Kyrgyz National University

On October 25, 1925, it was decided to open the Institute of Education. Its purpose was training the local population to be schoolteachers. In 1928, by the decision of the government of the Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic, the Institute of Education was transformed into the Kirghiz Central Pedagogical Technical School. In August 1929, the institution added new buildings and equipment, as well as invited specialists and teachers from other Soviet republics. On 13 January 1932, by the decision of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, it was transformed into the Kyrgyz State Pedagogical Institute, named after Mikhail Frunze. There were 4 faculties in the institute: physics and mathematics, biology, literature and the faculty of social sciences. The first academic year began on October 3, 1933.

On 1 September 1939, the Kyrgyz Medical Academy was established with the recruitment of 200 students. On 21 May 1951, it was transformed into the Kyrgyz State University, with the following faculties: philology, biology, physics, mathematics, history, geology and geodesy. In the decree adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Kyrgyz SSR, the Kyrgyz State University belonged to higher educational institutions of the first category.

On December 11, 1972 it was renamed as the Kyrgyz State University on the 50th anniversary of the USSR. In 1982, the university was awarded the Soviet Union's Order of the Red Banner of Labor. On 11 August 1993, it was transformed into the Kyrgyz State National University (KGNU). By decree of President Askar Akayev on 11 May 2002, it was renamed after Yusuf Balasaghuni (Kyrgyz: Жусуп Баласагын).