Bolashak: Innovative Education for the Future

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BolashakInnovative Education for the Future
Prague, Czech Republic, 2006
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• Analysing the past
• Fourteen years of independence as the first life
  cycle for the country.
• GDP for 2005 - US 41 bln.
• Annual average GDP growth for the period of 1999
  - 2005 is 10,2.
• Annual average growth of industry for the same
  period is 10,6 .
• Annual average growth of investments in capital
  is 19,3.

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Strategic planning system

• In 1997 - Kazakhstan 2030 Development Strategy.
• In 2000 - Strategic plan up to year 2010, the
  main task of which was
• doubling the GDP in 2010 (from 2000).
• this task will be done already in 2008.
• In 2006 Kazakhstans Strategy to be in the list
  of top 50 competitive countries

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Strategy for Industrial and Innovational
Development

• Annual investment is planned to be US 1,5 bln.
  (including annual state investment of US 460
  mln.).
• Aggregate capital of development institutes for
  2006 is forecasted to US 1,3 bl.
• Development bank,
• Investment fund,
• Innovation fund,
• Export insurance corporation,
• Marketing reasearch center,
• Technology transfer and engineering center.

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Identifying priorities

• Development of heavy industry.
• Investment into strategic infrastructure.
• Development of non raw material production sector
  (finished good production).
• Development of technology based service sector.
• Development of petro-chemical industry.
• Development of new and information technologies.

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One of the main priorities is EDUCATION In order
to maintain Kazakhstan economic leadership, we
must ensure a continuous supply of highly trained
and educated specialists and numerically literate
population. And ensure that that population work
for the development of Kazakhstan.
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• In the course of transition to market economy and
  international relations development Kazakhstan
  faces an exigency in specialists with advanced
  western education. Therefore, there is a need to
  send talented young people for study in the
  leading educational institutions abroad.
• President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Nazarbayev N.A., November 1993

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Bolashak Scholarship Initiative
Established in 1993 by the President of the
Republic of Kazakhstan with the purpose of
educating the best students in elite universities
overseas. For the first time citizens of
Kazakhstan are granted the opportunity to receive
education fully funded by the government in the
worlds top-level outstanding institutions of
higher education.
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Goals

• Training of highly educated specialists in
  priority fields
• Intellectual elite development and new generation
  of technocrats, capable of bringing the country
  to a completely new level of development.
• Put global expertise and innovation to work for
  Kazakhstan, including introducing new areas of
  expertise

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The scholarship is awarded for purpose of

• Receiving higher education
• Receiving Bachelors degrees (as of 2005)
• - successful high school graduates or university
  students of Kazakh and foreign higher educational
  institutions
• Receiving Masters degrees
• -successful Kazakh and foreign higher
  educational institution graduates
• Receiving PhD Degrees
• -young talented scientists
• Residency training and Master and PhD studies in
  medical specialties

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General Requirements for Candidates - 2006

• Citizen of Kazakhstan, aged 18 35 years old
• Appropriate level of education completed
• National University Test of at least 90 (out of
  120) points
• GPA of no less than 4.5 (out of 5.0)
• Excellent competence in language of study
  (determined by standardized testing and
  interview)
• Psychological preparation for study abroad
• Commitment to development of Kazakhstan,
  patriotism

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Total Number of Bolashak Fellows - 2556
1756
191
86
81
86
59
87
58
19
50
28
56
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Coverage

• University Tuition (in Czech Republic 3500
  5000)
• Housing (230 per month)
• Living stipend (360 per month)
• Textbook allowance (170 per semester)
• Registration fees
• Visa fees
• Medical insurance
• Travel to and from place of study every year
  (during holidays)

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Which specialists are in demand?

• Engineers and health care professionals
• Professional civil servants and administration
  specialists
• New generation of scientists
• Innovation economy clusters managers
• Specialists in the new high-tech industrial and
  agricultural sectors

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Where do Fellows go?

• USA 2062 candidates639 Fellows accepted
• 17 PhDs, 211 Masters, 411 Bachelors
• UK 1678 candidates518 Fellows accepted
• 4 PhDs, 115 Masters, 399 Bachelors
• Russia 1236 candidates240 Fellows accepted
• 42 PhDs, 31 Masters, 167 Bachelors
• China, Germany, Canada, France also popular
• This year Bolashak has expanded dramatically to
  include much of the Asia/Pacific region, most of
  Europe, and even one candidate to Costa Rica

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Successful Alumni Include

• The Head of Protocol of the Administration of
  the President
• Associate Chairman of the Agency for the Civil
  Service
• The Vice-Minister of Education and Science
• Advisors to the Prime Minister
• Director of Kazakhstan Foreign Investors
  Council Association
• Professors and researchers
• KazMunai Gas and the Center for International
  Programs

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Contract between student and Bolashak
Education Contract Student agrees to study in
approved field of study, in approved
university In specified period of time
Mortgage Contract Piece of property pledged on
behalf of student Period of education plus 5
years, during which student must work in
Kazakhstan Value of property must be proportional
to proposed education plan
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Scientific potential
Dynamics of applications submitted to the Science
Funds grants in 2004-2005
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Research personnel
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Problems, lessons and recommendations

• Translating skills needed in Kazakhstan into
  university fields of study can be difficult,
  requires extensive knowledge of education systems
  in different nations
• Likewise need to be to date with admission
  requirements, needed documents, in different
  nations and universities.
• Evaluation of students far from home is
  difficult
• Every student has special, personal
  circumstances which need to be dealt with
• Thus Bolashak requires educated researchers and
  large staff to handle numbers of students. Need
  to be a learning, self-evaluating organization
• Also need a careful combination of flexibility to
  accomodate variety of universities and education
  systems, and rigidity to ensure Kazakhstan
  benefits
• Bolashak working to integrate its expertise and
  connections with other education projects