Meeting on educational issues

A meeting of the party curator`s commission on Education was held in Almaty on the election program of the Nur Otan party. It was attended by deputies of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Abdimanap Elikbaevich Bekturganov, Nurmanbetova Zhumilya Nusipzhanovna, Khamenova Bakhytgul Kairzhanovna, Dulatbek Nurlan Orynbassarovich and Vice-Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan Fatima Nadirovna Zhakupova, Rectors of universities in Almaty, responsible staff of the Nur Otan party.

The moderator of the meeting is the Deputy of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Abdimanap Bekturganov stressed that the meeting aimed to discuss key issues «On the gradual expansion of academic and managerial autonomy of universities and the transformation of private universities into non-profit organizations», the creation of new regional universities based on the existing educational infrastructure using the example of Nazarbayev University and presented the agenda.

Vice-Minister of Education and Science of Kazakhstan Fatima Dzhakupova told about the problem of providing academic freedom to universities. It is well known that the law on academic and administrative freedoms was adopted last year. Since then, 56 laws have been passed, including 9 orders of the Ministry of Education and Science and 47 orders. What is the result? Today, 5 universities have gained autonomy in the country, and 27 universities are being transformed. As a result, some of the powers of the Ministry were transferred to higher education institutions today.

As a result of awareness of state compulsory standards of higher education, rules of higher and postgraduate education, rules for organizing the educational process on credit technologies, academic freedom of all universities increased by 80% - baccalaureate, 85% - magistracy and 90% in doctoral studies. These Rules provide for the introduction of principles of academic integrity in higher education institutions. To date, 12 universities are members of the Academic League of Integrity, and 15 universities have been nominated for it.

Vice-Minister Fatima Zhakypova noted the problems of university management. A number of leaders are working on old, archaic methods. Most universities have not yet determined the strategy for entering the world academic rankings. The desire for autonomous freedom in management, finance and personnel policy is slow.

Deputy of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhumilya Nurmanbetova dwelled on ways to solve the problem of academic and administrative liberalization of higher educational institutions, commenting on the laws of Parliament in this area. The Rector of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University Takir Ospаnovich Balykbayev told how to solve the problem of academic freedom in the institution he leads. Rakhman Alshanov, President of the Association of Rectors of Higher Education; Darkhan Ahmet-Zaki, Rector of the University of International Business; Gulmir Kurganbaeva, Rector of the Almaty University of Management, and others shared their views on this issue.

Department of public relations