In the multi-billion dollar international education consulting industry, a fundamental conflict of interest has long gone unchallenged. The established giants—companies that connect students with universities abroad—typically earn their revenue through commission-based partnerships with institutions. This model, while profitable, often prioritizes placements that benefit the consultant rather than maximizing student potential.
Meanwhile, a staggering $100 million in scholarship funds from international universities goes unclaimed annually. UNESCO data reveals a stark disparity: only 2.6% of students from low-income countries access international higher education, compared to over 15% from high-income nations. The barrier isn’t just financial—it’s informational. Millions of talented students worldwide simply don’t know that fully-funded education at elite institutions is within reach.
This is the crisis that Azhar Askarbekova has dedicated her career to solving. As founder of CraneCult, Askarbekova has pioneered a radically different approach to educational consulting that directly challenges industry norms.
Unlike traditional consultancies, Askarbekova’s business model wasn’t conceived in a corporate boardroom. It emerged from her personal journey growing up in Oskemen, Kazakhstan—a small town far removed from global academic centers. With no money, connections, or role models who had studied abroad, she faced the exact information poverty her company now fights against.
Through determination and countless nights of research, Askarbekova developed her own application strategy from scratch. By age 18, she had secured full scholarships to multiple top U.S. universities. This success prompted a crucial question that would shape her future: “What about the kids who don’t know they can even try?”
This question led to the creation of CraneCult’s innovative approach to educational consulting. The company intentionally operates without university partnerships or commission arrangements—a radical departure from industry standards.
“Most competitors operate on a commission-based model,” Azhar explains. “This means that even when a student has the potential for a full scholarship to a world-class U.S. or UK university, they are often steered toward a fee-based program in another country simply because it secures a financial kickback for the consultant. We were built to reject that model entirely.”
By maintaining complete independence, the consultancy provides unbiased guidance focused exclusively on students’ best interests. Their specialties include identifying full scholarships at prestigious institutions, creating personalized application strategies, and providing culturally-relevant coaching for underrepresented students.
This approach has enabled Azhar to develop what she terms “educational mobility strategy”—a systematized, tech-enabled framework combining scholarship literacy, academic positioning, and cultural strategy. The results speak for themselves: her methodology has helped over 20,000 students from more than 40 countries secure more than $150 million in fully funded scholarships to elite institutions including Stanford, Yale, Columbia, and UC Berkeley.
Askarbekova has emerged as a recognized thought leader in educational access. She regularly speaks at international education events, including NAFSA and the British Council’s Equity & Access Roundtable. Her work has been featured in publications like The PIE News and Forbes Kazakhstan, and she serves in advisory roles for organizations promoting educational access.
Her impact has drawn praise from high-level figures. An official from the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan stated: “Azhar Askarbekova’s approach is transformative. Her organization is not just increasing access—it’s rewriting the rules of who gets to succeed globally.”
Similarly, a representative from the Global Education Futures Initiative noted: “What Azhar has built is one of the most effective scholarship navigation systems we’ve seen. Her impact is already measurable at scale, and the potential is massive.”
Askarbekova herself describes her mission in terms of long-term impact: “My work sits at the intersection of equity, strategy, and long-term mobility. We’re not just helping students get in — we’re changing their trajectory, from high school to global citizenship.”
By transforming her methods into a scalable digital platform, Askarbekova aims to expand from helping hundreds of students to tens of thousands. Her educational consulting framework represents more than a business innovation—it’s a blueprint for unlocking potential in students who might otherwise never have the opportunity to access world-class education.
In an industry dominated by commission-driven giants, Askarbekova’s story demonstrates how one person who started with nothing can create a model that prioritizes student potential over profit, potentially changing the landscape of international education consulting in the process.
