British Council funds Kazakh-British Technical University visit to Henley Business School
On 6 March 2023 Henley Business School's Centre for Euro-Asian Studies (CEAS) hosted a delegation from the Kazakh-British Technical University (KBTU) to discuss the digitalisation of the higher education sector. The visit was part of the INTERLINKS research project, sponsored by the British Council.
During the visit, key players discussed the vision and strategy for the Kazakh-British Centre for Competitiveness, a joint centre established in 2015 in partnership between the KBTU and Henley Business School. Sharing student engagement experiences with academic staff and how to use digital tools in student learning and academic teaching and marking were high on the agenda.
At Henley, we are proud to pioneer innovative teaching and learning methods and are proud to work with our international partners to share knowledge and develop best practices.
The INTERLINKS project, set up in September 2022, is a continuation by the British Council to explore the digitalisation of the higher education sector and improve transnational digital education approach in both the UK and Kazakhstani partner universities. The overall goal is to determine the factors behind the acceptance academic staff and students may or may not have towards digital teaching and learning, which will be reported on in policy suggestions for the Ministry of Education.
The KBTU, based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, is a longstanding partner of the CEAS. The two institutions have worked in tandem for several years on two other British Council initiatives, the Creative Spark project and the Newton Fund.
Professor Assel Jumasseitova, Professor of Economics and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at the KBTU, was greeted by Professor Yelena Kalyuzhnova, the Director of the CEAS. Dr Tatiana Rowson, Dr Matteo Borghi and PhD student Olena Khlystova were also involved from Henley Business School's side, along with visiting researcher and KBTU alumnus Murat Ospanov.
Reflecting on the visit, Olena Khlystova said: "It was a great visit of long-standing partner. We have discussed further development of our Creative Spark project, as well as avenues for the promotion of emerging impact case studies. Meetings with the KBTU are always a pleasure; such meetings provide us with new energy and ideas."