Modeling of publication performance using a system dynamics approach: Evidence from Kazakhstan

This study aims to identify challenges in the training of scientific personnel in the field of social sciences and humanities at the doctoral level in Kazakhstan. It proceeds from the assumption that successful completion of a Ph.D. program is conditioned by internal and external factors that influence the educational process and may lead to challenges in Ph.D. thesis defense. The study employs an explanatory-sequential approach within a mixed-methods design, incorporating economic-statistical, regression, and content analysis. Data were gathered through questionnaires from 61 current students and graduates of Ph.D. programs in the social sciences and humanities. Findings indicate that having a job made it more challenging for respondents to study and complete their Ph.D. programs, as employment requires time and effort; however, the additional monthly income besides scholarship helped reduce financial stress, thereby supporting their academic progress. Women found studying easier than men, while married respondents experienced fewer challenges than single ones. Although 36.1% of respondents expressed high satisfaction with Ph.D. training quality, the majority reported challenges, with 65.65% noting issues in the educational process, 52.5% identifying problems in scientific supervision, 33% raising concerns about teacher qualifications, and 25% highlighting infrastructure needs. Key factors influencing Ph.D. completion rates included an unstable study environment, characterized by frequent changes in regulations, and students’ difficulties in meeting government-imposed requirements, especially publication in a Scopus database journal. The study’s practical value is developing measures to enhance Ph.D. thesis defense rates by improving admission requirements, restricting external employment, increasing supervisor accountability, and adjusting publication standards.

Acknowledgments
This research has been funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (AP19680246 “Building up highly intelligent human resources in the conditions of digitalization of the economy of Kazakhstan: problems and prospects”, 2023–2025) and supported the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs (program “Advancing data-driven solutions by strengthening partnerships between the scientific, academic and civil sectors in Central Asia”, 2023–2024).

During the pandemic and russia’s war against Ukraine, higher education shifted to hybrid and distance learning, with some universities forced to adapt or relocate from occupied territories. This article analyzes the institutional, spatial, and financial aspects of Ukraine’s higher education market (1990–2023), focusing on financial data from 2020–2023 across 24 regions and Kyiv, excluding occupied territories. The calculated results based on concentration levels and the Herfindahl-Hirschman index for the number of educational institutions, students, and postgraduate students showed that the higher education market is highly competitive, with an uneven geographical distribution between regions. The analysis of the level of concentration of financial resources among higher education institutions, calculated based on state funding, showed that the distribution of financial resources among universities is relatively even (in 2023, the 20 largest higher education institutions accumulated more than 43.5% of total state funding). The share of state resources aimed at developing the scientific potential of higher education institutions decreased for the 20 largest higher education institutions from 58% in 2020 to 55% in 2022. Non-parametric correlation analysis revealed a low correlation between the amount of general funding for higher education institutions and the amount of revenues to the special fund for research, which indicates insufficient support and prioritization of the scientific sector in the country. These conclusions can be used in implementing the reform (balancing and optimization) of the existing educational network in Ukraine, which has been actively pursued in recent years.

In advanced economies, the acceleration of scientific and technological progress, the introduction of innovations are connected with the opportunities for developing the knowledge economy, commercialization of technologies and innovation transfer networks. The current stage of scientific and technical progress takes place in conditions of dynamic global competition and at the same time requires cooperation and collaboration. This paper aims to determine the dependence of economic development on indicators characterizing the potential of a country’s knowledge economy and transfer of innovations. The study focuses on finding ways to assess the impact of the potential of the country’s scientific and educational activities on innovative development using the characteristics of the “business-education-science” system in the field of innovation transfer. The methodological research tools are the abstract-logical method and correlation-regression analysis, which allowed establishing relevant links between the indicators of the development of education, science and the economy in the context of the knowledge economy and the transfer of innovations for Ukraine and European countries in the period 2016–2021. It was found that in many countries of the “new” Europe (Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Portugal), as well as in Ukraine, the trend of independence of GDP growth from indicators of the development of science and education is maintained. At the same time, the countries of “old” Europe maintain their innovative progress at a high level, investing in science-intensive activities, infrastructure and the R&D sector. The results can be used to improve the efficiency of innovation transfer in Ukraine, for which the paper provides relevant recommendations.