CAMAN Newsletter

February 22, 2006

To the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Mrs. Byrgynym S. Aitimova

Dear Mrs. Minister,

Please accept our respect to you and the policy on reforming the educational system of Kazakhstan which is carried out by your Ministry.

After reviewing carefully the state program of education development in our country for the period 2005-2010, we realize that one of priorities is the task of introduction of innovative ideas and accreditation procedures of educational programs and higher educational institutions which meet international educational standards. To carry out above mentioned task, CAMAN (Central Asian Foundation for Management Development) can influence positively, as САМАN continues its activity on strategic introduction of accreditation of higher educational institutions in Central Asia taking into account international standards in business and economic education.

CAMAN offers a number of educational initiatives, which can be carried out in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science and joint sponsors' support in order to prepare specialists capable of establishing their own businesses, that in its turn, promotes small business development that is a part of the national economy.

CAMAN invites international experts to participate in accreditation process of business schools, development of business education in the region, organization of trainings and researches in the field of business.

In the strategic plan of CAMAN for 2006-2008, special attention is given to cooperation with the international accreditation agencies: EFMD, GFMD, CEEMAN, AACTR, RM Institute, and also to new accreditation agencies in the USA, Europe and Asia. CAMAN initiates new projects in the sphere of the sustainable partnership of higher educational institutions, business and all parties interested in reforming higher education. Thus, in 2006 CAMAN is carrying out two new projects, namely: "Development of Marketing Research" and "Development of Business" together with the American Association of Certification of Tutors and the Institute of Methods of Research at Stanford University in California.

Main objectives of CAMAN:

• To promote development of the international standards of business education accreditation in the Central-Asian region through inviting well-known experts: EFMD, GFMD, CEEMAN, Vanderbilt University, RM Institute, Mississippi Consortium for International Development, University of Tennessee, New Jersey Institute of Technology, State University of New York.
• To continue САМЕQ accreditation of higher educational institutions of Central Asia in close cooperation with the European Fund of Development of Management.
• To carry out Round Table on results of САМЕQ accreditation with the invitation of the participants of accreditation with the subsequent acceptance of the resolution and program of concrete actions of higher educational institutions on improvement of quality of business and economic education in the region.
• To organize training seminars on introduction of applied marketing researches and business development for the teachers of higher educational institutions and business elite.
• To create Central-Asian Case Study Center together with the USAID Project on Business and Economic education and CEEMAN.
• To promote close link between science and practice, strategic introduction of three stage training programs and development management education in the region.

During the last four years САМАN has shown its leading role in guaranteeing competitiveness of business education of Kazakhstan in the world educational community, namely: as a result of the joint project with the European Fund of Management Development (EFMD), САМЕQ or Central-Asian System of Quality of economic and administrative education was created for the first time.

In April 2005г. a number of higher educational institutions of Kazakhstan adequately presented the national system of Kazakhstan to the international community. Economic faculty of KarGU (Karaganda State University) named after Buketov, International Academy of Business, faculty of Business and Management of Pavlodar University successfully passed accreditation according to the international standards and received the diploma of САМЕQ. Institute "Zhetysu" (Taldykurgan) and Academy of Economy and Statistics (Almaty) took part in pilot accreditation process and received the certificate of САМЕQ. Now САМАN (72 higher educational institutions of Central Asia are the members САМАN) dynamically continues realization of strategic introduction of accreditation of higher educational institutions in Central Asia taking into account the development of international standards in business and economic education and makes its positive contribution to the course of accelerated development of economy, culture of Kazakhstan and its entry in the global processes of integration.

CAMAN has its printed edition "САМАN Herald", where initiates an open forum among teachers, businessmen and managers of companies for improvement of quality of business education and is the effective tool for promoting the educational state policy. In this connection, we offer to consider "САМАN Herald" as an obligatory magazine for leaders of higher educational institutions, managers of companies, enterprises and bring the edition of our magazine on the level VAK of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Thus, САМАN offers to consider the given letter as the offer to mutually advantageous cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science of RK and CAMAN. In this connection we ask you about the meeting to discuss joint activities on realization of the State Program of Development of higher education and realization of concrete projects between Ministry of Education and Science of RK and САМАN in the field of introduction of both European and world standards and criteria of accreditation of higher educational institutions.