From this year on, it became possible to get two diplomas from Kazakh and American universities without leaving Kazakhstan. The Manash Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University in Petropavl has started collaborating with a university in Arizona. 170 students from different cities of the state are currently studying there for free. The most popular majors are IT, engineering, agro- and biotechnologies.
“It is a unique opportunity for Petropavl city to have students at the university in Arizona. Professors in Arizona are distinct from the Kazakh ones. All our classes are taught in English language and we can talk with native speakers fluently,” student Altyn Nurmazanova shared.
“A dual degree student finishes his or her studies with two diplomas. A diploma from the US university is exactly the same as if the student would go there. Of course, there was a selection process. One of the main requirements for dual degrees is knowledge of English. That is, they had to pass a certification exam or our own exam,” noted Damel Mektepbayeva, member of Management Board of the North Kazakhstan University.
The international teaching staff were selected for the work on dual degree program. A modern educational facility with plenty of scientific and virtual labs is under construction. In addition, fourth-year students will be able to go to Arizona for one semester. Experts believe that all this will increase the competitiveness of university graduates in Kazakhstan.
“We think that the work we are putting into practice now is of great importance. Young people used to go abroad to get an education. Some of them stayed there, but thanks to this program, now students have the opportunity to get a foreign graduation certificate in the home country,” said Akmaral Ibrayeva, Advisor to Chairman of Executive Board-Rector of the North Kazakhstan University.
