Laura Paluanova is a higher education and internationalization professional with more than 15 years of experience spanning university leadership, international education, student recruitment, scholarship programmes, and higher education policy. She currently serves as Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office in Kazakhstan, where she leads initiatives to strengthen participation in Erasmus+ international cooperation programmes, supports higher education institutions and stakeholders, and works closely with national authorities and European partners to advance the impact of international projects in Kazakhstan.
Previously, Laura held a range of leadership and management positions at Nazarbayev University, culminating in her role as Head of the Recruitment Unit and Office of Enrollment Management. Her responsibilities included strategic planning, team leadership, institutional recruitment and enrollment strategy, stakeholder engagement, budget oversight, and the delivery of large-scale national and international outreach initiatives.
Earlier in her career, Laura worked with IREX on international exchange and scholarship programmes. Across these roles, she has developed extensive expertise in building institutional partnerships, managing international programmes, engaging diverse stakeholders, and advancing opportunities for students and higher education institutions.
Laura holds an M.A. in Education Policy and Practice from the University of Sheffield, UK. Her professional and academic interests include internationalization of higher education, global engagement, student mobility, education policy, and institutional development.