Abstract:

The paper will present some findings from an ongoing research on faculty and students’ perspectives on newly implemented Ph.D. programs compared to aspirantura and doctorantura. While continuing traditional Kandidat Nauk and Doktor Nauk programs, universities in Kyrgyzstan started offering western models of Ph.D. programs in 2013. Offering Ph.D. programs seems to be a logical transition to the completion of three-level structure in the higher education system—Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. However, the Ministry of Education Ph.D. requirements are not realistic in the current higher education context of Kyrgyzstan. There are still debates among university faculty about the level of a Ph.D. degree, they do not fully understand the differences between Ph.D. and Kandidat Nauk or Doktor Nauk degrees. The universities started admitting students to Ph.D. programs without clear academic policies and procedures. In addition, there are no faculty with western Ph.D. degrees among the heads of the Ph.D. programs in public universities. Consequently, none of the Ph.D. programs can assure the quality of education in these new programs without creating sufficient faculty resources and funding. According to the Regulations of the KR on postgraduate professional education (Ph.D.) (Decree #601 of the KR, 2020, December 11), doctorate students should complete two or three years of course work, conduct independent research, should have research internship abroad not less than a month, and publish not less than two research articles in the scientific journals of WEB of Science and Scopus. For example, the Kyrgyz State Technical University’s Ph.D. program requires three months of internship abroad and an international supervisor who should come to Kyrgyzstan for six months. A student should pay all the expenses for his/her stay in a foreign country during his/her internship, and the stay of the international supervisor in Kyrgyzstan. Students cannot afford these expenses (personal communications, July 2023). Moreover, they cannot do internships or work with an international supervisor without proper command of a foreign language. This is one of the main reasons for local students not to join Ph.D. programs. It is easier to do Kandidat Nauk as students in Aspirantura must take only three exams: foreign language, philosophy, and major subject. It does not require an internship abroad or international supervisor, and it is mainly independent research without taking any research courses.