The Rector of S. Toraighyrov Pavlodar State University, Aryn Orsariyev, visited Western State Colorado University and the University of Colorado Denver.

According to the State Program for Education Development in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020, the main objective of the educational system modernization is to achieve a high level of quality of higher education that meets the needs of the labor market and corresponds to the tasks of the industrial-innovative development of the country. One of the target indicators is the presence of at least two national higher education institutions in the ranking of the world's best universities by 2020.

According to Aryn Orsariyev, the purpose of his visit to Colorado's best universities was to study their management practice, strengthen international partnership, and enhance academic mobility of PSU students and academic staff.

The reason for choosing these two universities was their high status. Western State Colorado University is among the five best universities in the United States. It specializes in ecology, environmental protection, natural science, development of geological surveying technology, and mining. University of Colorado Denver is one of the world's largest centers for research and education, a vibrant community of scholars and students known for using advanced technologies in teaching and learning.

“These universities give the highest priority to student research projects,” says Aryn Orsariyev. For example, each candidate at Denver has to go through a personal interview. There is a Student Research Center which provides funding for scholarship programs, offering students the opportunity to work directly with their lecturers. Each student has all necessary conditions for working on his or her research project. The university strives to develop each student's creative potential.

As a result of the meetings with representatives of Western State Colorado University and the University of Colorado Denver, an agreement was reached regarding students and lecturers exchange, as well as inviting American lecturers to give lectures at PSU.

Owing to this agreement, students and staff of S. Toraighyrov PSU will be able to participate in international conferences, postgraduate students will get the opportunity to have research internships in Colorado and conduct joint research activities with their American colleagues.

American scientists will give lectures, hold master classes and workshops for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Pavlodar State University.