An Analysis of Kazakhstan-Turkey Cooperation in the Field Higher Education

This article is devoted to a historiographical analysis of the works of researchers who have developed scholarly interpretations of cooperation in the field of higher education between the Republic of Turkey and Kazakhstan – fraternal states with “shared historical roots”. Where Turkey was the first to recognize the independence of Turkic-speaking countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The novelty of the article lies in identifying the opportunities and challenges of cooperation in higher education between Kazakhstan and Turkey through an examination of issues raised in the works of Kazakhstani, Turkish and Russian scholars who have analyzed initiatives implemented in this field. The main objective of the study is to identify the key issues highlighted by researchers by analyzing studies that examine Turkey’s policy in the sphere of higher education in Kazakhstan (including Central Asia) within the context of the internationalization of education. While considering the challenges related to bilateral cooperation in higher education. In the course of the research, the authors arrive at the following conclusions: Turkey played a pioneering role in the 1990’s in addressing Kazakhstan’s human resource needs during its transition to a market economy and contributed to the internationalization of higher education. In addition, by facilitating the creation of common platforms uniting Turkic-speaking peoples, Turkey enhanced its role in foreign policy. At the same time, its “soft power” policy in the cultural and educational spheres – particularly its support for young people in the cultural and educational spheres, its support for young people from Central Asia in higher education – has helped transform Turkey into an academically attractive hub. While its active involvement in training specialists across various fields has strengthened its reputation as one of the key players in the region.