Academic Mobility at KSPI
Kazakhstan's participation in the Bologna process shows the changes taking place in higher education, willing to meet the requirements of international level. Joining in 2010 to the Bologna Declaration has allowed our state to become a full member of the European Higher Education Area.
By signing the Great Charter of Universities in Bologna in 2008, Kostanai State Pedagogical Institute joined to a huge number of higher educational institutions in the world, which, according to indicated in the Magna Carta principles are centers of scientific, cultural and technological development of society through knowledge and research.
Credit education technology serving at KSPI unifies the system of knowledge evaluation of students in accordance with the European requirements. What it gives us? First of all, the opportunity to compare the curricula in higher education institutions and to consider the possibility for the student to receive an education in more than one high school, and in a number of universities, where training is conducted in related specialties. That means, being a student of the pedagogical institute, you cannot get an education for a semester or a whole academic year at a technical higher educational institution - the difference in the curriculum would be too great. However, to study at the humanitarian higher educational institution in another city or even another country - it is quite real.
According to the principle of students’ mobility between institutions considering the provisions of the Bologna process and Taraz declaration is provided an admission of students to study at the university of another country without taking intermediate or additional examinations.
One of the main learning conditions for academic mobility is a sufficient level of knowledge of a foreign language. As part of the training program "Undergraduate" students take foreign language course (6 credits). Then at the 3rd year of study the discipline "Vocationally-oriented foreign language" is included, where students are given the opportunity to learn a foreign language. In addition, the leadership of the institute provides additional opportunities to develop and improve their professional knowledge to the professional and subject competences. Students are encouraged to expand their knowledge of a foreign language in the elective course. Great efforts were made in this regard by teachers of foreign languages. Modern textbooks, internships abroad and in Kazakhstan, the use of modern methods of teaching, promote quality and effective language acquisition.
Questions and answers
Does a student keep the grant if he studied under the state order?
If the student studies under the state order, he keeps the grant. Moreover, the student continues to receive the scholarship, studying at a foreign university.
Who is in charge for paying if you’re going to study at a foreign university?
In our case, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It pays not only for training but also covers travel expenses (flight there and back), health insurance and pay for a visa and the cost of accommodation and meals. If you are unlucky enough to become a finalist for training in exchange abroad within the framework of academic mobility - do not worry. You are entitled to such training in any case, only the payment of expenses will be covered by your parents, or you need to find a sponsor among entrepreneurs or international organizations that support academic mobility of students.
What will happen with the curriculum in their own institute at the time when a student is absent, while abroad? How will be assessed the academic achievement at another university and whether they will be taken into account in the native or not?
The curriculum still remains an indispensable requirement for graduation in the specialty for which you have entered. This means you will need to complete all the tasks, get a semester certification - admission to examinations and pass them to the positive scores (over 50). Modern means of communication provide opportunities to explore subjects that were not included in the plan of a foreign university, but available in terms of your university, remotely perform tasks for the boundary control and take exams when they return home. Secondly, it is possible to postpone the study of these disciplines in the summer additional semester.
How will be assessed the academic achievement at another university and whether they will be taken into account in the native or not?
Achievements will be assessed in the credits and points, as we have - due to this academic mobility has been possible. And - yes, of course, your progress in the development of foreign disciplines will be included in your transcript - the Diploma Supplement indicating the university assigned you these scores for these specific disciplines. Thus, your diploma will be more competitive with the diplomas of your classmates, not thinking of taking the opportunity of academic mobility.
According to the Order of the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan from 30.12.2011 №549 [3], the five best students of Kostanai State Pedagogical Institute from September 1, 2012 were taught at the University of Via Domitia in Perpignan (France) and 2 students at the University of West Virginia (United States of America). Students have a unique opportunity not only to learn from leading professors of these universities, they “from the inside" studied features of the system of higher education, overall quality of their own training and compared the level of teaching in native and foreign institute. Stay in a foreign country, of course, helped to acquire additional knowledge of the country.
Participation of KSPI’s students in international educational programs
In October 2011 our institute conducted an On-line testing for confirmation of German language skills to participate in the scholarship program of DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). Today already know the names of students who received scholarships for the passage of the summer semester in one of the German universities. These are the students of specialty “Tourism”, “Foreign language: two foreign languages (German, English)”.
Academic Mobility at KSPU