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A Non-Government Organisation (NGO) in Kazakhstan introduced a pilot project to support schools through school-based resource centres for inclusive education as requested by the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES). This initiative came about as a way to support the State Program for the Development of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2016-2019 (MoES) that set the goal of having 70% of mainstream schools inclusive by the end of 2018. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how school-based resource centres are assisting in the development of creating conditions for inclusive education in mainstream schools of Nur-Sultan City. Data was collected using 22 one-to-one interviews with resource centre staff, teachers, parents of SEN students, school specialists and principals thus giving voice to all stakeholders. The main findings of the study were the positive impacts of resource centres in contributing to the continued development of inclusive education in Kazakhstan. Other findings revealed areas for further improvement in order to sustain and grow this initiative. These findings have implications for further detailing policy outlining a focused and practical plan for the continued development and reform of inclusive education beyond the capital city.

This paper empirically examines whether former international students, i.e., global graduates, are more likely to be 'liquid migrants' than those who hold higher education degrees from home and the factors which enable or inhibit transnational mobility among global graduates. Based on an analysis of a subsample from a large-scale web survey of Latvian migrants, this paper finds that highly-skilled Latvian and global graduates represent two different groups of migrants. On the one hand Latvian graduates appear to migrate due to employment or family reasons and seek stability when doing so, corresponding more closely to the profile of sedentary migrants. Former international students from Latvia, on the other hand, are more likely to explore different destinations, even though most of them have lived in no more than two countries, excluding their country of origin. Global graduates who are older, male, hold a doctoral degree, are more recent emigrants, and live outside Europe and the US, are more likely to engage in a 'liquid migration' lifestyle. The empirical analysis and findings in this paper suggest alignment with the conceptualisation of 'liquid migration.'

Recognition and implementation of best practice collaborative partnerships are fundamental to developing inclusive schools and achieving positive outcomes. This is particularly important for those students requiring additional educational supports. In order to develop an individual approach to learning, and implement the necessary adjustments required to assist a student with specific needs, input from parents and other key stakeholders is considered important (Evans, in: Ashman (ed) Education for inclusion and diversity, Pearson, Melbourne, 2015). Azzopardi (Int J Incl Educ 15(1):179-192, 2011) argues that inclusion needs to be viewed as a process that encompasses the culture, policies and practices of a whole school and wider community. Even with the positive intentions from a range of contributors, the purpose and practice of collaborative relationships can vary significantly (Cloninger, in: Orelove, Sobsey, Gillies (eds) Educating students with severe and multiple disabilities: a collaborative approach. Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, 2017). The present study examines the collaborative experiences of key stakeholders at schools that are supported by NGO funded resource centres in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. A descriptive case study research design with a narrative framework explored the lived experiences of 22 teachers, principals, specialists and parents by highlighting the complex factors that are enabling or disabling the success of children with disabilities. The central focus for each semi-structured interview with participants was to describe and understand the current collaborative processes within newly established resource centres at three mainstream government schools in Kazakhstan. The results show how resource centres contribute to developing inclusive practices within the Kazakhstani context of current educational reforms and identify opportunities to enhance and contribute to the development of a successful model of support. The findings of this research have implications for key stakeholders concerning the immediate need for coherent and practical policy that embodies a shared vision and understanding of inclusive practice.

Policy implementation research suggests that the likelihood of policy success, i.e. matching policy outcomes with expectations, can be best assessed by engaging the bottom-up perspectives of those who will implement the policy. This paper works from this premise and examines the views of university leaders in Kazakhstan on the potential impact of a per capita per credit higher education funding model proposed for implementation at their universities. The policy expectation is that such a higher education funding model will promote student choice, university quality and competitiveness. Applying resources for a policy implementation perspective, this article discusses concerns associated with the implementation of the proposed model. The findings suggest that the match between the policy expectations and the goal of strengthened student choice will be contingent upon the ability of universities to introduce organisational processes that enable such a choice. Advancing the quality and competitiveness of universities will be conditioned by university access to funding and the acceptance of personnel of both structural and cultural changes associated with the implementation of the new policy. This article contributes to policy implementation studies of higher education systems in transition.

This paper empirically examines whether former international students, i.e., global graduates, are more likely to be 'liquid migrants' than those who hold higher education degrees from home and the factors which enable or inhibit transnational mobility among global graduates. Based on an analysis of a subsample from a large-scale web survey of Latvian migrants, this paper finds that highly-skilled Latvian and global graduates represent two different groups of migrants. On the one hand Latvian graduates appear to migrate due to employment or family reasons and seek stability when doing so, corresponding more closely to the profile of sedentary migrants. Former international students from Latvia, on the other hand, are more likely to explore different destinations, even though most of them have lived in no more than two countries, excluding their country of origin. Global graduates who are older, male, hold a doctoral degree, are more recent emigrants, and live outside Europe and the US, are more likely to engage in a 'liquid migration' lifestyle. The empirical analysis and findings in this paper suggest alignment with the conceptualisation of 'liquid migration.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Non-Government Organisation (NGO) in Kazakhstan introduced a pilot project to support schools through school-based resource centres for inclusive education as requested by the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES). This initiative came about as a way to support the State Program for the Development of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2016-2019 (MoES) that set the goal of having 70% of mainstream schools inclusive by the end of 2018. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how school-based resource centres are assisting in the development of creating conditions for inclusive education in mainstream schools of Nur-Sultan City. Data was collected using 22 one-to-one interviews with resource centre staff, teachers, parents of SEN students, school specialists and principals thus giving voice to all stakeholders. The main findings of the study were the positive impacts of resource centres in contributing to the continued development of inclusive education in Kazakhstan. Other findings revealed areas for further improvement in order to sustain and grow this initiative. These findings have implications for further detailing policy outlining a focused and practical plan for the continued development and reform of inclusive education beyond the capital city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study explores devolution of low-income student subsidies, via the national student loans program, from the central to local governments in Latvia by means of decentralizing political and financial responsibility to provide public assistance to low-income students in obtaining funds for higher education. It describes municipal engagement in providing primary loan guarantees and in assuming full risk for low-income student loans. This article argues that although there are venues for local governments to support low-income students' access to higher education, the central government should sponsor this policy politically as well as financially. (Contains 1 table.)

The theoretical frameworks developed for, and applied to, the study of student transfer between higher education institutions build on evidence from Western contexts, specifically the United States. The current article contributes to understanding factors that drive student transfer in the Central Asian context, specifically that of Kazakhstan. Through inductive coding of qualitative interviews with undergraduate transfer students in Kazakhstan, this research identifies student-centred factors of social embeddedness, parental influence in higher education decision-making, evolving career choice awareness, strategies for academic success, the quality of teaching and relationship ethics with students. While these factors influencing student transfer in Kazakhstan align with the existing Western context-based literature, the data in this research offer a localized perspective on what these factors mean in the context of a contemporary Central Asian country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]