REGIONAL TRAJECTORIES OF YOUTH INTELLECTUAL MIGRATION IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

This study examines the spatial redistribution of youth human capital in Kazakhstan by applying the conceptual framework of “intellectual hubs–gateways–peripheries” to regional data for 2020–2024. Using official statistics, the study analyzes internal and international migration among young people aged 14–34, with migration intensity standardized per 1,000 of the region’s average annual youth population, alongside the territorial concentration of higher education. The findings indicate that youth mobility is driven predominantly by internal migration. Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent emerge as the country’s main intellectual hubs, accounting for 60.3% of the national student population. Mangystau Region is the only region with positive net migration in both international and internal youth migration. Several northern and eastern regions constitute a pronounced intellectual periphery. The study demonstrates that assessing regional human capital loss solely through international migration is insufficient and proposes a comprehensive typology incorporating internal mobility, international migration, and the spatial concentration of higher education.