Emma Harden-Wolfson

Higher education in Central Asia blog

  • Selling out? Kazakhstan’s KIMEP University goes fully private

    Another blog post, another story about privatization in Kazakhstan’s higher education. No stranger to privatization, Kazakhstan’s universities and colleges have been on quite the rollercoaster ride in terms of ownership and funding. Most recently, I reported that the President had seemingly hit the pause button with an outright ban on privatization in nearly 40 of… Read more

  • Russia partially re-opens its borders for international students

    During March 2021, the Russian Ministry of Education and Science passed two orders permitting the return of international students from a total of 31 countries. This includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan (Turkmenistan is not on either list), other ex-Soviet states and a slightly random collection of countries from Syria to the Seychelles. China is… Read more

  • Teaching and Learning in Central Asia / Преподавание и обучение в Центральной Азии (Seminar, 8 April/Семинар, 8 апреля)

    This upcoming Russian-language seminar from the University of Central Asia should be of great interest to all those researching and working in the area of high/secondary school teaching and learning. Recommended! Предстоящий русскоязычный семинар Университета Центральной Азии должен вызвать большой интерес у всех тех, кто занимается исследованиями и работает в области преподавания и обучения в… Read more

  • Dissertation Award

    Sharing good news: my PhD thesis was selected as the winner of the 2021 Comparative & International Education Society Eurasia Special Interest Group Dissertation Award! Read more

  • A degree more autonomy for Kazakhstan’s universities?

    You’ve studied hard, taken exams, written essays, done experiments, completed practicums – basically, ticked all the boxes your course requires. All that’s left is to get your well earned diploma (degree certificate). For students in Kazakhstan graduating from 2021, these diplomas will no longer be state issued but rather the responsibility of each university or… Read more

  • The Oxford of Uzbekistan

    A new Presidential University seeks to emulate Oxford in Uzbekistan. What are the prospects for a world-class university in the country? Read more