In 1960 Mr. Nursultan Abishevich finished Vocational School No.22 in Dneprodzerzhinsk.
In 1967 he graduated from the Higher Technical Educational Institution at the Karaganda Metallurgical Concern.
He started his career in 1960 as a worker of the construction management of the Kazmetallurgstroy Trust in Temirtau, Karaganda region. Then he worked as a pig caster of filling machines, a blast furnace keeper at the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant.
In 1965-1969 – he worked again at the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant (since 1966 – Concern): a dispatcher, a gas watcher, a senior gas watcher of the blast furnace department.
In 1969-1973 – he worked at the party, the Komsomol job in Temirtau, Karaganda region
In 1973-1978 – Secretary of the Party Committee of the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant.
In 1978-1979 – Secretary, the Second Secretary of the Karaganda Regional Party Committee.
Since 1979-1984 – Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan.
In 1984-1989 – Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR.
In 1989-1991 – the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan.
From July 14, 1990 to August 23, 1991 – Member of the Political Bureau of the CPSU Central Committee. Member of the Central Audit Commission of the CPSU (1981-1986).
Member of the CPSU Central Committee (1986-1991). People's Deputy of the USSR from 1989 to January 1992.
In February-April 1990 – simultaneously the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR.
Since April 1990 – the President of the Kazakh SSR. Since December 1991 N.A. Nazarbayev became the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
On June 15, 2010 Nazarbayev officially assigned the status of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – the Leader of the Nation, in accordance with the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Constitutional Laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Improving Legislation in the Sphere of Ensuring the Activities of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Leader of the Nation".