Year of foundation: 1988
Approx. number of students: 3,200
Period of study: Early September-End December; Mid January-End May
MCI partner since: 2013
The City
Almaty is the largest city (with 1.5 million people) in Kazakhstan, and was the country's capital until 1997. Despite losing its status as the capital to Astana, Almaty remains the major commercial and cultural centre of Kazakhstan, also with the biggest population. The city is located in the mountainous area of southern Kazakhstan, near the border of Kyrgyzstan.
Almaty generates approximately 20 per cent of Kazakhstan's GDP (or $36 billion in 2010); Almaty is a key financial centre in Central Asia.
One of the largest industries in Almaty is finance, and its financial exports make it a large contributor to Kazakhstan's balance of payments. Almaty is home to BTA Bank, which is the largest bank in Central Asia, Kazkommertsbank and other major banks. The Kazakhstan Stock Exchange is based in Almaty.
The University
International Academy of Business (IAB) is a higher educational institution in Almaty providing preparation of specialists of economic fields under bachelor's degree programs, MBA (Master of Business Administration) and DBA (Doctor of Business Administration).
IAB is one the first business higher schools in Kazakhstan — the Academy has been organized in 1988 as Alma-Ata School of Managers, in 1996 it has been transformed into the International Academy of Business. 