Annual report of the Rector of Caspian University!
Dear colleagues and friends, the presented materials of my annual public report for the 2019-2020 academic year contain an analysis of the activities and participation of Caspian University in the development of education in the Republic of Kazakhstan and are designed to enable the public to clearly see the work of the university over the past period – to assess the experience, identify areas of growth and opportunities, set new tasks.
For four years, the three-level programs of Caspian University have confirmed the compliance of the processes and content of educational programs with international European standards and are certainly accredited by the German international accreditation agency ACQUIN. The annual analysis of all educational programs of the university for compliance with international quality standards showed the following results.
- BREAKTHROUGH RESEARCH
The results of large-scale international research have been published in 83 international peer-reviewed publications due to attracting investments in the development of research and research base. The largest of the projects was the construction and launch of a Research center in the Zhongar-Alatau State National Nature Park, where interdisciplinary research on the conservation of the Sivers apple tree (Malus sieversii) is carried out; the functioning of the Scientific and Production Center in Aktau, which provides the need for design research work on oil and gas fields; the integrated seismological geophysical observatory “Turgen”; the center for the study of biological principles of artificial reproduction of sturgeon fish species with preservation of natural genetic characteristics in Aktau, etc. The research results have been incorporated into the content of the relevant educational programs and 21% have already been introduced into production. For example, in 2019, as part of a partnership with the USDA (US Department of Agriculture), genetic studies of the hybridization level of 18,740 samples of the Sievers apple tree (Malus sieversii) were jointly conducted, the purest genetic samples were obtained, including by students of the specialty “Life Safety” within the educational program, 197 forms of the Sievers apple tree were reproduced in situ.
- INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The reconstruction was completed and the new building of the university, which had the status of a Monument of Architecture and Urban Planning, known in Almaty as the “Republican House of Political Education”, was put into operation. For the overhaul and reconstruction of the original appearance of the building, the university spent its own funds in the amount of more than 2 billion tenge. Here, preserving architectural features, there are modern auditoriums, an assembly hall with more than 1,000 seats, a courtroom, forensic centers and simulators, a creative zone with large-size LED displays, a two-level library with reading rooms for 350 seats, a theater, gyms and dance halls, etc. The university buildings are equipped with modern computers and Smart Boards.
In 2020, the Caspian International School of Medicine began its work at the university, where training under the General Medicine educational program is conducted in its own operating clinic, retrofitted this year with a simulation center, where students study using robot simulators, an interactive anatomical table and other virtual simulators. Each student is given a tablet with downloaded training programs and necessary materials.
Despite the fact that the organizational structure has become more concise, the expansion of departments developing research, expertise and consulting is underway, for example, at the Higher School of Law “Adilet”, in addition to the well-known Research Institute of Private Law in Kazhastan and beyond, headed by MD, Academician of the NAS RK Suleimenov M.K., now carries out its activities of the Research Institute of Public Law under the guidance of Doctor of Law, Professor Podoprigor R.A. The only Kazakh-German “MTRIZ Institute” in the Republic of Kazakhstan has been opened for educational, research and project activities on modern methods and models for creating innovations and inventions based on Modern TRIZ.
Strategic decisions are made by the Board of Trustees of Caspian University under the chairmanship of R.T. Sarsenov, which includes S.I. Aparin, editor-in-chief of the newspaper “New Generation”, R.Z. Yerzhanova, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nurbank JSC, E.L. Kramer, Director of KSP Steel LLP, S.E. Krymkulov, Chairman of the Public Council of Mangystau Rogov I.I., Deputy Executive Director of the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy, Soskovets O.N., President of the Russian Union of Commodity Producers.
In addition to the Board of Trustees, the Caspian University International Research Fund is successfully functioning, making strategic decisions on investments, partnerships and other key aspects of research activities, which includes scientists, science administrators and patrons Eric de Rothschild, Jean-Marie Cambaceres, Giuseppe Calcani, Herb Aldwinkle, Gail Wolf, etc.
- DIGITALIZATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS
Caspian University switched to distance learning during the pandemic relatively painlessly, due to the fact that more than 3,000 students were already studying on the Caspidot educational portal in 2019, online courses were already developed, video lectures were recorded, assignments were uploaded, a proctoring system was tested and implemented. It remained to establish the work of the virtual DSP and dean’s offices, expand the digital library to the level of 667,655 titles of electronic educational literature and access to 9 international electronic subscription resources. Of course, we are looking forward to our students in the classroom, but while the situation is unstable, we are making every effort to provide the most effective distance learning to our students.
- NEW MODELS AND TECHNOLOGIES OF EDUCATION.
At the moment, 3,772 students are studying at Caspian University, this year’s enrollment has exceeded 1,200 people, the share of foreign students is 9%. The mission of the university is to train personnel to serve society and humanity, in this regard, the disciplines “Academic Integrity” and “Service learning” (Service to society) are among the first disciplines that are mandatory for first-year students. Within the framework of the mastered practical discipline “Service learning”, students study the experience of serving society, develop their own, as a rule, group project and implement it with the participation of 22 partner organizations of the University. All stakeholders of the university are involved in the service of society and Caspian University is famous for its participation in social programs, such as the “Ticket to Life”, together with Nurbank JSC (in 2019-2020, 29 orphans studied at the Bachelor’s degree programs of Caspian University with the payment of scholarships, accommodation and meals), as well as a large-scale retraining project, Together with BSB group (more than 2000 people studied in the 2019-2020 academic year), five Eric de Rothschild scholarships are awarded annually to talented graduates of the “Finance” and “Accounting and Auditing” educational programs.
With the help of foreign partners, within the framework of investments in Erasmus+ projects (the total amount of funding amounted to 66,221,000 tenge), the Master’s degree program “Management in Logistics” was developed, academic mobility was implemented, a laboratory was acquired and innovative content of the discipline “Microelectronic Engineering” is jointly taught.
The developed partner network allows the university to provide practice and employment in partner companies. University programs are discussed at employers’ councils, where they make proposals to improve the content of educational programs. For example, according to the results of the work of the Employers’ Council of the Higher School of Economics “Adilet”, such topics and disciplines as “International contract law”, “Recognition and enforcement of foreign judicial and arbitration decisions”, “Problems of registration of real estate rights”, “Problems of state-confessional relations”, “Rights of women and children” were included in the curriculum” etc .
As a result of systematic activities to develop programs and increase the relevance of the content, the average employment rate of graduates in 2019, according to the GTSVP, is 80.2%. According to the rating of NCE “Atameken” 2019, the average percentage of employment of graduates in 2018 was 74.5%, while the employment of the training area “Business and Management” was 84% (5B050600 “Economics” – 100%, 5B051100 “Marketing” – 88%, 5B050700 “Management” – 55.6%, 5B050800 “Accounting and Audit” – 85.2%, 5B050900 “Finance” – 88.9%), in the direction of training “Law” – 83.3%: 5B030100 “Jurisprudence” – 83.3%, in the direction of training “Engineering and engineering” – 72%: 5B070200 “Automation and control” – 75%, 5B070600 “Geology and exploration of mineral deposits” – 66.7%, 5B070800 “Oil and gas business” -74.1, 5B020700 “Translation business” – 31.3% (in dynamics, this indicator for graduates of 2019 was 87.5% according to the GTSVP), 5B050300 “Psychology” – 80%, in the direction of training “Healthcare” – 81.8%: 5B110100 “Nursing” – 81.8%.
- GROWTH IN RATINGS
According to the Webometrics international rating, Caspian University is the 17th in the ranking of 125 universities in Kazakhstan link and ranks 4507th in the Visibility ranking and 6084th in the Excellence ranking out of more than 19,000 universities in the world. The University is one of the twenty best multidisciplinary universities in Kazakhstan (NAAR, NCAOKO), when ranking the ratings of educational programs of NCE “Atameken”, 9 of the 14 presented were included in the top 10 educational programs.
- O SPORT, YOU ARE THE WORLD
Much attention is paid to sports and the promotion of an active lifestyle, during the 2019-2020 academic year, more than 140 events were held aimed at forming healthy habits among students. One of the active initiators and organizers of sports and wellness events are world champions, graduate student Elena Khrustaleva and professor of the Higher School of Engineering Voronina L.V. The student football team of Caspian University is the absolute champion of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the third year in a row and the seventh year in a row the champion of the city of Almaty in futsal.
Of course, these events are an intermediate result on the way to a big goal – the entry of Caspian University into the elite of world education and science. I am sure that having such a strong team of scientists, teachers and staff who spare no effort and energy for the development of our university, we will achieve even more significant success in the future!
More details can be found in today’s issue of the newspaper “Kazakhstanskaya Pravda”
