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Balaji Srinivasan’s Network School has signed a five-year cooperation agreement with Kazakhstan to establish a campus after Johor authorities revoked the operator’s business and advertising licenses in Malaysia.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development said the planned campus will support artificial intelligence education, research, technology entrepreneurship, and international talent programs. A location and opening date have not been announced.
Five-Year Agreement Targets AI Talent and Startups
Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Development Minister Zhaslan Madiyev signed the memorandum with Srinivasan, a former Coinbase chief technology officer and founder of Network School.
The agreement includes support for startups, scientific collaboration, and the recruitment of engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors. The parties also plan conferences, forums, and hackathons, and will explore hosting the Network State Conference in Kazakhstan during 2026.
Srinivasan said the new campus would offer expedited visas, easier company redomiciliation and active talent recruitment. The memorandum creates a cooperation framework, but those benefits will require implementation through Kazakhstan’s immigration, corporate, and regulatory systems.
Johor Revoked Network School Licenses Effective July 22
The Kazakhstan announcement followed the Iskandar Puteri City Council’s decision to revoke the business and advertising licenses of NSO Malaysia, the company operating Network School in Johor’s Forest City.
The council ordered the company to stop operating from July 22 after inspections found breaches involving license conditions, premises use, and advertising signs. Malaysia’s digital economy agency also began steps to revoke the operator’s Malaysia Digital status.
The enforcement action followed political scrutiny over online allegations that the community had helped Israeli nationals enter Malaysia using other passports. Malaysia’s Immigration Department inspected 266 foreign residents and said they held valid travel documents, but Johor authorities continued reviewing licensing compliance.
Malaysia Expansion Plan Had Reached 500M Ringgit
Network School opened in Forest City in 2024 as a co-living and working community for founders, remote workers, and digital nomads. Srinivasan had said the project invested more than 100 million ringgit in Malaysia.
He also said a further 500 million ringgit expansion plans had been placed on hold during the dispute. Those figures show the scale of the Malaysian plan, but they do not confirm that the Kazakhstan agreement replaces every part of the Forest City project.
Kazakhstan Campus Still Needs a Site and Permits
The Kazakhstan agreement establishes a planned campus rather than confirming that all Malaysian members, staff, or operations will relocate. Network School must still secure a site, operating permissions, and an opening timetable.
The next confirmed step is converting the five-year memorandum into detailed campus, visa, and program arrangements with Kazakhstan’s government.
