Reporting Early Success of our National Initiative with the Ministry of Higher Education & Science, Republic of Kazakhstan to Prepare University Students for the Digital Economy

By Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera

In response to a rising expertise hole and accelerating inhabitants development, the Republic of Kazakhstan partnered with Coursera in March 2023 to uplevel their greater schooling system. By way of this partnership, the Ministry of Science and Larger Schooling got down to equip each college students and school with digital and different important expertise and credentials to reach a digital economic system. The Ministry has built-in over 650 programs from the world’s prime universities and corporations on Coursera for credit score throughout 25 public universities within the Republic. 

Nationwide implementation and swift adoption of assorted applications after the preliminary launch have been made potential by the shut collaboration of the federal government, greater schooling programs, and strategic companions equivalent to Bilim Media Group (BMG). Because the launch, 20,000 college students and school have signed up and spent practically 100,000 hours studying new expertise on-line, amassing 40,000 enrollments and finishing over 25,000 programs. 

“Within the context of globalization and digitalization, amid growing competitors within the world labor market, it’s crucial to ascertain a versatile and open nationwide schooling system that fosters steady studying and enhances skilled expertise. The initiation of the Coursera Qazaqstan Venture marks a major milestone, because it includes the interpretation of programs taught by world-renowned professors into Kazakh. This initiative holds paramount significance for our nation’s future, our language, and the general enhancement of schooling high quality and accessibility,” mentioned Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Larger Schooling, Republic of Kazakhstan.

The programs and credentials in this system, obtainable in Kazakh, English, and Russian languages, deal with high-demand STEM and digital expertise and profession readiness for college kids searching for digital jobs. This contains over 30 entry-level Skilled Certificates designed by trade leaders, together with Google, IBM, SAP, and Meta, to organize learners with no prior work expertise for entry-level careers in fields equivalent to cybersecurity, challenge administration, UX design, and software program improvement. 

“Inspiring pupil motivation requires extra than simply course localization. It necessitates the availability of methodological help and the mixing of those programs into the college curriculum,” mentioned Rauan Kenzhekhanuly, CEO, BMG.

The preferred programs from the initiative embrace: 

The exceptional progress of this program follows an impactful preliminary partnership with the Republic of Kazakhstan Ministry of Labor and Social Safety and Coursera Workforce Restoration Initiative in 2020, a pandemic response initiative that offered governments no-cost entry to Coursera to retrain displaced employees for in-demand jobs.

We’re excited to hitch forces with the Ministry of Science and Larger Schooling in empowering college college students with essential expertise to flourish within the digital economic system. The early success is a testomony to the demand for these job-ready applications and serves as a robust blueprint for the way governments and better schooling programs can collaborate to coach your complete pupil inhabitants with in-demand expertise utilizing Coursera. 

For extra details about Coursera for Authorities, go to coursera.org/authorities.