Goals and objectives Goal: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Bolashak program. Main objectives: 1. Analytical review of the scholarship’s legal base 2. Identification of key problems and trends of the program 3. Making practical recommendations for improving the program

Methodology Sociological method – Survey of 1338 alumni, who studied in the period between 2005 and 2013 and 46 experts through the online service (Survey Monkey). Chronological method Comparative data analysis Content analysis of the mass media

Award dynamics More than 9500 scholarships have been awarded in 20 years (according to the data of the“Center for International programs» JSC as of )

Distribution of stipends by study programs

Distribution by countries

Respondents’ Profile AlumniExperts Male

Distribution by gender

Parents’ social status 91% of the alumni believe that the Bolashak scholarship is an instrument of social mobility, especially for the young people from poor families and villages.

Academic progress of the alumni Very good PhD

Alumni employment *Other – maternal leave and those continuing their education

Salaries and the percentage of managers and older More than Less than SpecialistsManagers

Сontribution to the Development of Kazakhstan More than 85% of the graduates believe that they make a significant contribution to the development of Kazakhstan. Roughly 75% of the experts believe that the scholarship graduates contribute to the development of Kazakhstan’s economy

Justifiability and Transparency 97,6% of the graduates agree that the Bolashak Program corresponds to its main goal, mission, and set objectives; More than 97% of the graduates answered that their expectations from the study abroad were fulfilled; 93% of the graduates consider application and participation conditions in the Bolashak program to be fair and transparent; More than 92% of the graduates consider the government expenses on training scholars in the framework of the Bolashak program justified.

Justifiability and Effectiveness More than 52% of the respondents agree that the effectiveness of JSC “Center for International Programs” increased in the past three years; Roughly 70% of the respondents support the requirement оf the pledge of property; Roughly 80% of the respondents agree that the Bolashak graduates must speak the state language; More than 83% of the graduates believe that they would not have acquired the same knowledge and skills in Kazakhstan’s universities.

Experts’ Opinions Majority of the experts positively assess the skills, abilities and capabilities of the graduates Excellent Good Knowledge of foreign languages 76,7%23,3% Tolerance, ability to work with representatives of different cultures 57,1%28,6% New thinking, progressiveness 51,2%39,0% Ability for self-learning and self-development 48,8%39,0% Awareness of the socio-economic and cultural development of foreign countries 45,2% Communication skills 40,5%50,0% Ability to work in a team 35,7%54,8% Responsibility and discipline 34,1%43,9% Motivation 31,7%41,5% Persistence, determination, perseverance 26,8%58,5% Analytical skills 26,8%53,7% Leadership qualities 26,2%54,8% Ability to cope with challenging issues and stressful situations 26,2%42,9% Professional skills 24,4%63,4% High efficiency, high performance 24,4%51,2%

Professional personnel shortage Does the Bolashak program facilitate the decrease in the professional personnel shortage in the high-demanded sectors of the country?

Demand and Selection About 58% of the experts believe that the main reason for the lack of demand for the graduates is a lack of practical experience. About 44% of the experts believe that not all of the knowledge gained by the graduates abroad could be applied in practice in Kazakhstan. About 44% of the experts agreed that the selection process of the scholarship candidates should be made more rigorous. About 74% of the experts believe that the Bolashak program serves as a means of social mobility for the young people from middle-income and low-income families.

Contribution to the development of organization

Satisfaction with the graduates’ work

The Effectiveness of the Program Agree Don’t agree I support the requirement for academic progress to be equivalent to not less than 60% 91,3% 4,3% I support the removal of the age limit for applicants 78,3% 17,4% I support the allocation of quotas and lowering passing scores for rural youth, government officials, scientists and teachers 69,6% 30,4% The requirement of the pledge of property is necessary for the retention of valuable professional personnel 69,6% 26,1% I support the decision of the Bolashak program to discontinue funding undergraduate studies. 60,9% 30,4% Bolashak scholars must speak the state language. 56,5% 30,4% The working period of the scholars in Kazakhstan after completion of their studies abroad should be proportionate to their study period. 52,2% 30,4%

Strengthening international cooperation in the fields of education, culture and business

Conclusions 1.Overall, the results indicate that both the alumni and the experts positively assess the program 2.It should be noted that significant percentage of the alumni believe that the government expenses on the program are justified 3.Results also show that experts positively assess the efficiency of the program 4.Experts and employers positively assess the advantages of the alumni. The majority of the employers would like to have a Bolashak alumni as an employee at their organizations

Conclusions There are also unquantifiable, non-monetary and intangible benefits of the Bolashak program: Social mobility for the young people; Internationalization of the education system in Kazakhstan; Knowledge and innovation knowledge transfer; Professional ethics, corporate culture and “samples” of social modernization; Patriotism and a return to cultural roots; Social capital; Solution to the brain drain and a contribution to brain circulation Unity of the alumni and consolidation of the young people around the Bolashak alumni