Experience of Kazakh universities in the implementation of the international credit mobility

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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

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

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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.
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SOURCES OF FINANCING
FROM THE STATE BUDGET
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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
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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)
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IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDENT ACADEMIC MOBILITY
(2011-2015)
In 2015, 47 universities sent 909 students to
study abroad for at least one semester
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IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDENT ACADEMIC MOBILITY
(2011-2015)
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EXTRABUDGETARY FUNDING OF ACADEMIC MOBILITY
EXTRABUDGETARY ACADEMIC MOBILITY OF STUDENTS FOR
2013-2015
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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
  student academic 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.

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MAIN STEPS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MOBILITY
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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
  programmes is conducted based on the general
  requirements and the requirements of HEIs
  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 (GPA
  not 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.

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EXPERT SURVEY ON IMPLEMENTATION OF ACADEMIC
MOBILITY IN HEIs OF THE RK
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THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEY REPRESENTATIVES OF
KAZAKHSTAN HEIs MANAGEMENT
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THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEY REPRESENTATIVES OF
KAZAKHSTAN HEIs MANAGEMENT
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THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEY MEMBERS OF NATIONAL
WORKING GROUPS ON BOLOGNA PROCESS IMPLEMENTATION
Respondents opinion about the most challenging
obstacles of academic mobility
Academic mobility obstacles
Language 50
Organisation (visa, documents registration etc.) 28
Resources (lack of financial and other resources 72
Content (matching content with programme level) 83
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THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEY MEMBERS OF NATIONAL
WORKING GROUPS ON BOLOGNA PROCESS IMPLEMENTATION
WHAT WORK IS CONDUCTING TO ATTRACT
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS?
Possible answers
Conducting international informational meetings at university 54
Language courses for international students 46
Publication of necessary information on official university website 100
Dissemination of information about university through mass media 69
Presentation of university at foreign partner universities 69
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THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEYSTUDENTS
PARTICIPATED IN MOBILITY PROGRAMMES
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THE RESULTS OF EXPERT SURVEYSTUDENTS
PARTICIPATED IN MOBILITY PROGRAMMES
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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.

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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.

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A comparable, compatible and consistent academic
mobility
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Thank you for your attention!