The Diploma Disease in Central Asia: Students' Views about Purpose of University Education in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan

Autor/in	Jonbekova, Dilrabo
Titel	The Diploma Disease in Central Asia: Students' Views about Purpose of University Education in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan
Quelle	In: Studies in Higher Education, 45 (2020) 6, S.1183-1196 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Jonbekova, Dilrabo)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0307-5079
DOI	10.1080/03075079.2019.1628199
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Educational Attitudes; Role of Education; Employment Potential; Education Work Relationship; Educational Mobility; Academic Degrees; Credentials; Employment Qualifications; College Seniors; Economics Education; Legal Education (Professions); Young Adults; Income; Labor Market; Quality of Life; Student Characteristics; Kazakhstan; Tajikistan + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Educational attitude; Bildungsverhalten; Erziehungseinstellung; Bildungsauftrag; Arbeitsmarktbezogene Qualifikation; Beschäftigungsfähigkeit; Bildungsmobilität; Degree; Degrees; Academic level graduation; Akademischer Grad; Hochschulabschluss; Studienbuch; Employment qualification; Vocational qualification; Vocational qualifications; Berufliche Qualifikation; College; Colleges; Senior; Hochschule; Fachhochschule; Wirtschaftskunde; Juristischer Beruf; Young adult; Junger Erwachsener; Einkommen; Labour market; Arbeitsmarkt; Lebensqualität; Kasachstan; Tadschikistan
Abstract	This paper examines students' views about the purpose of university education and its role in their future employability in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Data was gathered through focus groups with 172 undergraduate students. Findings suggest that due to socio-economic pressures, students largely see the purpose of university in terms of its economic value, namely enhanced access to employment opportunities and improved financial wellbeing. While future career prospects are key motivation to pursue a university degree, this study shows that the perceived role of university credentials in employability is declining. Due to an oversupply of graduates and limited employment opportunities, employers have raised the bar for qualifications to select job candidates. Coupled with an undergraduate degree perceived as an 'incomplete degree', students are driven to earn more educational credentials; leading to a greater supply of graduates and what appears to be a widespread occurrence of 'diploma disease'. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01