Beyond political and military alliances and strategies, Kazakhstan aspires to be an important center of cultural and professional higher education for all of Central Asia, working in this area with great support from Russia.
Astana () – Russian “polytechnologist” Aleksej Babočkin, an expert at the “Royal Policy Fund” in Moscow, has written an important article in Nezavisimaja Gazeta on relations between Russia and Kazakhstan, one of the most important nodes for future Eurasian balances . In the geopolitical space disturbed by the war in Ukraine, which has now lasted more than a thousand days, and with so many changes taking place in all latitudes, Kazakhstan remains, however, one of Russia’s most important strategic partners, if only because its great geographical dimension, contingent with Russia in central Asia.
In the frequent meetings between representatives of the two countries, from presidents to officials in many specific fields, economic achievements and mutual cultural and social enrichment are continually emphasized. Among the most important aspects are education and scientific research, the use of human capital and considerations of common history, trying to fully understand “the value orientations of the neighbor, in order to determine the vectors for the development of dialogue.” says Babočkin.
Over the past five years, Kazakhstan has invested heavily in education, increasing its budget spending by 2.5. These are no longer isolated and elitist projects as in the past (schools and universities for “the chosen ones”), but impressive means for education at all levels and the dissemination of scientific achievements. Some 190,000 university study places have been added in 2023-2024 alone, and 369 schools are planned to open for another 740,000 places by 2025, and 163 of them will be built in rural countries. The digital infrastructure, thanks to which students can access the most advanced educational technologies, is increasingly widespread, even from the most peripheral places in the country.
As the political scientist documents, Russia is making an important contribution to Kazakhstan’s new “knowledge ecosystem.” During last year’s meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Kasym-Žomart Tokaev, a decision was made to build three Russian schools in the south of the country from the Russian budget, in the regions of Turkestan, Kyzyl-Ordin and Žambyl, where There is a serious shortage of educational centers. As Education Minister Gani Bejsembaev noted at the time, “Kazakhstan is a multilingual country,” and Russian schools help the competitiveness of Kazakh students.
It is also intended to raise the prestige of the teaching profession, understanding that new technologies and more comfortable school facilities are of no use without qualified pedagogical staff. For this reason, in recent months the law “On the status of the pedagogue” has been approved, for the defense of the rights and legitimate interests of teachers, with a system of social guarantees and the relief of the social and bureaucratic functions that weigh about the teaching profession. Today in Kazakhstan there are 600,000 teachers in different institutions, 400,000 of them in compulsory education, and the State is interested in their continuous improvement and training.
Equally important, he notes, is to focus on the “cult of work and its social importance,” as President Tokaev often emphasizes. In a context of rapid social changes around the world, in which technologies play an increasingly decisive role, Kazakhstan is trying to organize a “nation of technocrats”, and 2025 will be the country’s “Year of Working Professions”. Here too, we start with the educational system, to develop technical and analytical knowledge that allows us to work more effectively in the different sectors of the economy. Scholarships for more advanced vocational training are increasing, and branches of Russia’s most important technical institutes are opening in all regions, such as the Atyrau Russian State University of Oil and Gas “IM Gubkin” or the Chemical-Technological University «DI Mendeleev» by Taraz, and others are planned to open shortly. Beyond political and military alliances and strategies, Kazakhstan is considered an important cultural and professional center of higher education for all of Central Asia, and works in this sector with great support from Russia.
Photo: Flickr / Aliaskarov Danial
Add Comment