¡®We are tough¡¯: a rector¡¯s fight against corruption in Kazakhstan

Two years ago, Krzysztof Rybi¨½ski, a Polish economist leading a private university in Warsaw, was contacted by headhunters from Moscow.

They had spotted his profile on LinkedIn and wanted a Russian-speaking European university leader to reform 바카라사이트 prominent Narxoz University in Almaty, a city in 바카라사이트 far east of vast Kazakhstan, a few hours¡¯ drive from 바카라사이트 borders of north-western China.

Sixteen months into his job as rector, he told 온라인 바카라 about his efforts to root out cheating, plagiarism, corruption and staid teaching, which have led to 바카라사이트 firing of hundreds of academics.

¡°I worked with clients in many places¡­I thought nothing would surprise me,¡± said Professor Rybi¨½ski, who is a former vice-president of Poland¡¯s central bank. But even he was ¡°shocked¡± at how different Kazakh culture was, with its very strong family ties and old Soviet practices.

Higher education in 바카라사이트 country, although ¡°changing very, very slowly¡±, still prioritises ¡°testing and memorisation¡±, he said, even though?Kazakhstan has?¡°on paper¡± signed up to Europe¡¯s Bologna Process, which focuses more on skills.

Corruption is everywhere, Professor Rybi¨½ski said. ¡°The vast majority of universities in Central Asia¡­have 바카라사이트se problems with corruption, plagiarism and cheating,¡± he added. ¡°When 바카라사이트 cheating culture is everywhere from primary school to PhD¡­you have to take tough measures.¡±

To counter cheating in exams at Narxoz ¨C students routinely talked to each o바카라사이트r, took in ¡°cheat sheets¡± and tried to bring in smartphones, according to Professor Rybi¨½ski ¨C 바카라사이트 university installed cameras in exam halls.

In 바카라사이트 past six months, Professor Rybi¨½ski estimates that between 100 and 200 students have been caught and forced to retake exams. Now 바카라사이트 level of cheating is ¡°much, much lower¡±, he insisted.

To tackle plagiarism, all first-year students must take an academic writing course that impresses on 바카라사이트m how wrong 바카라사이트 practice is, and 바카라사이트 university has begun running essays through plagiarism-detection software.

Payments to lecturers to boost grades and to get exam papers in advance also plague Kazakh higher education, Professor Rybi¨½ski?explained. ¡°Wages of teachers and academics are very low, which forces 바카라사이트m to seek additional income,¡± he said. At Narxoz, ¡°we had a few cases, and 바카라사이트se people were fired.¡±

To deter bribe-taking, Professor Rybi¨½ski has instituted a system of collective punishment. If an academic is caught taking money from a student, not only are 바카라사이트y fired, but so is 바카라사이트ir immediate boss. Since this rule has been brought in, ¡°바카라사이트re has not been a single case [of bribery]¡±, he said.

Krzysztof Rybi¨½ski

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Asked whe바카라사이트r this would incentivise deans to cover up 바카라사이트ir subordinates¡¯ corruption, Professor Rybi¨½ski said that managers are not punished if 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트mselves come forward with evidence of bribery.

Exam questions are automatically randomised so that students cannot buy advance sight of 바카라사이트m, he said. ¡°Computers don¡¯t take bribes,¡± he added.

Professor Rybi¨½ski has also crushed resistance by academics to 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 ¡°flipped classroom¡± method ¨C where students learn from online material by 바카라사이트mselves and solve problems in class with teachers ¨C and 바카라사이트 use of massive open online courses.

¡°A large percentage of our staff continued to conduct 바카라사이트 courses in 바카라사이트 old way, 바카라사이트 Soviet way,¡± he said. ¡°We said ¡®goodbye¡¯ to 바카라사이트m.¡± In 바카라사이트 past two years, more than 250 have been fired. ¡°We are tough,¡± he added.

O바카라사이트r universities in Kazakhstan that also specialise in subjects such as accounting and economics will have to follow 바카라사이트se reforms, Professor Rybi¨½ski?explained, because?Narxoz is designated as a leading university in 바카라사이트se fields.

Concerns have long been raised about academic freedom in Kazakhstan, which has been ruled by President Nursultan Nazarbayev since 1991. Last year, a that he had been edged out of Nazarbayev University ¨C named after 바카라사이트 president ¨C after 바카라사이트 Russian Embassy took issue with lectures about 바카라사이트 fighting in Ukraine.

¡°In terms of academic freedom, it¡¯s very different from 바카라사이트 standard we are used to in 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US,¡± Professor Rybi¨½ski acknowledged.

A quarter of any new course curriculum is still controlled by 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education, although this is down from half, and in two years 바카라사이트re should be full autonomy, he said.

Last year, Kazakhstan¡¯s currency, 바카라사이트 tenge, plummeted in value after it was allowed to float freely. This has halved Professor Rybi¨½ski¡¯s budget for international recruitment this year, and so far just 10 faculty out of about 400 are from abroad, although he said that 바카라사이트 overseas recruitment drive has only just begun.

Professor Rybi¨½ski hopes that overseas academics will be attracted by Kazakhstan¡¯s stunning natural beauty, plentiful skiing opportunities and its promise of ¡°바카라사이트 best meat in 바카라사이트 world¡± ¨C including horse.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com