The National Defence University named after the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasi (Kazakh: Қазақстан Республикасы Тұңғыш Президенті атындағы Ұлттық қорғаныс университеті - Елбасы, Qazaqstan Respýblıkasy Tuńǵysh Prezıdenti atyndaǵy Ulttyq qorǵanys ýnıversıteti - Elbasy; Russian: Национальный университет обороны имени Первого Президента Республике Казахстан — Лидера Нации) also known commonly as the National Defence University is a higher military educational institution for the training of senior officers in Kazakhstan's Armed Forces. It enrolls state officials, executive authorities, and officers of foreign armies. The main tasks of the NDU are to train officers to become professionals in the armed forces. It is currently led by the former head of the Kazakh artillery forces, Major General Lut Alchekenov.

On February 11, 1997, the government issued an order to establish the Military Academy of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan on the basis of the Alma-Ata Higher All-Arms Command School and was based in Shchuchinsk. In June of that same year, the regulations of the academy, as well as its tasks were issued. On August 21, 2003, by decree of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Military Academy of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan was transformed National Defense University. In early 2014, the university was relocated from Shchuchinsk to the capital of Astana. On July 3, 2014, the NDU was named after the first and current President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev and on April 15, 2015, the NDU joined the Association of European Universities.

On November 30, 2005, the Collective Security Treaty Organization included the university in its list of educational institutions for joint training of military personnel of the CSTO. As of 2018, students from Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and Tajikistan are studying at the NDU.

Training in the NDU is carried out in 4 faculties:

• Faculty of the General Staff of the Armed Forces
  • Department of Military and Public Administration
  • Department of Strategy
  • Department of Military and Public Administration
  • Department of Operational Art
  • Department of Command

• Faculty of Management
  • Department of Operational and Tactical Training
  • Department of Command and Control of Troops
  • Department of Missile Forces and Artillery
  • Department of Air Defense Forces
  • Department of Material and Technical Support
  • Department of Physical Training and Sports

• Faculty of the National Guard
  • Department of Operational and Tactical Training

• Faculty of Advanced Training
  • Academic Courses
  • Courses for officers of Regional Commands;
  • Courses for Brigade Commanders
  • Courses for Battalion Commanders
  • Foreign Language Courses

• Colonel General Saken Zhasuzakov (7 August 2018 – 7 August 2019)
• Lieutenant General Sultan Kamaletdinov (18 October 2019 – March 2020)
• Major General Lut Alchekenov (since March 2020)

• Major General Kanysh Abubakirov, Commander of the Kazakh Airmobile Forces
• Kaidar Karakulov
• Murat Bektanov, Chief of the General Staff

• Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan
• Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Military Institute of the Kazakh Ground Forces
• Astana Zhas Ulan Republican School

• Official website

51°4′40.9″N 71°23′30.5″E / 51.078028°N 71.391806°E / 51.078028; 71.391806