ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: OVERVIEW OF ACADEMIC POLICIES IN KAZAKHSTANI UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

In order to align with the requirements of the Bologna declaration and to successfully integrate into the European Higher Education Area, the Kazakhstani government started the rapid implementation of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in the educational sector all over the country. This research paper aims to present a comprehensive overview of the academic policies surrounding the implementation of EMI in Kazakhstani higher education, specifically in 11 universities with full and partial EMI. EMI is considered to be an instrument that helps universities achieve their internationalization goals, such as student and faculty mobility, research collaboration, international ranking. The study employs content analysis of publicly available institutional policies and university official websites as a research method. It was found that while some Kazakhstani universities with EMI programs have defined clear institutional policies, regarding the internationalization processes, language requirements for admission, availability of language support for students, and internationalized curricula, others do not provide essential information on these processes. Overall, the document analysis revealed the deficiency of proper policy support that might hinder the effectiveness of EMI provision. Thus, the findings offer some important insights into how EMI implementation processes are reflected in the institutional academic policies and emphasize the need and urgency of addressing the revealed gaps to make the process beneficial for all stakeholders.