We are networkers,

Representatives of the country,

We boldly move forward, full of strength and

energy,

We will preserve our friendship,

We will unite our knowledge and labor,

May it always be bright,

The star of the Commonwealth.

(Chorus from the Network University Anthem, written in 2011 by its first graduates)

The history of the Network University dates back to the Russian side’s proposal in 2008 and the preparation of the necessary documentation, with the support of the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS Member States.

The goals of the Consortium of Educational Institutions are to further develop humanitarian cooperation within the Commonwealth, enhance academic and scientific mobility, and expand inter-university ties and faculty exchanges within the CIS.

On June 11, 2009, the Agreement on the Consortium for the Creation of the Network University of the Commonwealth of Independent States was signed in Moscow. On May 29, 2020, the Council of the CIS Heads of Government signed the Agreement on the Establishment and Operation of the Network University of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Addressing the participants of the Coordinating Council meeting of the Network University of the Commonwealth of Independent States on June 25, 2026, CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev described the Network University as a successful, innovative form of inter-university cooperation.

According to the Secretary General, over the 17 years of its operation, the Network University has acquired the status of a landmark humanitarian project of the Commonwealth. Its educational platform has trained a new generation of highly qualified and motivated specialists participating in the development of the socio-economic spheres of these states.

Currently, the Network University of the Commonwealth of Independent States comprises 48 leading universities from seven CIS countries: the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Tajikistan. In 2025 Astana IT University joined the CIS Network University. Astana IT University is a leader in innovative, continuous IT education and science with strong academic traditions and high social responsibility in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Since 2010, approximately 1,500 master’s students have received a modern, high-quality education within the Network University at universities in the CIS member states. Overall, training is provided in 37 master’s programs in technical and humanities fields.

Prospects for the further development of the Network University are being actively discussed within the relevant CIS institutions. These prospects will be presented in a condensed form in the Long-Term Development Plan for the CIS Network University until 2030. The development of the Network University will also be an agenda item for the first Forum of Higher Education Teachers of the CIS Member States, scheduled for the second half of 2026. This Forum aims to become a new format for cooperation and professional interaction in the scientific and educational spheres of the Commonwealth.

All the information provided via the links is in Russian.