More than 2,000 prospective students attend events in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Busan Study Fair in Almaty [Provided by Busan city government]
Busan Study Fair in Almaty [Provided by Busan city government]

Busan city government announced Friday that its "2026 Central Asia Busan Study Fair" concluded successfully, with events held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from May 27 through June 3.

The fair is a flagship component of the city's "Study Busan 30K Project," launched under the vision of positioning Busan as a premier destination for international students and a global hub city. The project sets three targets to be achieved by 2028: attracting 30,000 foreign students, raising the share of science and engineering students to 30 percent, and achieving a 40 percent conversion rate to employment and job-seeking visas. The city chose Central Asia as a venue given the region's steadily growing demand for overseas study.

Eleven Busan universities took part in the events — 10 institutions at the Almaty fair on May 29, and nine at the Bishkek fair on June 2. More than 2,000 prospective students and parents attended across both venues, showing strong interest in studying in Busan.

The city used the fairs to promote its student support policies centered on the Study Busan Hub, which opened in February, while also highlighting Busan's strengths — stable living conditions, a high-quality natural environment and cultural infrastructure — as part of a broader city-branding effort.

To build a recruitment network across Central Asia, the city held local roundtables in both cities. Principals from 13 schools in Almaty and 15 in Bishkek attended and discussed cooperation plans with Busan and regional universities, including regular online study fairs and invitation programs to Busan.

"Through the Central Asia study fair, we confirmed strong local interest in Busan's global education infrastructure and the city's overall appeal," said Kim Gwi-ok, the city's director general for youth and industry-academia affairs. "We will continue to expand our overseas networking so that talented foreign students can come to Busan and grow as members of our community."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com