Clive Rowlands and Jim Seddon from the Community Education Division and David Alcock from the Jordanhill library are running an EU funded Tempus Project in Kazakhstan. The Project has developed from a Pre-Joint European Project in 1988. Consortium members (from University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, Noordelijke Hogeschool, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands and Ablai Khan University, Almaty, Kazakhstan) visited organisations in Almaty, Kazakhstan and in discussions, established the need for appropriately qualified professional workers.
The recently compiled needs analysis from the partner country university indicated the reasons for the planned new curriculum and the potential for its graduates to influence the continued development of their country in these areas of severe need.
The wider objectives show that the project seeks to make a major contribution to social welfare in order to benefit the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in the state. This in turn will contribute to social justice and human rights.
Ablai Khan University wishes, based on the needs analysis, through the JEP, to establish a Masters Degree that will assist them to achieve their mission to advance knowledge and to apply that knowledge for the fulfilment of human potential through the prevention and amelioration of social problems. Further they are committed to promoting the values of social and economic justice, advocating for a society that respects the dignity and achievement of all individuals, families and communities.
The University seeks to develop new curricula (a Masters in Social Education) to equip its graduates to work in these areas. The goals will be:-
- 1. Educate professional social educators with the knowledge, skills and values needed to engage in culturally competent practice with diverse populations and communities, to critically analyse personal, familiar and environmental factors affecting practice settings and practice techniques, and to advocate for those who confront barriers to maximising the achievement of their fullest potential.
- 2. Engage in scholarly activities that contribute to professional knowledge about complex social problems and innovate approaches to ameliorate those problems.
- 3. Provide service to local, national and international communities through the development of and participation in collaborations with social agencies, community-based organisations, government and foundations.
More information about the JEP ‘Social Education, Kazakhstan' can be found on the Project website: