Assessing the Global Competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s Higher Education System: A Triple Helix Approach to Innovation and Institutional Development

Abstract

The growing global competition for human capital and knowledge economies places increasing demands on national higher education systems to enhance quality, international integration, and innovation capacity. In Kazakhstan, higher and postgraduate education have become key drivers of technological development and economic competitiveness. Despite ongoing policy reforms aimed at expanding institutional autonomy, modernizing academic programs, strengthening research capacity, and internationalizing universities, significant systemic challenges remain. This study assesses the global competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s higher education system through the lens of the Triple Helix model. The research is based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 experts representing the three helices: government agencies, universities, and industry. Findings reveal several persistent constraints limiting competitiveness, including uneven implementation of university autonomy, fragmented funding mechanisms, weak integration between academia and industry, and an overreliance on quantitative performance indicators at the expense of educational and research quality. Experts also highlighted insufficient international collaboration and regulatory barriers as factors hindering academic mobility and innovation development. At the same time, opportunities for strengthening competitiveness were identified, particularly in improving governance frameworks, aligning funding models with performance quality indicators, expanding international research partnerships, and enhancing institutional support for innovative ecosystems. The study provides evidence-based policy recommendations for modernizing governance and financing mechanisms, reinforcing international engagement, and fostering stronger university–industry collaboration to promote sustainable development and global competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s higher education system. The scientific novelty of this study lies in identifying the "decoupling" effect, a significant gap, between the formal adoption of international standards and actual institutional practices within the context of Kazakhstan’s transitional economy.