Duke's Fuqua Business School Embraces Kazakh Scholars
Duke University has announced the establishment of the Berik and Bayan Kaniyev Scholarship, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing full tuition funding for one Kazakh citizen each year to pursue a graduate business education at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.
The scholarship, which was made possible through an agreement between Duke University and the Berik and Bayan Kaniyev Foundation, is open to Kazakh citizens who have been admitted to any of Fuqua’s full-time master’s degree programs, including the MBA, Accelerated MBA, Master of Quantitative Management: Business Analytics (MQM), or Master of Management Studies (MMS) programs.
Interested candidates can apply through the standard Fuqua School of Business admissions process, with the scholarship application opening in July 2025 for studies beginning in 2026. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition at Duke Fuqua School of Business.
The Berik and Bayan Kaniyev Scholarship is the first scholarship launched by Duke University in Kazakhstan and the broader region. Berik Kaniyev, a 2005 graduate of Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and a co-founder of the scholarship, hopes it will be a life-changing opportunity for someone else, as Fuqua was for him.
The scholarship is structured as an endowment, meaning that as the fund grows, the number of recipients will also increase. The long-term vision is to expand the number of recipients in future years.
Education has always been at the heart of the Berik and Bayan Kaniyev Foundation's mission. In addition to the scholarship, the foundation has supported various initiatives in Kazakhstan, including one of the country’s first endowment funds for the National School of Physics and Math (Fizmat), the launch of Quantum Schools, and the development of Qazaq Tili, an international cultural platform.
Zere Seraly, director of the Berik and Bayan Kaniyev Foundation, commented that the negotiations with Duke University were open, values-driven, and focused on a shared vision. The foundation aims to build an ecosystem of opportunities, not just fund isolated projects.
The Berik and Bayan Kaniyev Scholarship initiative provides a pathway to Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, which is consistently ranked among the world’s top business schools by various publications, including the Financial Times, Bloomberg Business Week, and Forbes. With over 28,000 graduates, the Fuqua School of Business boasts a distinguished alumni network, including global leaders such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Melinda Gates.
Applications for the scholarship will open in July 2025, with the first recipient beginning studies in 2026. The Berik and Bayan Kaniyev Scholarship is a testament to the commitment of both Duke University and the Berik and Bayan Kaniyev Foundation to supporting the next generation of business leaders in Kazakhstan.
This generous scholarship, designed by the Berik and Bayan Kaniyev Foundation, will empower a Kazakh citizen each year to further their education in finance and business at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. The scholarship's long-term vision, grounded in the belief of education-and-self-development, is to increase the number of recipients as the endowment grows, thus fostering a network of future business leaders.
