International Educational Corporation; Narxoz University, Almaty, Kazakhstan

scientific journal of the modern education & research institute • The Kingdom of Belgium

recommendations for imProVinG the model of the rePuBlic of KaZaKhstan Based on the indicators of the GloBal soft PoWer indeX 2021

Buganova Svetlana (svetlanabuganova7@gmail.com) Buganova alima (buganovaalima@gmail.com)

international educational corporation, almaty, narxoz university, Almaty

abstract

The model of Kazakhstan based on the Global Soft Power Index 2021 indices is considered. The development of Kazakhstan according to some indices is analyzed and recommendations for improvement are given.

Keywords: soft power, education sub-index, culture sub-index, university rating, improvement.

The Global Soft Power Index 2021, based on objective and subjective data, makes it possible to assess the country’s resources for achieving the goals of cultural diplomacy (Fig.1).

Each category effectively functions as an independent sub-index with an individual score and corresponding ranking.

Let’s consider the model of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the help of these sub-indexes and make our suggestions for improvement:

According to the international rating (World Giving Index) in 2019 Kazakhstan ranked 78 out of 126 countries in terms of charity [1]. This is a low indicator. Perhaps it is due to a small tax benefit, i.e. a large taxpayer gets the right to reduce his tax obligations in the case of charitable assistance – by 3%. It may be necessary to use correction factors in the application process, thereby constantly increasing the attractiveness of this benefit.

If we analyze the indicators of the subcultural index, it should be noted that mass production does not necessarily lead to mass influence, so it is important to focus on the results of both «high» culture (e.g. fine art) and «pop culture» (e.g. music and movies). In this regard, it is necessary to consider the plans for the development of these types of culture in more detail in Kazakhstan.

In the concept of cultural policy, it is necessary to supplement these points with specific indicators so that there is an understanding of how the development vector will be directed, funding will be organized, and what intermediate results should be expected.

The «culture sub-index» is based on the indicators of the export of the music industry, international sports achievements, the number of international tourists. In this regard, more attention should also be paid, for example, to the development of music and sports schools, the wide dissemination of cultural values among the population of Kazakhstan. It is necessary to form a middle class that will visit museums and theaters, otherwise, everyone will be busy only with earning money for living, and culture will remain the fate of the rich or the obsessed. Without knowing our culture, it is unlikely that we will be able to promote it in other countries.

In addition, the «culture sub-index» measures the quality, international reach, and attractiveness of a country’s cultural production.

Of course, there is an upsurge in the film industry, but breakthrough projects are needed in terms of allowing competition for Hollywood if we focus on world powers. Therefore, it is necessary to outline the implementation steps, find out all the weaknesses and try to turn them into advantages. At the same time, it is not required to get too involved in pop culture. A rather better idea would be to preserve the country’s particular characteristics and traditions.

The «Education Sub-index» focuses mainly on higher education, with metrics on the quality of universities, their ability to attract international students, and their contribution to the publication of academic research.

Even for the states with a history of bilateral hostility, there is a positive impact on perception and communication when people study abroad. Previous studies on educational exchanges provide empirical data confirming the positive impact on the perception of the host country of foreign students after returning to their homes.

It has also been shown that international student exchanges have positive indirect «ripple effects». Returning international students often become third-party defenders of their host country of study.

If we consider the system of higher education in the Republic of Kazakhstan, then according to official data of the Bureau of National Statistics on Higher Institutions in the Republic of Kazakhstan – 125 universities have been registered at the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year.

One of the indicators of recognition and competitiveness of the university is its participation in the QS World University Rankings. This ranking shows the 1000 best universities from around the world, covering 80 different places. In 2021, 47 new universities entered the top 1000, and more than 5,500 universities were evaluated and considered for inclusion [2]. Of Kazakhstan’s universities, 13 (10.4%) participate in the world ranking, and 10 are in the Top 1000 universities. That is, only 8% of universities may be of interest to foreign citizens if they are guided by this rating (Fig. 2).

The next indicator is the number of foreign citizens studying at universities of the Republic of Kazakhstan which is 6.5%. It should be noted that the main part is from the CIS (The Commonwealth of Independent States) countries. There were big plans to increase the number of international students to 50,000 in 2020, but the global pandemic has made its adjustments, and this figure remained at the point of 39,558 people.

Figure 2. Positions of Kazakhstani universities in QS World university rankings 2021

On the issue of publications of academic research:

The number of publications of Kazakhstani scientists in the Web of Science and Scopus [3] amounted to 3872 (0.119% of the world level) and 4909 (0.147%), respectively, according to the results of 2019. It is gratifying that these indicators are growing, but unfortunately, there is no analysis in the open access, at the expense of which scientists and publications this is carried out. Another question is: how much research published in these databases is relevant and in demand in the world? In this regard, it is necessary to coordinate the Concept of Cultural Policy with the program [4] and secure adequate funding for scientific studies. For example, there is a clear underinvestment of education and science (the cost of education is 3.8%, while UNESCO recommends 5-7%). It would be fair if all universities were in the same conditions, for example, many normative legal acts of higher education do not relate to the activities of the «Nazarbayev University» – a world-class university. Perhaps universities need to be given real academic freedom so that they can compete on a global level and be attractive to foreign students.

The high proportion of NEET youth (no job, no education, no income) in a number of regions should also be noted as a threat. It is of paramount importance to investigate this problem, to identify the sociodemographic profile (age, duration of NEET, poverty). Unfortunately, official statistics do not provide these answers, and programs aimed at improving education and employment have little effect. Some of the documents are flawed by high slogans and the lack of real ways of implementation.

The «engagement sub-index» reflects the ability of states to interact with an international audience, stimulate cooperation and, ultimately, shape global results. It includes such indicators as the number of embassies, permanent missions that the country has abroad, membership in multilateral organizations, and contributions to foreign development assistance.

It is known that Kazakhstan has been actively helping other countries for a long time (the total amount of official development assistance to other countries has reached 450 million US dollars). This is another little-known fact that needs to be covered in the media.

Although the elements related to the economy may seem more rigid than soft, the «enterprise subindex» is not a measure of comparative economic power or output. This sub-index is aimed at reflecting the relative attractiveness of the economy. For Kazakhstan, attention should be paid to simplifying business procedures and attracting foreign investment.

The «digital sub-index» includes a set of indicators reflecting the country’s digital communication, the effectiveness of state online services, and the use of digital diplomacy.

The «Digital Kazakhstan» program also has a number of shortcomings, which are widely discussed in the press [5]. And before it’s too late, we need to rethink the priorities of digitalization. The 2020 pandemic showed the reality of existing programs, the digital capabilities of the state, the utopian nature of some ideas, and the obvious use of public funds for nothing.

The «Government sub-index» evaluates state institutions, the country’s policy as a whole, democracy and equality, freedom of speech, and expression of will. Since we were more focused on culture and education in the research, we did not consider other sub-indexes in detail.

In summary, we propose the following recommendations for Kazakhstan: • To participate in the world ranking, it is necessary to coordinate various state programs and focus on real results. • In the field of culture, it is necessary to form an audience within the country, to promote the art, music and sports industries. • To form a class of highly effective managers in the field of culture who understand the pressing problems and can solve them. • Expand benefits for patrons and sponsors. • In the education system, provide universities with real academic freedom, increase funding to 7%. • Widely advertise the ODA (Official Development Assistance) that Kazakhstan provides to other countries. • Work on improving the indicators of digitalization and the enterprise index. • It is also necessary to pay attention to such an indicator as «favorability towards foreign countries», which depends on the perception of cuisine, tourist hospitality, perception of technological products, luxury goods, confidence in the approach of foreign countries to global affairs.

Proper planning and implementation of the aforementioned corrective measures will allow Kazakhstan to take a worthy place in the world ranking.

references

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2. 3. 4.

5. Ranking of countries by the level of charity, https://nonews.co/directory/lists/countries/givingindex (accessed: 15.02.2021). QS World University Rankings 2021. – From 3-11. Science and Innovation activity of Kazakhstan / Statistical collection / NurSultan 2020 – – 355s. The State Program for the development of Education and science of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2020-2025, approved by the decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 27, 2019 No. 988. Shibutov M. Weak points of «Digital Kazakhstan». https://365info.kz/2019/02/slabye-tochki-tsifrovogo-kazahstana-obnarodoval-ekspert (accessed: 12.03.2021).