Evaluation of the effectiveness of state and university support measures in capacity building of early-career researchers at the regional universities in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Background: The strategy of the modern educational policy of Kazakhstan endeavours to develop the human capital of Kazakhstani youth as the intellectual foundation of the nation. Despite the intensive development of the network of scientific organisations in Nur-Sultan and Almaty that remain the main scientific centres of the country, among the challenges for the higher education system, the low scientific activity of regional universities is stated. Purpose: This study aims to explore the effectiveness of state and institutional support measures in building the research capacity of early-career researchers at regional universities of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Design/methodology/approach: The research methodology is based on a review and analysis of literature and documents on the state and institutional support of young researchers in Kazakhstan; an analysis of the effectiveness of measures for building the research capacity of young researchers at the regional universities of the Republic of Kazakhstan; and a survey of young researchers from regional universities in Western Kazakhstan. Findings: The study results highlight the fact that the effectiveness of state and institutional support measures in capacity building of early-career researchers at the regional universities in the Republic of Kazakhstan is associated with attracting scientific mentors, including research activities into the teaching workload, providing freedom of action and a creative day for research, launching a bonus pay for research activities, centralising and organizing the work of the Boards of Young Scientists consisting of the highly-qualified research staff of universities on a country level. Conclusions: The study offers insights on developing a new mechanism for building the research capacity of young scientists in the regional universities of the Republic of Kazakhstan and launching mentoring programs for early-career researchers.