Modern state of the Internationalization of higher education of Kazakhstan

Abstract

Higher education is a major factor of modernization of economy and society. Quality and competitiveness of higher education determines the competitiveness of the state in the international space. Internationalization of higher education, which is implemented in accordance with Kazakhstan’s 2011-2020 State Program for Education Development, is one of the priorities of the integration of national education. A major step towards the internationalization of higher education in Kazakhstan is the decision to implement higher education reform along the general lines of the Bologna process. In line with the national plan, the former types and levels of academic programs were transformed into to the three levels established under the Bologna framework: Bachelor, Master and PhD. Along with this, major changes are taking place in the teaching and learning process, the way curricula and programs are organised and delivered. This article discusses the major initiatives in the field of internationalization of higher education in Kazakhstan, such as the state international scholarship "Bolashak", project of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan aimed at inviting visiting professors, academic mobility students and faculty from the leading universities all over the world. Keywords: higher education; internalization of higher education; academic mobility;