Aligning Kazakhstan's Higher Education Institutions to the West

As Kazakhstan steps away from its legacy as a former Soviet republic, it is trying to revamp its institutions of higher learning by adopting the European degree system. Kazakhstan’s competitive edge is diminishing, as the globalized demands of today’s workforce and academic institutions increase. In 2007, the World Bank pinpointed one of the country’s biggest weakness: "universities do not effectively relate to the labour market." The European degree system, Kazakhstan’s educators claim, are more market-oriented and allow for more connections with modern industries that create opportunities for students. More...