The impact of Capacity Building activities in a partner country: the example of Kazakhstan

29 April 2015 Shaizada Tasbulatova, Coordinator National Erasmus + Office in Kazakhstan

Structure

• Our country • Tempus in Kazakhstan • Impact of Tempus • Success factors•Conclusion

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Capital – Astana Population – 16+ mln Territory – 2 724,9 th. km²Length of borders – 12 187 kmHighest mountain – Khan Tengri (6995 m) Biggest sees & lakes – Caspian sea, Aral sea, BalkhashLongest rivers – Yertis (4248 km), Yesil (2450 km), Zhaiyik (2428 km), Syr Dariya (2219 km).

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Tempus projects involving Kazakh HEIs

• Tempus operational in Kazakhstan since 1995

• 1995 - 2013 (Tempus II - Tempus IV) - 76 projects financed (23

national and 53 multi-country)

• Grant amount over 54 mln. €

• Involving 46 HEIs and 48 non-academic partners

• Over 36% of the overall number of HEIs participating in Tempus

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Tempus as catalyst of reforms

• Internationalization (enhanced cooperation with 24 EU & 13 PCs).

• Contribution to convergence of HE with EU developments, promoting BP

• Competence-based approach in designing curricula, focus on learning outcomes, ECTS

• Improved cooperation with SH, changing teaching methods and interaction with students, active use of IT

• Promoting policy dialogue in HE with EU and neighbouring countries (EACEA seminars, conferences, thematic studies, publications, IDs, CAEP, EU Delegation projects…).

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Curricula reform •Interdisciplinarity, developing new/updating curricula in: •Agriculture technologies & Chemical Engineering•E-Learning & Geoinformatics•Environment protection, Industrial Ecology •Business education, Trade theory and econometrics •Medical Education & Social psychology for migrants•Food safety and marketing of traditional food products •Hotel and restaurant business•Pedagogy and education management•Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency•Space Technology and Transport •Training of social workers & Water resources management

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In university governance

• Impact on management processes and university governance.

• Focus on the development of QA procedures, national quality management and assessment system

• Involvement of external representatives in governing bodies (corporate governance)

• Students more involved in governance structures, improved student services

• Strengthening university structures for managing international exchanges

• Collaboration vs institutional isolation 7

In professional development of staff

• Professors exposed to different perspectives, able to gain new insights into their subject, implement joint research activities

• Opportunity to develop intercultural skills • Awareness of alternative ways of teaching and learning,

interaction with students, development of training materials, carrying out lab experiments, etc.

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Example of success (1)

Project No.: 510978-TEMPUS-1-2010-1-AT-TEMPUS-JPCRProject Title: Geoinformatics: Managing Energy, Resources, Environment Coordinator: Paris Lodron Universitat Salzburg, Austria KZ partners: KazNU, KKSU Kyzyl OrdaProject impact & best practices:•Integrated interdisciplinary MSc programme•Students can take credits at the university of Salzburg•Enhanced English language competence •Syllabus referencing online learning media •Programme tailored to the needs of energy industry •The EM gSmart follow-up project

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Example of success (2) • Project number: 511347-TEMPUS-1-2010-1-DE-TEMPUS-JPCR• Title: Bachelor programme in Energy Management • Coordinator: FHM, Bielefeld, Germany• KZ partners: KINEU, KATU • Project impact & best practices:• Holistic approach to energy management ensured • Enhanced cooperation with stakeholders based on model of

cooperation between educational, economy & public sector• Innovative teaching & learning methods and techniques • Team spirit, project ownership • Project management flexible, transparent, adaptable to needs

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Example of success (3)• Project No.: 530718-UK-JPCR (2012)

• Project Title: Integrating Water cycle management

• Coordinator: Middlesex University, UK

• KZ partners: KazNU, Kazakh-Turkish International University, KSU • Project impact & best practices:

• System of internal and external QA process • Cooperation b/n HEIs, business, regulators and policy makers • Participatory management, staff motivation• Strong focus on needs based capacity building• Involvement of students and support provided to them

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Example of success (4)• Project number: 543657-TEMPUS-1-2013-1-KZ-TEMPUS-JPGR• Title: Promoting Educational Organisation through People (PEOPLE)• Coordinator: T. Ryskulov Kazakh Economic University • KZ partners: Kazakh Academy of Transport and Communications, Pavlodar State University,

Karanganda State Medical University• Project impact & best practices:• HR management processes and procedures revised based on HR audit• Criteria for HR assessment and HR audit including staffing needs requirements developed • Recommendations how to implement subsequent assessment and audit processes

developed.

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Factors of success - Project level • Ownership, commitment, team spirit of partners, motivated staff

• Efficient management structure and management tool(s)

• Partnership & transparent decision making mechanism

• Clear distribution of tasks among team members

• Efficient communication tools and procedures

• Involvement of students (in project design and activities)

• Awareness campaign(s) and dissemination strategies

• Good relations among partners, both in PCs and EU countries

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Factors of success – Partner Country• Policy support and commitment of decision makers (Rector, Vice-

President, Deans, Chairpersons, …)

• HEI desire and interest in international cooperation

• Ownership and commitment of involved staff (finance unit, quality unit…)

• Incentives/encouragement to project staff

• Capacity and professionalism of support staff

• Clear rules, regulations, and procedures

• Clarity in financial aspects

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Factors of success - EU partners

• Ownership and Commitment• Knowledge of the situation in the partner countries• Experience in project management• Interest in learning (about other cultures)• Effective and transparent procedures• Flexibility and adaptability• Good will, readiness to give, to share experience &

information with PC staff

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Factors of success - Environment • Interest and commitment of policy-makers (ministry, other

national structures)• Legal and administrative framework to facilitate

international cooperation, academic mobility (joining BP)• Funding (Bolashak, Contest ‘Best teacher’, national

academic mobility scheme, ‘visiting professors’) • NEO (NTO) ready to help/support/advise staff & students • Interest expressed by Kazakh HEIs to enhancing

cooperation with EU

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Conclusion • Effective in establishing cooperation b/n KZ & EU HEIs,

facilitating the modernisation of the national HE system,

• Reinforced mobility of academic staff and students

• Strengthened cooperation with neighbouring countries.

• Enhanced students services, improved HEIs facilities

• “Intangible” outcomes - development of human potential, expansion of professional horizons, access to information, opportunity to exchange & share experience, regular professional contacts with colleagues from other countries.

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• Our contacts:

• E-mail: nc@erasmusplus.kz, neo@erasmusplus.kz

• Website: www.erasmusplus.kz

• Tel. +7 727 2669407

• Tel/Fax +7 727 2663956

• Address: Office 207, Gogol street, Address: Office 207, Gogol street, 84 А, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan

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