Nazarbayev University, established in 2010, is a public, comprehensive research university located in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan in Central Asia. It was founded with the goal of building a world-class research institution for the country. As the first autonomous university in Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev University has carried the mission of setting a leading example for higher education and university reform in the country since its inception. On September 7, 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at Nazarbayev University, where he proposed the initiative to jointly build the “Silk Road Economic Belt,” presenting it as a great undertaking to benefit the people of all countries along the route.