Arailym Nussipova

Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country mostly in Central Asia, with a small part in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast,  Uzbekistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest, with a coastline along the Caspian Sea. 

Its capital is Astana, while the largest city and leading cultural and commercial hub is Almaty. Kazakhstan is the world's ninth-largest country by land area and the largest landlocked country. It has a population of 20 million and one of the lowest population densities in the world («Kazakhstan», 2024). 

Kazakhstan, like many other countries, participates extensively in international comparative research. An opportunity for a developing country such as Kazakhstan to set future benchmarks. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is one such test in which Kazakhstan is actively participating. Kazakhstan has taken part in four PISA exercises - 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018. The performance of Kazakhstani’s 15-year-old students is not particularly impressive. Kazakhstan was not a member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) when the PISA 2009 results were released in 2011(Yerbol Sarmurzin, Nazerke Amanzhol, Kamshat Toleubayeva, Marina Zhunusova & Aray Amanova, 2021). 

Higher education in Kazakhstan has evolved significantly. After gaining independence in 1991, Kazakhstan focused on developing its education system. Notable milestones include the establishment of the first Kazakhstani university in 1928 and the modernization efforts in the post-Soviet era. The country has aimed to align its higher education with international standards, emphasizing research and innovation. The Bolashak scholarship program, launched in 1993, further contributed to sending students abroad for education. 

The education system in the Republic of Kazakhstan consists of the several education levels (The Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 27 July, 2007 No. 319-III., 2007): 

• preschool education and training;

• primary education;

• basic secondary education;

• Secondary education in Kazakhstan is compulsory and includes primary, basic secondary (9 grades) 

• secondary education (general secondary education, technical and vocational education);

• post-secondary education;

• graduate education;

• post-graduate education.

Kazakhstan's integration into the Bologna Process brought comprehensive changes in higher education. The landscape further evolved through enhanced internationalization through mobility programs for students and faculty staff and the Bolashak scholarship program, alongside active employer engagement in educational planning, a mandatory tenet across Kazakhstani higher education. 

Beginning this year academic independence of state compulsory education standards (SCES) has been expanded. Currently, universities are authorsied to revise the content of a number of compulsory disciplines and independently regulate the number of credits for basic and profile disciplines. By addressing these key questions and providing a detailed exploration of the current state, historical evolution, and critical phenomena within Kazakhstan's education system, the Contextual Presentation will offer valuable insights into the complexities of the country's educational landscape and contribute to a deeper understanding among symposium participants.