The Supreme Audit Chamber of Kazakhstan has uncovered violations in the administration of the Bolashak program. According to chamber member Kaskyn Kaskin, scholarships were awarded to 40 students who did not meet the general selection criteria, based on individual decisions by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. This cost the state 7.7 billion tenge.
Additionally, 151 scholarships were granted beyond the approved limit. Particularly notable is the artificial intelligence block: out of 54 planned scholarships, only five were actually awarded, with the remaining 49 redistributed to other fields.
A survey of teachers, students, and graduates confirms these findings. 46% of teachers consider salaries uncompetitive. 41% of students describe the programs as outdated and impractical, while 45% believe university infrastructure does not meet modern requirements.
