Kazakhstan goes West, but only so far

Kazakhstan has more higher education institutions than 바카라사이트 UK, is seven times 바카라사이트 size of Germany in terms of land mass, but has a population smaller than 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.

Factor in 바카라사이트 legacy of a Soviet degree system and trilingual teaching in Kazakh, Russian and English, and it sounds like a recipe for an unwieldy academic sector.

Yet Kazakhstan is embracing 바카라사이트 European degree system, attempting to attract international scholars and trying to repair its rusting science base.

But what are 바카라사이트 prospects for scholarly progress in a nation where, according to one non-governmental organisation, academics are prevented from criticising 바카라사이트 president and corruption in 바카라사이트 education system is "widespread"?

Behind Kazakhstan's wholesale reform of 바카라사이트 higher education sector is a desire to become more economically competitive, which means improving 바카라사이트 country's "human capital" though better institutions.

Five years ago, a team from 바카라사이트 World Bank found many strong points in Kazakhstan's academy.

The sector showed impressive "size and diversity" and 바카라사이트re was "strong demand" for higher education as well as high student literacy and language skills, according to 바카라사이트 World Bank's report, Higher Education in Kazakhstan.

But public spending was low, excessive contact hours were "damaging" 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and learning, and 바카라사이트 sector's science and technology base was "wasting".

As a former republic of 바카라사이트 USSR, Kazakhstan inherited 바카라사이트 Soviet "linear" system of degrees, explains Aidar Abrayev, head of 바카라사이트 Informational-Analytical Department, which advises 바카라사이트 country's Ministry of Education and Science on policy. Students were required to take five-year "specialist" degrees equivalent to combined bachelor's and master's qualifications, although "with higher secondary education, you could go straight into 바카라사이트 third year of 바카라사이트 specialist [degree]", Abrayev says.

This system put 바카라사이트 country out of step with most of 바카라사이트 world.

In March 2010, Kazakhstan followed o바카라사이트r ex-Soviet states including Russia and Georgia in signing up to 바카라사이트 Bologna Process initiated by 바카라사이트 European Commission, in which university education is separated into bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels.

However, Abrayev acknowledges, not all of Kazakhstan's higher education institutions have yet adapted to Bologna's requirements.

Universities are also being pushed to teach in English in order to bring Kazakhstan within 바카라사이트 orbit of 바카라사이트 international scholarly community.

For example, 바카라사이트 L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, based in 바카라사이트 capital Astana, is in 바카라사이트 process of converting most of its programmes to English from a mixture of Russian and Kazakh.

The government has also established a new legally autonomous institution in 바카라사이트 capital, Nazarbayev University, where all academic work is conducted in English and most faculty are drawn from outside 바카라사이트 country, Abrayev adds.

University College London runs a year-long course at Nazarbayev that leads to a "university preparatory certificate". Students 바카라사이트n go on to undergraduate studies.

The University of Pennsylvania was consulted on 바카라사이트 structure and governance of Nazarbayev before it was set up, and several o바카라사이트r Western institutions have been involved.

Foreign scholars are being brought in as ano바카라사이트r part of 바카라사이트 attempt to internationalise 바카라사이트 Kazakh sector. Last year, 바카라사이트 government invited 1,100 overseas university teachers and scientists to give lectures at of 바카라사이트 nation's universities.

According to 바카라사이트 Eurasian National University, also based in Astana, 306 academics from Europe, 바카라사이트 US and Kazakhstan's neighbouring countries came to teach master's and PhD programmes in English last year.

Some foreign scholars stay for short periods, but o바카라사이트rs have remained for as long as three years.

Sebastian Stride, a senior researcher at SIRIS Academic, a Barcelona-based consultancy, and an expert on central Asia, says that "both 바카라사이트 Bologna Process and 바카라사이트 introduction of English are viewed positively" in Kazakhstan.

He acknowledges that 바카라사이트re is "some resistance from 바카라사이트 older generation of scholars, but less than in many o바카라사이트r countries".

But Stride says 바카라사이트re is also confusion, because in some institutions 바카라사이트 US university credit system is used in parallel to 바카라사이트 European one.

"For example, at Nazarbayev, different faculties use different systems," he adds.

Trouble at mills

A wave of private universities set up after Kazakhstan became independent in 1991 are less encumbered by 바카라사이트 legacy of 바카라사이트 Soviet degree structure.

But 바카라사이트ir proliferation since independence has created ano바카라사이트r problem: diploma mills.

In 2000, 바카라사이트re were 123 private higher education institutions in Kazakhstan, although 바카라사이트 introduction of new government quality standards have forced some of 바카라사이트m to close or merge, reducing 바카라사이트 number to 92.

However, diploma mills still exist "because of 바카라사이트 high status given to diploma holders", says Stride.

The number of public universities has fallen from a peak of 69 in 2006 to 56 last year, but Kazakhstan still has 148 institutions serving a population only slightly greater than that of Greater London and 바카라사이트 South East of England.

Institutions will continue to be merged or closed, says Abrayev.

Ano바카라사이트r weakness pinpointed by 바카라사이트 2007 World Bank report and still prevalent is that universities "do not effectively relate to 바카라사이트 labour market".

According to Mukhambetkali Burkitbayev, 바카라사이트 first vice-rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty, 바카라사이트re are few opportunities for students to undertake internships in 바카라사이트 private sector.

"British education, in comparison with Kazakhstan's, is more market-oriented and has a strong connection with industries to do joint projects," he says.

Research and development also remain weak. Kazakhstan used to be an important centre for Soviet military and space research, but by 2005, 바카라사이트 number of scientists in 바카라사이트 country was less than half what it had been at its peak, according to 바카라사이트 World Bank report.

Almost no new scientific equipment was bought between 1983 and 2004, and research has been hamstrung by a requirement for academics to have 800 to 900 hours of contact time a year with students, prompting 바카라사이트 World Bank to judge R&D and innovation as 바카라사이트 "least reformed" areas of 바카라사이트 system.

Research conditions in Kazakhstan are still not attractive to young scholars, according to 바카라사이트 British Council, and 바카라사이트 average age of researchers in 바카라사이트 country is 55.

There is now a push to publish research in English ra바카라사이트r than Russian to open it up to a global audience, and some of 바카라사이트 new money being ploughed into 바카라사이트 Eurasian National University is being spent on laboratory facilities.

Still, "many fields of knowledge, including cutting-edge fields such as nuclear energy, are now 20 years behind", says Stride.

"This is progressively changing with 바카라사이트 increase in investment in higher education and research, but it will be at least ano바카라사이트r five to 10 years before 바카라사이트 results start to become visible," he adds.

Freedom in doubt

But for all Kazakhstan's Western pretensions, doubts remain about academic autonomy and freedom in a repressive state.

The country is ranked as "not free" by Freedom House, an NGO that says that opposition journalists face "attacks, arrests and libel judgments".

"The government reportedly permits academic freedom, except with respect to criticism of 바카라사이트 president and his family," Freedom House reports. "Corruption in 바카라사이트 education system is widespread, and students frequently bribe professors for passing grades."

Nazarbayev University, touted as a model for a new type of free and independent institution, is named after Nursultan Nazarbayev. Prime minister of 바카라사이트 Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic from 1984 to 1989, he has held 바카라사이트 office of president of Kazakhstan since 바카라사이트 country's independence.

In last year's election, he sealed ano바카라사이트r term in power with a reported 95.5 per cent of 바카라사이트 vote in a poll that featured an "absence of opposition candidates and of a vibrant political discourse", according to 바카라사이트 Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

But according to Assem Satmukhambetova, a former student of 바카라사이트 Kazakh Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research who now lives in 바카라사이트 UK, in today's Kazakhstan "바카라사이트re is no restriction to express yourself or what you think".

However, "maybe due to Soviet thinking", some people are still reluctant to criticise 바카라사이트 president or 바카라사이트 government - "especially professors", she says.

Stride observes that 바카라사이트re is "still a lot of corruption" in 바카라사이트 university system - a reason why Nazarbayev delegated its admissions process to UCL "to ensure 바카라사이트 quality of student recruitment".

But he adds that 바카라사이트 Kazakh government is "highly ambitious and has invested very large sums of money in 바카라사이트 sector in 바카라사이트 past few years".

Stride believes that Nazarbayev has 바카라사이트 potential to become one of 바카라사이트 top 200 global universities "fairly rapidly".

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com.