This article examines the benefits and drawbacks associated with distance/online learning in Kazakhstan during the Covid-19 pandemic. The responses of the 31,300 parents surveyed, as well as in-depth interviews with 65 parents, are used to construct several regression models to better understand how parents perceive the educational quality of distance/online learning in today’s circumstances. The regression results show that the age of the parent and the level of family income are positively correlated with the parents’ level of satisfaction with the provided distance/online learning, while the number of children in a family is negatively related to the parents’ satisfaction with the learning process. The study finds a statistically significant association between parents’ satisfaction with the quality of education and their assessment of teachers’ competencies, and the level of government readiness to switch to the distance/online learning format.

The article analyzes the factors that impact corruption perception at individual levels. Based on a survey of 12,010 Kazakhstanis, the study investigates people’s assessment of corruption in Kazakhstan and their attitudes toward government anticorruption policy. The result reveals that, on average, the population perceives that a high rate of corruption exists in Kazakhstan. Simultaneously, the regression analysis shows that there are three main determinants that affect people’s perception of corruption. First, and most saliently, regional and cultural backgrounds do have an impact on people’s perception of corruption levels. In addition, the study results reveal that among the participants’ demographic and social qualifiers, the education level has considerable influence in driving perceptions. Finally, the findings point out that actual experience with corruption play a significant role in forming views regarding the overall level of corruption in the country.

In recent years, Kazakhstan has demonstrated a strong commitment to make the civil service system open and transparent to its citizens. The country has introduced an e-government system to improve access to information and allow public consultation on civil service. Reforms of the civil service aim to reduce corruption in the civil service and to ensure a transition to a career-based model, meritocracy, and result-based remuneration. This study aims to expand the literature on the civil servants’ appraisal toward new civil service reforms both in Kazakhstan and in worldwide. As a part of the broad investigation, this research provides the results of a sociological survey examining the assessment of civil servants toward recent civil service reforms in Kazakhstan. The survey has been conducted among 14,250 respondents aged 20 years and older from 14 regions of Kazakhstan, including three cities of republican significance and the capital city of the country – Astana. According to the survey results, civil servants are satisfied with the current state of the civil service system in Kazakhstan. The items on satisfaction mainly refer to the working conditions in the government agencies like work schedules and organizational climate. The research further reveals factors influencing the general evaluation of civil servants, as well as the most critical problems in the national civil service system.

Political crises, socio-economic issues, and industrial shocks in Kazakhstan highlight the need for prompt and proficient government responses to mitigate their consequences. Public managers must possess the capability to assume responsibility and communicate effectively. This study aims to analyze the level of communication competencies among civil servants in Kazakhstan to assess their status and propose approaches for enhancement. The study utilized a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative survey and qualitative interviews. The quantitative phase involved the distribution of structured questionnaires to civil servants across diverse departments (n = 4,790), aiming to evaluate existing communication competencies, identify strengths and weaknesses, and comprehend prevailing communication issues. The qualitative component included in-depth interviews with selected participants to better understand their experiences and views on communication in the public service sector (n = 27 experts). Research findings define the existing problems and barriers that hinder the development of the communicative competencies of civil servants. Most respondents (25%) believe that problems stem from a lack of understanding of information and citizens’ reluctance or inability to interact with government agencies, while 16% attribute issues to civil servants’ behavioral barriers. Smaller percentages point to language barriers (11%), emotional barriers (9%), cultural barriers (6%), and gender barriers (3%) as contributing factors. Additionally, the study revealed a lack of systematic training and support for developing effective communication skills among government employees. The study suggests several approaches to improve communication competencies, such as targeted training programs, cross-departmental collaboration, and organizational culture promotion. Acknowledgment The study was carried out within the framework of grant funding from the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (IRN AP14872210).

The issues of social, cultural, and language adjustment and the integration of repatriates into the Kazakhstani society are crucial factors in maintaining a stable society. The complicated process of self-identification of ethnic Kazakhs is a major aspect of their sociolinguistic “penetration” into Kazakh society. In this work we consider the formative process of the ethnolinguistic identification as Kazakhstani repatriates. We also analyze the complex language situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the language policy of the country toward the Kazakh diaspora in other countries. The results of our sociolinguistic experiment of 1,000 repatriates are presented in this article.