeners of the program without direct participation of a teacher on chosen educational and research trajectory. The DBA programs are joint products of IAB and the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Service under the President of Russia and Maastricht School of Management.
Student life