Human Capital, White Elephants, and Global Competitiveness: Predicament of Distorted Educational Policy Borrowing in Kazakhstan's Universities

Global competitiveness is like the lion and the impala roaming the open field in the Serengeti looking for booty. Each freely comes and goes but with a prize for the impala to pay because the mighty lions are in control and can consume the small and weak animals at their discretion. The analogy of the lion and the impala above signifies the generally implied notion of incursions of advanced knowledge-based economies in less developed countries. This study investigates the possibilities offered by indiscriminate educational policy borrowing from advanced knowledge-based economies to reform human capital development and make Kazakhstan's universities globally competitive. The article critically examines and reformulates the beliefs about human capital and how it induces development and enhances global competitiveness. The present inquiry utilizes a qualitative methodology case study to investigate the global competitiveness goals behind educational policy borrowing in Kazakhstan. We draw a linkage between global competitiveness and educational policy borrowing. Our findings indicate that educational policy borrowing in context is a means of advancement that streams development criteria into global competitiveness. Whereas it is essential to become closer to advanced knowledge-based economies, it is also important to find ways to avoid the forfeiture of the best accomplishments of national education, self-identity, and culture.