PETALING JAYA: Network School will be setting up shop in Kazakhstan, with the announcement made a day after it was ordered to stop operations in Forest City, Johor.
In a post on X on Wednesday (July 22), its founder Balaji Srinivasan said they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kazakhstan to set up a new campus.
He said this would serve as a hub for global technology talent, offering faster visa processing, relocation support and talent recruitment.
"I am pleased to announce that a memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Republic of Kazakhstan and Network School.
"Our new campus will be a haven for the global technology-optimist community," he said.
Kazakhstan news portal El.kz reported on Wednesday that the MOU between Network School and the country's Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, signed by Srinivasan and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev.
The campus will offer artificial intelligence (AI) education programmes, conduct research, support technology start-ups and host international programmes for researchers.
It said the partnership aims to attract engineers, entrepreneurs, researchers and investors to Kazakhstan while strengthening the country's AI ecosystem.
The five-year agreement will also see both parties organise international conferences, forums and hackathons and explore the possibility of hosting a Network State Conference in Kazakhstan in 2026.
In an Instagram post, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry said the collaboration would also focus on joint research, AI education and attracting technology companies and foreign investment.
The announcement came after the Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) revoked the business licence of NSO Malaysia Sdn Bhd, which operated Network School in Forest City and ordered it to cease all activities effective Tuesday.
The Johor government said the decision followed a special full council meeting after the company was found to have breached several licensing conditions, including operating without a valid licence.
Network School had also come under scrutiny after the Johor government raised concerns over allegations that Israeli nationals had joined the programme in Forest City using passports issued by other countries.
