International Credit Mobility in Kazakh Universities

1. Experience of Kazakh universities in the implementation of the international credit mobility Speaker: Amantay Nurmagambetov, Director Bologna Process and Academic Mobility Centre, MES RK ‘International Credit Mobility: Management, Recognition of Results and Quality Assurance’ International Seminar Almaty, 14-15 April 2016

2. INTERNATIONAL CREDIT MOBILITY (ICM) ‘CREDIT MOBILITY – student mobility on an exchange in the host institution for a certain period, during which he / she gains academic credits that are recognised by sending university’ Guidance on the use of ECTS, 2015

3. REGULATIONS IN THE FIELD OF ACADEMIC MOBILITY Academic mobility is regulated by the following documents in the Republic of Kazakhstan:

4. KAZAKHSTAN ACADEMIC MOBILITY STRATEGY for 2012-2020 policy paper defining the objectives and priorities of economic and cultural internationalisation of Kazakhstani higher education by improving the tools of the Bologna Process MISSION: increasing the attractiveness of Kazakhstan's higher education through the provision of quality assurance of education and research programmes, further internationalisation, the achievement of balanced mobility, the development of a multicultural society. • TASKS: • Ensuring the quality of external mobility; • Ensuring the quality of stay of foreign teachers, researchers and students in Kazakhstan (incoming mobility); • The implementation of principles of multilingual education; • The expansion of direct links with foreign partner universities and international organisations.

5. RULES ON ORGANISATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROCESS ON CREDIT TECHNOLOGY OF EDUCATION SECTION 4. KAZAKHSTAN CREDIT TRANSFER SYSTEM BASED ON ECTS 68. For the provision of academic mobility of students and recognition of educational programmes in the European educational space it is necessary to transfer Kazakhstan credits to ECTS credits. 74. Transfer of credits ECTS to credits of the Republic of Kazakhstan is carried out by dividing the ECTS credits in the conversion factor depending on density 1 ECTS credit for each discipline in the range of 1.5 to 1.8. SECTION 5. ACADEMIC MOBILITY IN THE MODEL OF KAZAKHSTAN CREDIT TRANSFER BASED ON ECTS 81. University develops and approves the procedure of credit transfer based on ECTS, which is the main document on the use of ECTS in university 93. The final document confirming student mobility programme is a transcript.

6. SOURCES OF FINANCING Implementation of international academic mobility programmes in the Republic of Kazakhstan is carried out : EXTRABUDGETARY FUNDS • Since 2011 MES allocates funds from the state budget • funds are distributed according to the annual Order of the MES • own funds of universities and / or students; • funds of partner-universities; • exchange programmes; • international grants; • at the expense of employers. FROM THE STATE BUDGET

7. State budget allocation for the implementation of academic mobility in 2015 – 725 789,160 KZT for 48 HEIs.Out of allocated budget96%was used, i.е. 691 967,0 KZT. STATE FUNDING OF ACADEMIC MOBILITY DYNAMICS OF STATE FUNDING OF STUDENT ACADEMIC MOBILITY PROGRAMMES, 2012-2015 (THOUSAND KZT) No. 369 Order of MES RK of 09.06.2015

8. IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDENT ACADEMIC MOBILITY (2011-2015) For 5 years of the implementation of the academic mobility programmes, 3472 students have been studied at universities of Europe, USA and South-East Asia. TOTAL: 3472 STUDENTS (2011-2015)

9. IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDENT ACADEMIC MOBILITY (2011-2015) In 2015, 47 universities sent 909 students to study abroad for at least one semester

10. IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDENT ACADEMIC MOBILITY (2011-2015)

11. EXTRABUDGETARY FUNDING OF ACADEMIC MOBILITY EXTRABUDGETARY ACADEMIC MOBILITY OF STUDENTS FOR 2013-2015

12. STATE BUDGET ALLOCATION CRITERIA Since the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan is working on the distribution of budget funds for student academic mobility. • Universities submit applications to the Ministry with the following indicators: • the number of students who plan to go abroad in the framework of external mobility; • prospective countries / universities partners; • the estimated expenditure; • the number of current agreements with foreign universities. • All submitted applications are reviewed by the Commission on the distribution of funds for studentacademic mobility. • The most important factors in the distribution of the budget among the universities of Kazakhstan: • agreements and contracts with foreign partner universities; • university participation in the national rankings; • availability of accredited educational programmes; • graduate employment is not less than 70%.

13. MAIN STEPS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MOBILITY

14. STUDENTS SELECTION PROCESS IN HEIs TO PARTICIPATE IN MOBILITY PROGRAMMES At the beginning of the study year structural HEIs’ departments which are responsible for academic mobility make a call for students to participate in mobility programmes. • The call on candidates for academic mobility programmesis conducted based on the general requirements and the requirements of HEI’s selection committee approved by the HEI first head. • Requirements: • the level of foreign language knowledge not lower than B2; • current academic progress at home university (GPAnot lower than 3,5); • no “satisfactory” grades at the end of study period; • no violation of study discipline and ethical norms; • high level of psychological readiness to study in other educational environment.

15. Dates: October – November 2015 Aim: Receiving objective and reliable information on mobility programmes achievements and perspectives in Kazakhstan based on main stakeholders’ opinions in the sphere of higher education • Respondents: • 48representatives of Kazakhstan HEIs management; • 18members of National Working groups on Bologna process implementation; • 849students-participants of mobility programmes(web survey through Survey Monkey). EXPERT SURVEY ON IMPLEMENTATION OF ACADEMIC MOBILITY IN HEIs OF THE RK

16. THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEY: REPRESENTATIVES OF KAZAKHSTAN HEIs MANAGEMENT

17. THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEY: REPRESENTATIVES OF KAZAKHSTAN HEIs MANAGEMENT

18. THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEY: MEMBERS OF NATIONAL WORKING GROUPS ON BOLOGNA PROCESS IMPLEMENTATION Respondents’ opinion about the most challenging obstacles of academic mobility

19. THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEY: MEMBERS OF NATIONAL WORKING GROUPS ON BOLOGNA PROCESS IMPLEMENTATION WHAT WORK IS CONDUCTING TO ATTRACT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS?

20. THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEY:STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN MOBILITY PROGRAMMES

21. THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEY:STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN MOBILITY PROGRAMMES

22. CHALLENGES OF ACADEMIC MOBILITY • OBSTACLES WITH THE CONVERSION OF ECTS CREDITS TO KAZAKHSTAN CREDITS • There is a coefficient from 1,5 to 1,8 which makes it difficult to convert the credits. • 2. UNEARNED PLANNED NUMBER OF ECTS CREDITS IN FOREIGN HEI • There are the cases when a student due to different reasons cannot master the whole academic loan in a framework of mobility programme and does not earn necessary number of credits. Therefore, some kind of “academic debt” could happen after return from foreign HEI. • Moreover, at home university students need to take additional disciplines of mandatory component because of inconsistency of study programmes. That is why the learning load could exceed 129 credits. • DISCREPANCY OF ACADEMIC PERIODS AT HOME AND HOST UNIVERSITIES • The study period in some foreign HEIs starts earlier or later than in Kazakhstan. That is why sometimes a home university cannot send a student timely. • Furthermore,according to Kazakhstan regulations, academic semester is limited to 120 days, while in foreign HEIs the duration of a semester varies. Thus, sometimes student from Kazakhstan may not be able to master the whole programme in a framework of academic mobility at foreign HEI.

23. CHALLENGES OF ACADEMIC MOBILITY PROBLEM OF FUNDING ACADEMIC MOBILITY PROGRAMMES In some cases when the funds are received with delays, after the planned period,the HEI has difficulties with the funds usage afterwards and sending students to foreign HEIs. LACK OF SUPPORT TO STUDENTS DURING THEIR STAY IN FOREIGN HEI There are the cases when student in foreign HEI has difficulties with mastering of curriculum and a home HEI needs to coordinate his/her stay and successful learning. UNSUSTAINABILITY OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH FOREIGN HEIs Partnerships with foreign HEIs may often be unsustainable since the mobility is one-sided. Students go from Kazakhstan to foreign countries, while there are no mobilities from foreign countries to Kazakhstan. This kind of partnership cannot be sustainable.

24. A comparable, compatible and consistent academic mobility… • ORGANISATION • Study of the programmes of partner HEI; • Comparing foreign programmes with Kazakh ones • PLANNING • Preparing the list of possible partners and study programmes where there are opportunities to have mobility programmes • NEGOTIATIONS AND AGREEMENTS • Agreeing on quantitative and financial terms of students exchange within the mobility • REALISATION • Support to learner • Credit earnings control • Reacting on extreme situations • ASSESSMENT • Analysis of achievements and problems • Credit earnings assessment • Proposals for further cooperation

25. Thank you for your attention!