Aspects of Digital Transformation of Higher Education in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The scientific article analyzes current trends in the digital transformation of higher education in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The digital transformation of the education system in any country is based on the integration of digital technologies and solutions into the processes of the organization. New solutions, in turn, make it possible to comprehensively modernize university models, as well as increase the efficiency of their activities and develop their competitive advantages. In the context of the global digitalization of higher education, it is important for Kazakhstan to use technological potential to ensure a leading position in the educational industry of the region, as well as, with the help of innovative systems, to solve internal issues of a socio-economic nature. Since the processes of digital transformation of higher education are based on digitalization, the key concepts and practices of “digitalization” and its role in the higher education system have been studied. The authors, along with the Kazakh experience, also considered the strategies of digital transformation of higher education in foreign countries: Italy and Norway. During the study, a set of general scientific and special methods of cognition was used, with the help of which the processes and phenomena considered in the work were analyzed. Despite the differences in the level of development, in comparison with foreign countries, Kazakhstan has similar approaches to determining priorities for the digital transformation of the university system. Digitalization provides significant opportunities for Kazakhstan to improve educational innovation. The analysis shows that digital technologies in education make it possible to ensure a change in discourse from the model when the university taught, to the model when the university is transformed into a space for self-development of students in professional and business activities, as well as a zone of influence on sectors of the economy. In an environment of increasing multidisciplinarity, the active role of the state in digital transformation makes it possible to orient universities to the new needs of stakeholders. This research was funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (grant no. BR21882302 Kazakhstani society in the context of digital transformation: prospects and risks).