Satbayev University has defined a strategy for digitalization advancement of higher education in Kazakhstan

On January 6, University’s Rector Meiram Begentayev made a report at the meeting of the expanded Board of Science and Higher Education Ministry of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The meeting with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Altai Kulginov took place within the walls of L.N. Gumilyev ENU and was dedicated to implementing the program of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in higher education and science sphere.

The meeting was opened by Science and Higher Education Minister Sayassat Nurbek with «Results of 2022 and tasks for 2023 in the light of the election program of State Head K. Tokayev" report, in which he briefly outlined the tasks that will face higher education and science of Kazakhstan in 2023. The work’s main goal will be our country’s technological breakthrough through digitalization, science and innovation. As part of the work to achieve this goal, massification and accessibility of higher education will be ensured, a system of personnel support for production will be established, the concept of lifelong learning will be implemented, the country's integration into international scientific and educational space will be ensured on the basis of academic excellence.

Minister stressed the importance of such a tool as digitalization to achieve the given goal: "World practice shows that the time of cumbersome universities, most of which were formed during the industrial period, is rapidly running out. They are being replaced by modern, more flexible and adaptive educational platforms," Minister said.

Meiram Begentayev’s speech was dedicated to the pilot project within the framework of education digitalization "Digital University". This is the project aimed at forming a unified digital ecosystem of higher education in the country, which will reduce the financial costs of access to quality education for the wider masses of students, reduce the burden on infrastructure, and increase the productivity of scientists and teachers. Such a digital infrastructure will be formed on the basis of Satbayev University, which will provide access to it to all Kazakhstani universities, which will combine the country’s intellectual and material resources and mutually strengthen them.

University has developed a model of a digital university that assumes the creation of a solid foundation for digitalization, namely:

1. Transformation of the business process management system, introduction of key performance indicators that will form the basis for functioning of the digital educational platform;

2. Training of employees in cross-industry digital skills, taking into account their professional activities.

If these conditions are met, the result related to digitalization of the university will be successful and it can be scaled. University is working to ensure "seamless integration" of disparate programs into a single system that will collect information about what is happening at University. Based on the collected data, University management will be able to make the necessary decisions.

Modules for students, teachers and employers will become part of the system, which will accumulate information about players in the education market, such as competencies, research papers, ratings, language skills, integral GPA, soft skills, etc. The interaction of these modules will save the resources of universities and organizations and ensure a more efficient employment process.

Another important function of the system will be provided due to “Infrastructure” module, which provides round-the-clock access to the digital campus, laboratories and production processes and, in combination with online courses, will provide effective remote learning. Access to online courses will be open, the system’s all users will have the opportunity to post their educational content. Thus, barriers to higher education will be removed, scientific research will be integrated into educational process, and connection to the system of platforms of schools and colleges will provide early career guidance. As a result, a flexible, fast digital university will be created, ideally adapted to changes in the labor market and employers’ requirements.

In addition to Meiram Begentayev, Science Committee’s Chairman Darkhan Ahmed-Zaki and member of the Board of “Atameken” Chamber Nurlan Sakuov made a report on the prospects of interaction between higher education and business at expanded Board meeting. The board members continued a more detailed discussion of the issues raised at the breakout sessions, where specific proposals for implementing the development program were heard.