1. “We see that entrepreneurship principles for faculty would help deepen applied
research for Kazakhstan.”
-Ms. Jessica Castleman, director of the Institute of
International Business at Washington State University
Central Asia is the ancestral homeland of the apple. Over
the past decade, a team of scientists from Washington
State University and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
conducted groundbreaking research on apple genomics to
combat future crop diseases. Nearly 60% of all U.S. apples
are produced in the state of Washington, contributing to
$2.5 billion.
Innovation is a key focal point for Washington State’s
economic engine, as it is home to global technology and
media companies that began as startups. In 2018, the
government of Kazakhstan launched Digital Kazakhstan,
a $1 billion initiative to accelerate the digital economy.
Leadership at Washington State University’s Carlson
College of Business saw an opportunity to advance
business education with higher education institutions in
Kazakhstan, given the existing research collaborations.
“Business does not just operate in the European Union, but
we realized that our faculty focused on Europe and needed
expand further around the world and get faculty to think
in different ways,” says Ms. Jessica Castleman, Director of
the Institute of International Business. “We never thought
about Kazakhstan until we learned about the research
collaborations already taking place across campus.”
With a grant awarded through the Central Asia University
Partnerships Program (UniCEN), administered by American
Councils and funded by the U.S. Department of State
through the Embassy in Kazakhstan, the Carlson College of
Business expanded its partnerships with Narxoz University
and Eurasian National University in the areas of business
research, curriculum, education, and pedagogy.
In spring 2019, Ms. Castleman and Dr. Sang An, Deputy Dean
for International Programs, visited the campuses of Eurasian
National University and Narxoz University to identify new
partnerships for business and entrepreneurship education.
Washington State University engages faculty as
“ambassadors” to expand their research areas and
support a move toward practical methods for students
to gain skills. WSU recognized the role their faculty
could play in serving as external mentors for Kazakh
Ph.D. students and offer opportunities for them to
conduct research at WSU.
Business students are also required to complete an
international experience to graduate. Dr. An and
Ms. Castleman outlined steps to establish unique,
faculty-led study abroad programs.
Since the visit to Kazakhstan in spring 2019, Washington
State strengthened its commitment to expanded
collaborations. “All Kazakhstan’s universities indicated
that they need international faculty to support their PhD
students as mentors,” says Ms. Castleman. “We have
international business fellows interested in the field and
we are looking forward to seeing how many partners we
can develop. For the whole college, this is a gain.”
EVERGREEN OPPORTUNITIES
In May 2019, Dr. Madina Subalova, Chair of the Management
Faculty and a Research at Narxoz University, and Dr.
Armiyash Nurmagambetova, Director of the Center of
Entrepreneurship at Eurasian National University visited
their colleagues at Washington State University to better
understand American approaches to entrepreneurship
teaching and university-industry relations.
A private institution, Narxoz University is a leader in
Kazakhstan higher education. Eurasian National University,
established in 1996, is a comprehensive university that has
recently prioritized entrepreneurship education to advance
its international rankings.
FROM APPLES TO
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
2. The delegation visited WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern
Washington Research & Extension Center to learn about the
university’s extension model, which engages researchers to
the surrounding community and business needs. “One of our
faculty members is an amazing researcher in horticulture,
who started a company in fruit trees,” notes Ms. Castleman.
“We see that entrepreneurship principles for faculty would
help deepen applied research for Kazakhstan.”
Dr. Subalova and Dr. Nurmagmbetova visited Seattle-area
companies, including aerospace manufacturer Boeing, civil
engineering firm McKinstry, and Schweitzer Engineering
Laboratories to better understand industry-university
collaborations. Faculty at the FUSE Accelerator, an on-
campus entrepreneurship center that is open for all students,
provided insights on how it builds entrepreneurship skills by
working with local business mentors.
As a result, the Carson College of Business looks forward to
deepening relationships with Ph.D. students and faculty, who
are open to modifying their curriculum and mentorships.
Business faculty would like to co-publish at a higher level,
using case study method.
In addition to business education, Washington State
University continues to see further alignments with
their own Ph.D. programs in agriculture and community
involvement in entomology, epidemiology, and crop
production. In late 2019, Dr. Zagipa Sapakhova,
Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Institute of
Plant Biology and Biotechnology at the Kazakh
National Agrarian University, spent 12 weeks at WSU
as a prestigious Borlaug Fellow funded by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to conduct research on
sustainable wheat production.
ABOUT UNICEN
Funded by the US Department of State through its missions
in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, UniCEN is a platform to
increase sustainable collaborations between US and
Central Asian higher education institutions. UniCEN builds
expertise in the areas of strategic planning, administration,
faculty policies and practices, student mobility, curriculum
development, and alumni relations to advance the
development of mutually beneficial partnerships.
ABOUT OUR PARTNERS
Washington State University Carson College
of Business
Since 1890, Washington State University has
inspired the next generation of problem solvers
in the fields of healthcare, clean energy, food
production, economic opportunity, and security.
The Carson College of Business stands among less
than 2 percent of business schools worldwide that
have achieved full accreditation in both business
and accounting from the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)—the
longest standing and most respected international
business program accrediting entity.
Narxoz University
Since the university’s founding in 1963, Narxoz
University has been the premier economics and
business university in Kazakhstan. The Narxoz
Business School offers internationally recognized
faculty in fields ranging from data analytics to social
entrepreneurship to future studies and forecasting.
Five research institutes and centers engage in high-
impact research, project and policy work that serves
Kazakhstan and the region.
L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
Founded in 1996, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian University
comprises 28 scientific institutions (research
institutes, laboratories, centers), 13 schools, and
cultural and educational centers of different
countries. The system of specialist training at the
university is conducted on the bachelor’s, master’s,
and Ph.D. levels in the humanities, social sciences,
natural sciences, engineering, and military science.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Adrian Erlinger | aerlinger@americancouncils.org
