National ranking of the best universities of Kazakhstan-2019
Sholpan Kalanova - President of the Independent Quality Assurance Agency in Education - Ranking, Professor, Ph.D.
The Independent Quality Assurance Agency in Education - Ranking (IQAA-Ranking) presents the results of the ranking of the best higher educational institutions of Kazakhstan for 2019.
The Ranking has been published since 2008 and it is based on international standards for ranking higher educational institutions. The Agency’s methodology for the institutional National university ranking is scientifically substantiated and approved by international experts in higher education at the Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence (IREG) conferences in Shanghai and Bratislava. It was published in a number of scientific journals, such as "Higher Education in Europe" (London) and "Journal of Higher Education" (Shanghai).
Moreover, the methodology was reviewed in the book of the renowned expert on higher education Professor E.Heyzelkorn - "Ratings and Transformation of Higher Education" (Ireland) and in the article of the famous American newspaper "Inside Higher Education". The IQAA Ranking is one of the seven co-founders of the Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence (IREG), representing rating agencies from around the world, including world-renowned US News & World Report, Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai) which currently includes 58 organizations from 24 countries.
The presented ranking is a multidimensional rating, as it can be divided into ten different sub-ratings, which can be found on the Agency's website. Academic statistics cover the quality of faculty activities, the composition of students and the results of their studies, the scientific and innovative activities of universities, international cooperation, and the evaluation of universities' websites.
The methodology includes an assessment of the university activities, both according to the data and statistics provided by universities, and indicators obtained from independent sources. Academic indicators of universities account for 70% of the total amount of 100%, 15% of which is accounted for the reputation of universities by Kazakhstani and foreign experts and the reputation of universities by employers. Details on the methodology and its indicators / criteria can be found on the Agency's website
In a rapidly changing world academic ratings are the most popular tool for comparative assessment of universities and educational programs because of their visibility, compactness and informativeness. With the help of ratings, the level of universities and educational programs is compared by indicators that reflect all aspects of the education provided and their activities.
The survey of experts for this Ranking was conducted by questioning by e-mail. This year, over 1,000 questionnaires were sent to Kazakhstani and foreign experts, while about 30% of completed questionnaires were received.
The level of preparedness of graduates of Kazakhstani universities was conducted by interviewing representatives of employers, as well as head state and local executive bodies. More than 2,500 questionnaires were sent to companies, organizations and associations of employers by e-mail, over 10% of completed questionnaires were received. Also, a survey was conducted by ministries and akimats through courier mail and online questioning on the Agency's website, 53% of completed questionnaires were received. The most active participants in the survey were the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption, the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development and the Ministry of Education and Science. Among local executive bodies, akimats of Zhambyl, East Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Pavlodar, Almaty and Karaganda regions made the largest contribution to the evaluation of universities. In this regard, we express our sincere gratitude to the above-mentioned head state and local executive bodies for their active participation in the survey of universities.
The results of the institutional National ranking of the best universities in Kazakhstan were approved by the Rating Board.
In addition to the institutional rating, since 2013 the Agency has been conducting a ranking of educational programs of universities, the methodology and detailed results of which are presented on the website www.iqaa-ranking.kz. This year, universities present data on 300 educational programs in bachelor and master programs (last year - 289). The total number of educational programs of universities that participated in the rating of programs was about 1,000.
The leaders in the number of participants in the ranking of educational programs are: Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (155), E.Buketov Karaganda State University (133), M.Auezov South Kazakhstan State University (109) and S.Toraigyrov Pavlodar State University (101). For the first time in 2019, the reputational rating of experts in the field of higher education was included in the ranking of educational programs and composed 20%.
By compiling the National ranking of the best universities, the Agency, together with the stakeholders, conducted a collection and analysis of a huge amount of information to help applicants choose their university, and employers, government agencies. All the stakeholders can find relevant information on the presented sub-ratings on the IQAA website.
We wish our future students a successful admission to the alma mater of their dreams!
This article was published "Kazakhstanskaya Pravda" newspaper No. 96 dated May 23, 2019.
