Traditional beliefs about education have shifted in the age of the Internet, robotization, and active technological growth. They were replaced by EdTech solutions, which symbolize a new generation’s education. It is intended to equip specialists for the current world’s difficulties, which are defined by dynamism and the ability to adapt quickly.
The advancement of technology and the shortening of the life cycle of professions have rendered the traditional paradigm of education obsolete: from school to university. If, 10-20 years ago, it was conceivable to plan your career and be certain that nothing would change in the next years, such a position is now nearly unthinkable. Not only are entire specializations disappearing, but the structure of the professions itself is changing at a rapid pace. As a result, education does not end with a diploma, and the notion of lifelong learning emerges.
finreview.kz analysts investigated how Kazakhstan’s education system is expanding and how much digitalization has impacted this sector.
How Education Can Affect Economic Growth
Human capital is the primary driving force behind modern society’s socioeconomic progress. According to the World Bank, human capital has a 55% influence on the country’s economic growth.
Education is the most significant aspect in the creation of human capital, and its importance in attaining long-term economic growth is expanding. In general, the higher a country’s degree of education, the better its economy develops, the lesser unemployment, and the higher life expectancy. However, Kazakhstan remains substantially behind in this criterion; in last year’s ranking of countries based on the quality of their education systems, Kazakhstan ranked 62nd out of 93 countries worldwide.
Of course, the country’s performance is very feeble, but it can serve as a reference for future progress in the sphere. For example, the ranking considers the number of higher education institutions that are featured in several global indices. And Kazakhstan is actively striving in this direction: 16 Kazakh universities will be included in the prominent international academic index Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings in 2022. Only eight domestic universities were featured in the survey four years ago.
Nonetheless, Kazakhstan has 122 institutions, which means that just 13% of universities provide high-quality education. To improve the situation, the country has begun a deliberate reduction of weak educational institutions and an improvement in educational quality through the strengthening of educational infrastructure. As a result, three Kazakhstani universities are predicted to enter the world’s top 200 educational institutions by 2025. This group currently includes only one local university, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
Of course, such an ambitious goal will necessitate enormous state expenditure. Its size has already been determined at 4.8 trillion KZT in fixed asset investments directed by the government to the development of the education sector through 2025. This is the amount specified in the “Quality Education: Educated Nation” National Project.
Three key issues of the Kazakh education system
First, there is a shift to a more practice-oriented approach. Personnel training is now carried out by technology businesses themselves, in addition to higher education institutions. Because of their wide and timely information base, their experience can attract more people than traditional universities. As a result, local institutions must shift to practice-oriented staff training based on large corporations’ already gained achievements.
Second, access to education. Out of the world’s 8 billion inhabitants, only 350-400 million have access to universities. This is why the tech titans are competing to develop talent. Previously, because of limited access to education, companies did not employ experts, and they lost out on pupils that are capable but cannot afford to education.
Third, the labor market is changing too rapidly. And these changes are happening so quickly and fundamentally that the classical educational system does not have time to adapt to the new realities.
One of the ways to solve the problems of education is through digitalization
Digital media in education is a global phenomenon. The magnitude of the fact is also evidenced by the size of the market for educational digital technologies – currently, the global EdTech market is estimated at 254.8 billion USD, with a jump to 605.4 billion USD expected in five years, which is comparable to the budget of a G7 country.
The online education market in Kazakhstan is very new and has great growth potential. More than 15 million individuals, or about 80% of the country’s 19 million population, now have access to the Internet. The estimated impact of digital education development on the country’s economy is 1.5% of GDP growth. As a result, Kazakhstan is aggressively developing the market of educational digital technologies, in line with the worldwide trend.
Kazakhstanis now have the chance to get foreign education from the world’s finest universities without leaving the country, thanks to its development. You can obtain a Swiss diploma, for example, by enrolling online at the Swiss International Institute Lausanne (SIIL). Undergraduate and graduate degrees are available, as well as advanced training courses in popular fields such as project management and Master of Business Administration in business management. Only a credential of previous schooling is necessary for admission; no entrance examinations or results of standardized national tests are required. This makes Swiss education available to people from all over the world.
Another undeniable advantage of the SIIL institute is that the training will take place in the student’s local tongue. However, education in Kazakhstan is solely provided in Russian. The Kazakh-language education system is being developed and will be available in the near future.
An American institution, Boston University is another example of a foreign university that offers distant learning. Undergraduate, graduate, and even doctorate programs are available here. Furthermore, the university offers diploma and professional certification courses for study.
A German higher educational institution, the Technical University of Kaiserslautern is the final university in our list. It is well-known not just for its excellent level of teaching and research, but also for its online learning opportunities in English or German. The online campus here provides completely distance learning programs in three major areas: science and technology, social sciences, management, and law. Because the institution focuses on technical education, students are particularly interested in online programs in engineering, computer science, software development, nanobiotechnology, and technoethics.
Kazakhstanis can upgrade their skills and abilities outside of educational institutions by enrolling in further education courses. There are numerous training facilities that provide such courses. However, if you wish to learn new skills from recognized lecturers with substantial professional experience, we recommend contacting the Astana International Financial Centre’s Bureau for Continuing Professional Development (BCPD). BCPD offers a variety of online educational services. Alpharabius, University of the Future, Qwant, and the Academy of Law are among the educational programs that have been launched here. You can attend advanced training courses in a variety of market-demand fields such as finance, investment management, IT, and jurisprudence through these platforms.
