Kazakhstan has implemented numerous policy reforms to improve its research environment since 1991, experiencing both positive changes and critical challenges. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive investigation of the country’s research environment. Our materials include statistical data, science policy reports, bibliometric data from Scopus, and interview responses. Using descriptive statistics and regression analysis, we analyze the country’s publication capacity, key characteristics, and science funding by the government. We critically review significant policy reforms and conduct interviews with subject matter experts. Our findings suggest there has been an increasing number of publications and growth in citations since joining the Bologna process in 2010, and that there is a high positive correlation between the volume of science funding and publication output, development levels across fields of science, and focus from science on commercialization of science. The challenges relate to publishing in international journals, government financing and commercialization, researcher capacity, scientific areas, and international collaboration. Our contributions to scholarly communication and science policy are two-fold. First, we present the relationship between several factors/policies and the research environment. Second, we reveal the main challenges Kazakhstan and its academic community have experienced which can be considered by stakeholders, including the government, academic institutions, researchers, and other developing countries.

Governments enter into public–private partnership (PPP) agreements to attract private financing and bring innovation to the development of their sustainable public infrastructure; however, PPP projects are marked by their complexity and are driven by uncertain economic and institutional environments. The purpose of this study is to conduct a cross-country comparison of PPP risks in three developing countries (Colombia, Kazakhstan, and Ghana) and provide insights into their best practices. The research surveyed diverse risk factors involving 261 local respondents with pertinent experience in PPPs. The study conducted Cronbach’s alpha and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance tests to check the validity of responses, an ANOVA test to examine the differences in the risk perceptions, and risk ranking to reveal the country-specific as well as top-rank risks in the countries. The results of the quantitative analysis revealed risk aversion among developing countries with PPP programs at different maturity stages. Less mature programs, with lower overall investment, exhibited greater overall risk aversion (for Kazakhstan) and greater concerns about transparency and corruption (for Ghana). Highly populated countries with more mature PPP programs that rely significantly on transportation projects demonstrated higher risk aversion regarding the social and political legitimacy of PPPs and land acquisition (for Colombia).

This paper examines the transformation of higher education and science (HES) in Kazakhstan based on a systematic review of the literature. Drawing on an analysis of 62 peer-reviewed articles, it explores how initiatives such as Digital Kazakhstan, the Bolashak scholarship, and higher-education reforms have influenced the effectiveness of institutions and scientific developments. Government efforts have been made toward achieving a major transformation in HES to create a different environment and system. Our analysis identifies key trends, structural barriers and drivers, and incentive factors in the development of the sector, including problems related to financing, bureaucratic fragmentation, and international cooperation. The results reveal that reforms have been focused on the modernization of pedagogy, trilingual policies, the integration of digital technologies, and internationalization. This paper highlights the key role of government initiatives targeted toward policy changes to ensure transparency, innovativeness, and inclusivity in HES. This work will provide a valuable resource for policy makers, academic leaders, and international stakeholders interested in emerging economies.