A group of international experts of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) visited S. Toraighyrov Pavlodar State University within the framework of the project titled “Higher Education Policy Review”.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Vice-President (Academic) of Western Sydney University Denise Kirkpatrick (Australia), President of the State Higher Education Executive Officers association (SHEEO) Paul E. Lingenfelter (the USA), a consultant of the Policy Shaping and Implementation Division, Director for Education and Skills of the OECD Marie-Amelie Francois Serre (France) and an expert in the sphere of higher education of the World Bank Jason Allen Weaver together with a representative of JSC Information-Analytic Center Dana Abdrasheva participated in the event within the framework of the project titled “Higher Education Policy Review”.

The project was aimed at carrying out an analysis of the national innovative system of the Republic of Kazakhstan and drawing up recommendations on its improvement.

A number of focus groups with the administration, deans, the academic staff, students and employers of the University were conducted during the visit. The focus group sessions included discussion about the main aspects of the development of higher education in Kazakhstan: issues of access, management, financing, quality assurance, internationalization and integration of education, science and innovations. Special attention was paid to correspondence of the higher education system with labor market needs. 

“Implementation of the OECD standards is one of target indicators of inclusion of Kazakhstan in the list of 30 most developed countries. Such studies make it possible to reveal our strengths and weaknesses, risks and opportunities on this way and to refine plans,” said the director of the Department of Strategy and Quality Assessment of S. Toraighyrov PSU Serik Ilyassov.