KBTU was established in 2002. The institution’s mandate is to focus on educating, training, and producing highly skilled professionals who, upon graduation, will possess practical skills and cutting-edge knowledge in the fields of oil and gas, petro chemistry, and polymer processing – skills which are crucial in order to fully exploit the most promising sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy (oil and gas and modern information technologies).

The idea to establish KBTU belongs to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev.  KBTU has two main Patrons: British Prime Minister Tony Blair and RK President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Some of the best teaching staff at KBTU is from the UK, the USA, Russia, the Netherlands, and Turkey. KBTU conforms to international standards in education and science and meets the requirements of the modern labour market. In addition to exceptional academic programmes, KBTU students are engaged in internships in major companies such as KazMunaiGas, TCO, KazTransOil, Karachaganak Petroleum Operating, and Agip KCO.

The British Embassy to Kazakhstan is a major partner of KBTU, with the British Council as its main representative. Consultation services are provided by the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University – both located in Aberdeen, the "oil capital" of the UK; Heriot-Watt University (Edinburgh); and the University of Westminster (London). All these universities offer advanced training courses in Oil and Gas and in Business Administration. Moreover, they are world leaders in the education market for the oil-and-gas industry.

The mission of KBTU is to produce highly qualified specialists to be the leaders in the priority sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy. Recognized by British higher education, KBTU plays a leadership role in Kazakhstani post-secondary education through its academic programmes and applied research. The KBTU mission is best captured by the slogan: “A truly higher education!”