Balancing Quality and Accessibility: Evaluating the Impact of Kazakhstan's PhD Publication Requirement Policy

• In Event: Roundtable Session 9
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Enhancing Doctoral Education in Kazakhstan: Evaluating the Publication Requirement Reform

Proposal

Kazakhstan's integration into the Bologna Process in March 2010 marked a significant shift in its higher education system, aligning it with the European Higher Education Area. This led to the adoption of a credit-based education system and the implementation of a three-tiered degree structure, including the introduction of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 2011. As part of ongoing efforts to raise the quality of higher education, a new policy was introduced in March 2021 regarding the final presentation of doctoral research. Under this policy, PhD candidates in Kazakhstan can now submit their work either as a traditional dissertation or as a series of scientific publications in high-impact journals.
This policy change, which allows candidates to obtain a PhD based on two research articles and one review published in journals ranked in the first or second quartile by Clarivate Analytics, has sparked considerable debate within the academic community. This approach to earning a PhD, without the requirement of a traditional dissertation, introduces new dynamics to the doctoral landscape in Kazakhstan and reflects broader global trends towards the internationalization of academic research. However, it has also raised critical questions about accessibility, equity, and the practicality of these requirements.
A key issue identified in the implementation of this policy is the difficulty many doctoral candidates face in publishing their research in international, peer-reviewed journals. Between 2011 and 2022, out of 10,276 doctoral candidates, only 44% successfully defended their dissertations, with many attributing their failure to the challenge of securing publications in high-ranking international journals. These journals often have strict peer-review processes and high publication fees, which pose barriers to many researchers. Additionally, certain fields of study, particularly in the social sciences and humanities, are underrepresented in the databases targeted by the policy, such as Web of Science and Scopus, further complicating the situation.
The publication requirement was introduced to ensure the quality and international recognition of doctoral research in Kazakhstan. Yet, its impact has been mixed. On the one hand, it promotes rigorous academic standards and aligns Kazakhstan with global research practices. On the other, it has created new hurdles for doctoral students, particularly those without access to the financial and institutional resources necessary to meet these publication requirements.
This presentation will analyze the rationale behind the introduction of the publication-based PhD option in Kazakhstan, the challenges encountered during its implementation, and its impact on both doctoral candidates and the broader academic environment. Furthermore, it will explore potential solutions for improving the system to make it more equitable and accessible while maintaining high academic standards. The findings suggest that while the policy has the potential to raise the profile of Kazakhstani research on the global stage, reforms are necessary to ensure that it does not disproportionately disadvantage students from less privileged backgrounds or specific academic disciplines.

Author

• Murodbek Laljebaev, Nazarbayev University