REGULATORY AND LEGAL FOUNDATIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION MODERNIZATION IN KAZAKHSTAN AND UZBEKISTAN: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

In the process of developing a knowledge society, the global community faces new challenges that have triggered large-scale modernization processes in education at conceptual, structural-organizational, and content-procedural levels. Under these circumstances, the global labor market demands high-quality training of human capital capable of innovative development across all areas of life. In this regard, the regulatory and legal framework for reforms in higher education plays a crucial role, as it determines the direction, pace, and sustainability of modernization processes. In the context of Central Asian countries, this aspect reflects the aspiration to harmonize national educational standards with international requirements while preserving and promoting cultural and historical traditions. A comparative analysis of the regulatory and legal foundations for higher education development in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan makes it possible to identify common trends and differences in approaches to modernization, internationalization, and quality assurance in education. Studying this experience has both scientific and practical significance for understanding the factors contributing to reform effectiveness and the potential for mutual enrichment. The purpose of the article is to reveal the regulatory and legal foundations of the higher education systems in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan at the beginning of the 21st century, as well as to identify similarities and differences in the directions of modernization, internationalization, and quality assurance of higher education in these countries.