Comparative and International Higher Education Policy Specialist; Focus on Central Asia
A swathe of regulations, rankings, mergers, acquistions, and threats of closure for poor quality universities typify the Kazakh government's drive in recent years to increase and assure quality in its higher education system. The latest target of the quality movement is Innovation University, which had its operating licence removed in late January 2020 after two …
Continue reading Going, going, gone: Kazakhstan’s Innovation University is shut down
In yet another move to distance itself from its communist past, the Kazakh Minister for Education and Science Yerlan Sagadiyev recently announced [ru] that the era of state-issued diplomas (degree certificates) would soon be coming to an end. Announced in parliament when everyone else was distracted (bored to tears?) by the recent Kazakhstani national elections, the announcement means that from …
I welcome the launch of a new bulletin, Higher Education in Russia and Beyond (HERB). Published in English by Moscow-based Higher School of Economics as a supplement to International Higher Education [ru], the bulletin aims to present current Russian, Central Asian and Eastern European educational trends to the international higher education research community. Aside from boasting …
The Kazakh government has decided to take a big step towards greater independence for Kazakh universities by reforming the top layer of institutional governance. 'Oversight councils', also commonly known as Councils or Senates, will be responsible for hiring and firing Rectors (Vice Chancellors/CEOs) and have monitoring oversight for university finance and strategy. (How those councils …
Continue reading Times are changing for university governance in Kazakhstan
A detailed and interesting story from Kazakh news agency Tengri News today, reporting on a recent conference for higher education leaders in the country. There is reportedly a strong move towards offering greater independence to universities in the country on everything from curriculum to revenue streams. I couldn't quite work out from the story why …
Emma Sabzalieva 