PREFACE

Chapters presented in these proceedings shed light on global and local nuance of developing academic entrepreneurship. The authors invite the reader to take part in the discussion of eminent challenges and reflect on long-term issues of building an innovative and entrepreneurial university. It is hoped that these proceedings will be valuable to university leaders, faculty, graduate students and other stakeholders who have to interact with higher education institutions. Nation-specific chapters on Kazakhstan could be useful to scholars who research developments of higher education in this region

The impact of global university rankings on higher education management and policy in Kazakhstan

This paper discusses the relevance of global ranking systems as a policy instrument of strategic planning, quality management and public accountability of higher education institutions (HEI) in Kazakhstan. Being one of the world’s fastest growing economies, Kazakhstan has set priorities on developing a knowledge-based society for global competition. Celebrating its 20th anniversary of independence from the former Soviet Union, the nation has become the first of five Central-Asian countries to introduce its higher education institutions in global rankings. Yet, there is little empirical work or theoretical treatment of the influence of global rankings on the government’s educational policy of Central Asian states. In addition, both the increasing impact of global and national rankings of HEIs in Kazakhstan and the government’s decision to motivate local academic institutions to take top tiers in global ranking systems prompt us to better understand how higher education institutions respond to the rankings

Becoming Bologna Capable: Strategic Cooperation and Capacity Building in International Offices in Kazakhstani HEIs

This paper examines the roles and perspectives of International Office staff in universities in Kazakhstan, as they engage in internationalization of higher education within the framework of the Bologna Process. Drawing on data from document analysis, a national survey and in-depth interviews, the paper discusses the practices, strengths and challenges of International Offices, linking empirical data to theories on internationalization, institutional change, networks and capacity building. Main findings are that the International Offices play a role in the leadership of strategic cooperation at international, national and intra-institutional levels, and that they would have the potential to play a more major role given access to the capacity building and professional development opportunities they identify. The paper highlights tensions that need to be resolved in the division of responsibilities between Bologna Offices and International Offices at institutional level, and in the channels of communication between HEIs and the national Bologna Center

Governing for Autonomy: Framing the Challenges; Noting the Progress

On September 19, 2016 research staff of Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education (NUGSE), in conjunction with Professors Matthew Hartley and Peter Eckel from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, conducted an international conference entitled “Governing for Autonomy: Framing the Challenges and Noting the Progress”. This particular topic was chosen as the theme of the Conference because Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (USA) have been carrying out a major research project entitled “Advancing Models of Best Practice in Academic Governance and Management in Higher Education Institutions in Kazakhstan"1. That project, led by Aida Sagintayeva (Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education) and Matthew Hartley (University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education), has focused on a thorough analysis of the current governance reforms in HEIs in the Republic of Kazakhstan, involving visits to twenty-five universities in seven cities. Governance reform is a stated priority of the State Program for Education and Science Development for 2016-2019 (SPESD), which seeks to enhance the management and monitoring of the development of higher and postgraduate education. The SPESD emphasizes the need to implement the principles of shared governance through the gradual expansion of academic freedom and administrative and financial autonomy across Kazakhstani HEIs. The Conference provided a platform for representatives of Kazakhstani universities leading the development of shared governance in their institutional settings to discuss these important issues. The leaders of Kazakhstani higher education institutions attending the conference discussed the development and implementation of shared governance in Kazakhstani universities: the most promising approaches to HEI management and governance for the next 10-years, effective mechanisms for university management and governance, the performance and accountability of governing boards, and the implementation of autonomy in higher educational institutions of Kazakhstan. This white paper reflects the key insights from the Conference including recommendations for further work on the development of institutional autonomy in Kazakhstani higher education system

University Sustainability in Relation to Higher Education Funding Model in Kazakhstan in the Context of Transition Period

Over the last years the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan has started to apply new approaches to higher education funding. The attempt to try and implement new funding mechanisms is based on the fact that Kazakhstan departed from the principle of “funding to all” to the principle of “funding to everybody”. The coverage of the student’s tuition fees rather than funding an academic institution has become part of the common practice. The financial mechanism of higher educational institutions is based on the multichannel system of financing. In these conditions not only the sufficiency of financial resources but also the optimum combination of various sources of financing, their influence, both on the development of a higher educational institution and the quality of specialists training is important. To increase the level of its competitiveness a higher educational institution has to adhere to an efficient strategy of development, optimum financial policy and actual management in the implementation of own activity..

Kazakhstan’s Bolashak Scholarship Program

Government sponsored study abroad programs are one approach to developing the human capital of a country. From our review of the characteristics and outcomes of one long-standing government-sponsored international scholarship program (Kazakhstan’s Bolashak program), we identify five lessons: 1) align the program to countries’ strategic economic development needs, 2) maximize the benefit through the selection of quality destination institutions, 3) ensure transparency, 4) align the economic needs to the level of study programs, and 5) provide incentives for scholarship recipients to return to the home country

The impact of global university rankings on higher education management and policy in Kazakhstan

This paper discusses the relevance of global ranking systems as a policy instrument of strategic planning, quality management and public accountability of higher education institutions (HEI) in Kazakhstan. Being one of the world’s fastest growing economies, Kazakhstan has set priorities on developing a knowledge-based society for global competition. Celebrating its 20th anniversary of independence from the former Soviet Union, the nation has become the first of five Central-Asian countries to introduce its higher education institutions in global rankings. Yet, there is little empirical work or theoretical treatment of the influence of global rankings on the government’s educational policy of Central Asian states. In addition, both the increasing impact of global and national rankings of HEIs in Kazakhstan and the government’s decision to motivate local academic institutions to take top tiers in global ranking systems prompt us to better understand how higher education institutions respond to the rankings

University Sustainability in Relation to Higher Education Funding Model in Kazakhstan in the Context of Transition Period

Over the last years the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan has started to apply new approaches to higher education funding. The attempt to try and implement new funding mechanisms is based on the fact that Kazakhstan departed from the principle of “funding to all” to the principle of “funding to everybody”. The coverage of the student’s tuition fees rather than funding an academic institution has become part of the common practice. The financial mechanism of higher educational institutions is based on the multichannel system of financing. In these conditions not only the sufficiency of financial resources but also the optimum combination of various sources of financing, their influence, both on the development of a higher educational institution and the quality of specialists training is important. To increase the level of its competitiveness a higher educational institution has to adhere to an efficient strategy of development, optimum financial policy and actual management in the implementation of own activity..