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This paper delves into challenges and opportunities of education for deaf and hard of hearing people (DHHP) in Kazakhstan. The number of people in deaf community in the country is ambiguous, and the number of affected children remains uncertain as well. Challenges include limited access to education on the vast territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a shortage of sign language interpreters and instructors, non-recognition of Kazakhstan Sign Language (KSL), and a lack of consensus on an appropriate balance between sign language and oral skills used in the educational process. Qualitative research is based on 11 interviews with representatives of the educational institutions for DHHP and Deaf Community, and compares the situation in Kazakhstan with that of deaf educational opportunities in Morocco. The author discusses possible ways of improving the current situation in the country, and maintaining the best practices already being used, including supporting existing special schools, advocating for the recognition and standardization of KSL, increasing professional opportunities available for deaf community, and determining effective balance between sign language and oral skills in DHHP education.

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In this paper, I argue that despite the growing literature on higher education internationalization in Central Asia, such literature still needs to be examined for its criticality. My integrative systematic review of the literature on higher education internationalization in Central Asia, denoting Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, helps address this lacuna. The paper utilizes critical internationalization perspectives to examine how much literature on internationalization in the region addresses the critical questions currently dominating the internationalization discourse globally. I analyzed 56 peer-reviewed journal articles published in English between 2012 and 2022 to address the following themes: (1) internationalization as Westernization, (2) internationalization and the modernization of the university, (3) internationalization equals Englishization, and (4) internationalization and the recreation of unequal relations. This systematic integrative review presents a picture of the academic work on higher education internationalization in Central Asia. I argue that internationalization in Central Asia has a unidirectional element, as seen in the growing number of international university branch campuses, the growing number of Western-educated faculty, and partnerships with Western universities, among many initiatives under the term internationalization. To Stein, these observations demonstrate that “Europeans (Westerners) are considered as the only viable knowledge creators and arbiters of legitimacy” (2017, p. S28). Such an observation is corroborated by the reviewed empirical studies that consistently characterize internationalization, scaffolded by the West, as modernization and development. The rapid growth of universities using English is widely reported, illustrating the language as the mainstay of the most desirable international higher education. The review paper argues that internationalization, as currently practised, is dominated by Western knowledge and, in the process, undermining non-Western knowledges and languages - a trend observed in Central Asia as Western universities and epistemological systems establish themselves. I conclude that the published work does not promote the reimagination of dominant patterns of relationship, representation and resource distribution. By providing a systematic review, I hope to help academics, researchers, students, administrators, and policymakers reflect upon and reimagine internationalization practices.

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This research paper delves into the role of the renowned poet Abulqasim Lahuti (1887-1957) in

the development of public education in Tajikistan. Originally from Iran, Lahuti faced persecution

for his revolutionary speeches against the Iranian Shah's regime, resulting in a death sentence

and imprisonment, from which he managed to escape.

Upon escaping from prison, from 1922 until his death, he permanently resided in the Soviet

Union. Lahuti is rightly considered one of the classics of the modern Tajik literature. Many

books have been written about him in the Republic of Tajikistan, and academic research is still

ongoing. However, practically nothing has been written about his work as the Head of the Tajik

Institute of Education. The Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (RGASPI) in

Moscow holds documents that show the role of Lahuti in the development of the Tajik Institute

of Education.

Through this research, Tahir Kalandarov tries to uncover some of the gaps in the history of

Tajik public education, shedding light on another aspect of the poet's personality, namely the

organizational skills of Lahuti.

Lahuti’s life in the 1920s and 1930s was marked by a whirlwind of complex socio-political

upheavals. He faced frequent harassment from his enemies and was compelled to write

numerous letters to state agencies of the Soviet Union, advocating for the importance of

preserving and advancing the Tajik Institute of Education.

Soviet historiography used to write laudatory odes about the role of the Bolshevik Party in the

development of public education in Central Asia. This study, however, shows that the

development of public education in Central Asia in the 1920s-1930s of the XX century was not

very favorable.

Kalandarov’s research reveals that despite the everyday and technical difficulties, many

prominent representatives of the Tajik Soviet Intelligentsia, such as the poet M. Tursun-zade, the

writer S. Ulug-zade, Professor M. Irkaev, the first Tajik General M. Tashmukhamedov, the state

official Z. Salomatshoev, and others, were educated within the walls of the Tajik Institute of

Education

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Geopolitical and educational strategies are increasingly intertwined, especially in the context of China's Belt and Road Initiative. China established the Northwestern Polytechnical University Kazakhstan Branch in 2023 in the Eurasian region, marking significant progress in the integration of higher education between China and Kazakhstan. This collaboration is an example of a strategic move to increase global influence through education cooperation, and raises several new research questions: How do political barriers and cultural differences affect the actual progress of bilateral educational integration? In the post-pandemic era, what challenges and opportunities do the new economic, social and technological environments present for China-Kazakhstan education cooperation? Can the development path of higher education integration between China and Kazakhstan fully utilize the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and promote educational exchanges and cooperation globally? This study aims to explore the factors and mechanisms of China-Kazakhstan higher education cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, identify achievements and discuss future integration paths.

Using various social science research methods such as literature review, focus groups, interviews and surveys, this study draws on government reports, policy documents, academic journals and global commentary. It comprehensively analyses the development of bilateral education cooperation during the Belt and Road Initiative, its key achievements and its impact on bilateral or multilateral relations. It also explores the macro-economic, political, and cultural motivations driving these collaborations, the meso-level policy formulation, talent introduction policies, industry trends, the establishment and expansion of academic exchange platforms, technological innovations, changes in market demand, as well as the micro-level individual and organizational drivers. The author identifies and assesses the new opportunities and challenges in China-Kazakhstan educational diplomacy, in particular the potential in promoting the employment environment and innovative education models, and the impact of external factors, and examines how these new opportunities are reshaping the future of bilateral educational exchanges. A novelty of this paper lies in referring to successful global education integration programmes such as the Bologna Process, Erasmus+, etc., while exploring the development and impact of China-Kazakhstan higher education cooperation in recent years and providing recommendations for future bilateral higher education integration.

The significance of this study lies in expanding the scope of research on BRI education policy in Eurasia, addressing the limitations of macroscopic approaches, and providing a robust empirical data base through a mixed-methods approach. It aims to deepen understanding of the long-term effectiveness of the cooperation and provide actionable policy recommendations.