On March 13-14, 2025, the IV meeting of the National Kurultai was held in Burabay, during which meetings of four sections, including Education and Science, were held. Director of the Sorbonne Institute-Kazakhstan KazNPU named after Abaya Ainur Sabitova told Zakon.kz about her proposed measures.

To begin with, Ainur Sabitova noted that more proposals were announced at this kurultai than at last year's one in Atyrau.

"President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's speech at the plenary session was large-scale, and many deep-rooted issues of concern to our society were raised, from economics and social policy to the spiritual and moral development of Kazakh society. The Head of State outlined the results of the work done over the past six years and identified clear and logical tasks on how to develop the country in the coming years. It can be said that a nationwide dialogue has once again taken place on the Kurultai platform. The National Kurultai has become a key platform for national dialogue, which ensures the representation of a wide range of opinions and views of the country's population. According to the head of state, this strengthens the bond between the government and the people, contributing to more effective and mutually beneficial cooperation in the interests of Kazakhstan's development."

Ainur Sabitova

She stressed that the most effective interaction takes place at working meetings within the sections, because representatives of relevant ministries and heads of government agencies come to these sections, who carefully listen to what problems exist in a particular area and accept expert suggestions.

She is the director of the Sorbonne Institute-Kazakhstan KazNPU named after Abaya has announced several initiatives.

Teachers should be able to protect their rights.

In particular, Ainur Sabitova proposed introducing a compulsory course on "Fundamentals of Human Rights" for students of pedagogical specialties and developing professional development programs for current teachers.

"Modern realities require teachers to have not only methodological and subject knowledge, but also high legal literacy. However, today teachers often find themselves in situations where they cannot protect their rights and do not know how to properly build relationships with parents, the administration and the education system as a whole. The fundamentals of human rights that I have proposed should be taught in the third year, before starting an internship, so that future teachers are prepared for the legal challenges of the school environment. In addition, it is important to develop professional development programs for existing teachers. As a result, we will get strong, legally competent teaching, which is extremely important for the education system of Kazakhstan. This proposal was supported by the Commission on Human Rights under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Education and KazNPU named after Abai."

Ainur Sabitova

The award is not just a souvenir

Continuing the topic of teachers. According to Ainur Sabitova, the issue of accounting for state awards, such as the medal S, remains unresolved. Altynsarina, which is awarded annually to the best teachers.

The fact is that this highest recognition of the merits of a teacher is not taken into account in any way during his certification. Whereas teachers who have been awarded such awards deserve to have their long-term work, contribution to education and public recognition reflected in this system, Sabitova is sure.

Artificially complicated conditions for doctoral students

Another suggestion of the interlocutor concerns the preparation of PhD-doctoral students in Kazakhstan. According to Sabitova, the current system puts them in artificially complicated conditions, requiring them to independently search for foreign scientific consultants.

"Universities often cannot provide foreign consultants, despite their mandatory availability according to PhD rules. According to the requirements, the consultant must be from a top-1000 university, and in some universities - even top-500, which creates insurmountable barriers for Kazakhstani doctoral students. It is worth noting that there are no such norms in the Bologna Process, according to the practice of many leading European universities. I proposed to cancel these criteria and make the process more flexible and accessible for a young researcher. Regulatory documents also need to be reviewed to remove excessive restrictions. As of today, this rule has been abolished."

Ainur Sabitova

Register of foreign universities and integration of foreign scientists into Kazakh science

The director of the Institute recalled that, at the initiative of the head of state, branches of leading foreign universities offering double degrees and international educational programs are actively opening in Kazakhstan. They are opened on the basis of leading universities in Kazakhstan, which the speaker calls an absolutely correct approach, because the country's state and national universities receive new opportunities for development, expanding the range of educational services at the international level.

In addition, thanks to these initiatives, firstly, our students can participate in dual degree programs with foreign universities on a systematic basis. And secondly, universities with branches are becoming centers of attraction for international students interested in studying in Kazakhstan.

"However, at the moment there is no single digital resource that would systematize information about them. I have made a proposal to create an electronic catalog of branches of foreign universities, which will contain a complete register of all foreign universities that have opened branches in Kazakhstan, a list of educational programs (including double degrees), information on admission opportunities for Kazakhstani and foreign students. Why is this important? The lack of information makes it difficult for applicants to choose, especially students from the regions who do not know which international programs are available."

Ainur Sabitova

She added: the opening of branches of the world's leading universities in Kazakhstan should not only expand educational opportunities, but also serve as a catalyst for international scientific cooperation. Therefore, it was proposed to organize a full-fledged research integration of branches of foreign universities that are open in the country with the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan in order to use the potential of foreign teachers for the development of Kazakh science.

19.03.2025

Source: zakon.kz