In AlmaU discussed development of the Kazakhstani education for the next 4 years
On January 28, 2016 in Almaty Management University (earlier IAB), Rectors of Kazakhstani universities and government representatives discussed ways of development of education until 2020.
"The state program of a development of education and science for 2016-2019" became a subject of a meeting.
The director of the department of the higher, postgraduate education and international cooperation of the Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Kazakhstan, Serik Omirbaev noted that the main purpose for today is to provide to domestic economy with competitive personnel with the higher and postgraduate education through integration of education, science and innovations. Among the tasks that stands in this regard to Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
- providing high-quality training
- modernizing the content of higher and postgraduate education in the context of global trends
- creating conditions for the commercialization of research and technology
- the involvement of students of universities in strengthening of the spiritual and moral values of a national patriotic ideas "Mangilik El" and a culture of healthy lifestyle
- Improving the management and monitoring of the development of higher and postgraduate education.
S. Omirbaev also said that in the year in private universities may appear own types of diplomas: "Since 2017 the concept of state certification of universities will be replaced by international accreditation. As long as accreditation is voluntary, the administration of the universities will determine whether they will pass accreditation or not. If they do not pass it, the graduates will receive diplomas of the university's own sample." According to him, this norm appeared in the latest changes in the legislation on education. According to the official, this regulation will become a selection tool: weak higher education institutions, which also issue diplomas of the state sample, simply will cease to exist. He added that since 2017 the universities that have not passed the international accreditation will not posted in the state order.
"Educational programs of state universities will be required to pass the international accreditation in agencies, that is full-fledged members of the international European network on education quality assurance", - said S. Omirbayev.
The rector of Almaty Management University Assylbek Kozhakhmetov, noted that now Ministry of Education and science of RK is at the same time the regulator and the owner of state universities, that makes contradictions. The speaker suggested to delegate management of higher educational institutions and responsibility for their development to local executive bodies. In addition, the rector of AlmaU suggests to introduce real, but not nominal, the mechanism of corporate management in higher educational institutions.
One of 17 proposals of A. Kozhakhmetov (among which – offers on educational ratings, accreditations, entrepreneurial universities, change of standards of educational programs) - to create a competitive environment in the market of education. Only in this case, according to the expert, the quality of education Kazakhstan will rise. The model of competitiveness of higher educational institutions that was offered by the rector of AlmaU, consists in dividing all higher educational institutions into 3 groups: the first will include top 10-15 higher educational institutions that are competitive at the international level. They must be given an autonomy and financial support, in order to be able to enter the top lists of world ratings. The second group – 20 higher educational institutions that are competitive in the national market. They are also given an autonomy and a financial support in the certain directions to increase the competitiveness. The third group – all other higher educational institutions for which the autonomy is not provided. The results will be summed up each year, and the higher educational institutions that showed good progress can move up to upper level, lagging educational institutions will move down to the lower group. "So in order to get support and an autonomy, higher educational institutions will start competing and competing in real parameters. Without broad development of an autonomy of strong higher educational institutions there is no sense to speak about development of quality and competitiveness at the national and international level"- said A. Kozhakhmetov.
Rector of the New Economic University Kshyshtof Rybinski said in his speech that the program on development of education and science creates a strong legal framework and incentives to universities in Kazakhstan to obtain international recognition of the status of facilities providing high-quality education. However, according to the speaker, the program needs to be strengthened: to accelerate the implementation, add greater flexibility and to consider the impact of the market.
To accelerate the implementation of the program will be possible by developing the funding mechanism for personnel trainings in doctoral studies through scientific projects, and the principles of activities of autonomous higher educational institutions. Flexibility can be achieved by creating conditions that will allow universities to develop their own educational programs (new specializations) based on agreements with their employers, without "looking back" to the requirements of Ministry of Education and Science of RK, as well as introducing a complete flexible system of credit technology of education in higher educational institutions.
"State funding of universities should be based on quality of educational programs and research, not on the legal form of the university» - said K. Rybinski.
At the end of the meeting, the guests visited the Museum of Innovation of AlmaU.
