Defense Education Enhancement Program: The Kazakhstan Experience

Abstract

IntroductionIn 2008, National Defense University of Kazakhstan (KAZ NDU) and Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes (PfPC) agreed on a three-year program of cooperation. The intent of program was PfPC support for KAZ NDU' s attainment of international standards for both curriculum and teaching methodology. The program that was created was known as a DEEP - a Defense Education Enhancement Program. DEEP initiatives have a unique ability to provide support to Partner defense education institutions in areas of curriculum and faculty development. For curriculum development, this could include creation or refinement of courses or individual lessons, as well as support for curriculum development of an entire new defense education institution. Faculty development could include pedagogy support in areas of classroom teaching and evaluation techniques. The PfPC program in support of Kazakhstan is now in its fifth year, and will continue for several more.How it BeganIn late winter of 2007, Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan (MoD) made a request to United States Embassy to undertake an assessment of KAZ NDU. This request was in accordance with Partnership Action Plan-Defense Institution Building (PAPDIB) objectives of NATO-Kazakhstan Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), agreed between Kazakhstan and NATO in January 2006. In response to request, and as a component of Defense Education Enhancement Program, this peer review was conducted by PfPC, taking place at direction of Office of U.S. Secretary of Defense (OSD) and in coordination with NATO with intent of understanding current composition of defense education process conducted by KAZ NDU. The broad areas to be examined included institutional purpose, organization, academic programs and curriculum, academic evaluation, student make-up, faculty qualifications, library resources, and Internet connectivity. A six-person team conducted review from 10-13 December 2007. The team was composed of academic experts on subject matter directly related to needs of specific host educational institution. The source for needs was found in specific requests made by institution and in country's NATO-related IPAP. The team consisted of:* Dr. Alan G. Stolberg, U.S. Army War College* Dr. Jack Treddenick (Canadian), George C. Marshall Center* Colonel George Teague, U.S. Army War College* Colonel Cynthia Coates, U.S. Joint Staff J7* Lieutenant Colonel Paul Riley, George C. Marshall Center* Mr. Alexander Vinnikov, NATO International Staff.The KAZ NDU head (director), General-Major Shoinbaev and his staff were extremely transparent and open. They exhibited a spirit of cooperation and desire to learn from (with us to be defined as the West writ large). Their long-term intent is to balance Russian and Chinese influence on Kazakhstan's military education curriculum.The KAZ NDU is only higher defense education institution in country. It is designed as a two-year residential program that results in attainment of a Master's degree in one of three fields: Military Art, Military History, or Armaments Technology and Logistics. Using Western defense education systems as an analogy, KAZ NDU curriculum primarily represents a spectrum of education and training that encompasses advanced course (captains), intermediate level education (Staff College; majors), and senior service college (War College; lieutenant colonels and colonels) level instruction.The curriculum is situated more between Staff College and War College levels. The student body has approximately sixty students per class, and is drawn from all parts of government's security sector. The student body consists of captains through lieutenant colonels (0-3 through 0-5). Each class is typically made up of about 53 percent of students from Ministry of Defense, with remainder coming from Ministry of Internal Affairs, Border Guards, Ministry of Emergency Situations (or Russian EMERCON equivalent), Presidential Guard, and a number of foreign students. …