NU Research Week - II
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These proceedings present abstract of the projects conducted at Nazarbayev University and presented at the NU Research Week-II conference which was held in Astana on November 24-28, 2014. The purpose of the conference was to present the research conducted at NU, as well as to foster links for collaboration. This event also gave an opportunity for undergraduate, Master and PhD students to familiarise themselves with the variety of research topics available at NU and meet with their participants. During the Conference over 200 papers were presented. They focus on flagship programs within the three strategic multi-disciplinary thematic pillars: 1) Healthier and longer life;
2) Earth observation, exploration and conservation; 3) Socio-economic development. These pillars leverage the institutional strengths, and are aligned to the needs and strategic directions of the Republic of Kazakhstan with an expectation of exciting discoveries at the research frontiers.
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Item Open Access The ternary subspace and symmetric part of an operator space(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Kaneda, M.In 2003, V. I. Paulsen and I denned the ternary subspace of an operator space as the intersection of the space and the adjoint of its quasi-multiplier space. Recently, M. Neal and B. Russo defined the completely symmetric part of an operator space by considering the symmetric part of the matrix of infinite size w i t h entries in the operator space, and posed the question: Under what conditions does it consist of the adjoint of quasi-multipliers? I give a partial answer to this question revealing the relationship between the ternary subspace and the completely symmetric part.Item Open Access Energy systems modeling of Kazakhstan on a country and regions level(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Kerimray, A.; Kolyagin, I.; Suleimenov, B.; De Miglio, R.; Tosato, G.C.Climate change, energy safety, energy resources scarcity issues require policies and measures which are based quantitative and qualitative assessment of the whole chain of the energy system starting from extraction to transformation, distribution and consumption. TIMES modeling instrument allows to produce long term scenarios to conduct in-depth energy and environmental analyses.Item Open Access Students' perceptions of the role of their NIS experience in their academic performance at Nazarbayev University(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Almukhambetova, A.Government support of gifted children in Kazakhstan is based in understanding human capital as a main component of the country's further successful economic development. In 2009, the government of Kazakhstan launched a project of intellectual schools, a policy which has the aim to accelerate the development of education system and in turn, the country. Since 2010, graduates of NIS have been entering higher education institutions in Kazakhstan and abroad. It is thus interesting to examine how the students undergo their transition from secondary school to post-secondary education and how well they are prepared to study at the university of international standard.Item Open Access Intelligent voice system for kazakh(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Yessenbayev, Zh.; Karabalayeva, M.; Sharipbayev, A.; Shamayeva, F.; Saparkhojayev, N.; Kalibekov, M.; Yapanel, U.The proposed project is dedicated to developing a prototype of an intelligent voice system with an interactive dialog mode in the Kazakh language for call-centers, information desks and dispatching services. Mathematical models and software of the system were developed. This includes the development of the algorithms of speech recognition and synthesis of words and phrases in Kazakh as well as the collection and processing of speech data for training and testing the system.Item Open Access Pharmacoeconomic analysis of type 2 diabetes mellitus by vildagliptin medication in Kazakhstan(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Yelekenova, A.; Bektur, C.; Nurgozhin, T.This study is aimed to determine cost-effectiveness of vildagliptin in comparison with sitagliptin for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from the perspective of Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan.Item Open Access Development of a systems-level design language(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Tyler, B. J.This project will result in design tools and technologies that will facilitate the creation of complex, heterogeneous systems that meet requirements. From a more pure-research perspective, this project will also lay the foundation for further work into modeling language development and the application of verification and validation techniques to system design.Item Open Access Different strokes for different folks: emerging market MNE'S internationalization PATHS(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Subramanian, V.; Celly, N.One of the more important trends in global business has been the rapid and widespread internationalization of firms from so-called Emerging Markets. In this paper, we seek to first describe and then theoretically explain various pathways adopted by these firms. We argue that a combination of home and host country locational characteristics, ownership advantages and disadvantages and firm strategy underlie a more comprehensive explanation of different paths of EM MNEs" outward FDI.Item Open Access On cognitive readiness in construction decision making(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Mgbere, C.; Pantouvakis, J. P.; Sadri, S.Cognitive readiness (CR) in construction is the mental, emotional and interpersonal skills that relate to the way project teams perceive, remember, think, speak and solve problems. CR compliments the necessary technical and contextual competences, and is necessary for making appropriate decisions in real-world problems. The investigation of cognitive enablers and barriers as well as their prioritization, adaptation and implementation in construction projects is the subject ofthe work described here.Item Open Access Fun with formal methods is more than fun(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Shilov, N. V.Almost half of a century has passed since Robert W. Floyd published the first research that explicitly discussed formally how to assign meaning to programs. But recently David L. Parnas have called Really Rethinking "Formal Methods", to question the assumptions underlying the well-known current formal software development methods to see why they have not been widely adopted and what should be changed. So, things are right where they started decades ago? Not at all, since industrial applications of Formal Methods are not the unique measure of success. Another dimension where we can discuss utility of Formal Methods could be better education. A very popular (in Russia) aphorism of Mikhail Lomonosov (the first Russian academician) says: "Mathematics should be learned just because it disciplines and bring up the mind". Similarly, Formal Methods discipline and bring up minds in Computer Science. and help to bridge a "cultural gap" (E.W.Dijkstra) between Mathematics and Computer Science.Item Open Access ALIAS calculus for a simple imperative language(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Shilov, N. V.This research has been supported by Nazarbayev University Seed Grant KF-14/16 "Research of Formal Models for analysis of programs with Dynamic Memory".Item Open Access The politics of immigration control in Russia(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Schenk, C.Despite a visa-free regime among all CIS countries, Russia has become increasingly restrictive in its policies regulating migrants" access to the labor market. In particular, Russia instituted a quota in 2007 that regulates how many work permits will be issued in each year. This quota has decreased dramatically since its institution and since 2008 has stood well below the actual labor needs of the Russian economy. The quota mechanism has been criticized by numerous experts in Russia for not being in line with labor market need, for being based on political factors more than economic prerequisites, and for having complicated feedback mechanisms between employers and government ministries. According to migration experts in Russia, quotas are "determined through a complicated and multilayered mechanism not backed by any serious methodology" (Ioffe & Zayonchkovskaya, 2010). The goal of this poster presentation is to assess the rationale and methodology for quota formulation set out in government documents. By assessing whether the methodology prescribed by the government is used consistently across regions and identifying potential gaps in the methodology, we can begin to assert whether the criticisms of the quota mechanism have merit and start to identify additional factors that need to be considered.Item Open Access Development of strategic directions for education reforms in Kazakhstan for 2015-2020(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Sagintayeva, A.This study presents a roadmap report of current developments in the academic system of Kazakhstan. The report puts forward comprehensive reforms for the way the Kazakhstan educational system is developed, organised and financed. It takes into account the goals of the State Programme of Education Development for 2011-2020 and a number of the key reform measures that were currently under implementation, such as the system rationalization and quality assurance initiatives [1]. The report draws on the experience and expertise of a broad range of stakeholders, who generously contributed their views through more than 50 meetings and consultations throughout the year. The key themes of the study include i) preschool education; ii) secondary education; iii) teacher education; iv) higher education and v) vocational education and training. The recommendations are driven by two realities. First, Kazakhstan is poised for long-term prosperity through the development of market economy and investment. At the same time, the nation is experiencing challenges across different sectors of knowledge-based economy. For instance, there is strong lack of additional skills that the economy demands. To ensure skilled workforce is well used, the state will require further investment in education.Item Open Access Beginning teachers' attrition in secondary schools in Kazakhstan(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Rysbekkyzy, G.This study analyzed beginning teachers" drop-out in secondary schools in Kazakhstan. As Heller (2004) reported, 29 percent of beginning teachers leave schools within first three years, and 39 percent of them drop out by the end of five years in the USA. Studies addressing these issues in Kazakhstan do not exist or present and need to be conducted in order to find out the reasons for beginning teachers" attrition in Kazakhstan, to examine the topic more thoroughly, to analyze beginning teachers" challenges and give implications for Kazakhstani policy makers. This study is one attempt to address the new teachers" drop out problem in our schools, which should be of high concern.Item Open Access Syntax circuitry: a mobile game for practicing programming language syntax(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Shellington, W. A.; Rizvi, M.; Humphries, T. O.; Morsi, R.According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [1], computer science professions are among the fastest growing occupations in the U.S., and computer science occupations will add more than half a million new jobs in the next ten years. A similar need for computer professionals is expected in Kazakhstan. Simultaneously, universities in the U.S. and worldwide are seeing poor retention rates in computer science, a major reason being that students often view the early courses in the subject as uninteresting and dull [2]. Game-based learning is one of many techniques proposed to address this issue [2,3,4,5]. We have developed a mobile game that provides an engaging way for students to practice (not learn) the basic syntax of C, C++ and Java (since these languages share the same syntax for basic constructs like declarations, selection and iteration). Learning programming language syntax is a tedious process. Practicing by programming is, of course, ideal, but we believe that a game which is fun to play in their spare time will help students get used to distinguishing correct syntactical constructs quickly.Item Open Access Optimal durability vs. planned obsolescence in the textbook market(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Peterson, J.In various durable goods markets, producers have been often accused of engaging in planned obsolescence. This is the practice of reducing product durability or otherwise manipulating the secondary market in order to reduce or eliminate the effect of the presence of the used good on the new good market. In this literature, of all durable goods, has been often argued that the US textbook market exhibits this feature, however recent works have questioned this finding. I model this market in order to generate empirical predictions and intuitions that shed light on whether and why this might happen in this market.Item Open Access A peripheral viewpoint on the land reform in the uzbek SSR (1924-1929)(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Penati, B.The land-and-water reform in the Uzbek SSR was the most important mobilization initiative that the Bolshevik regime carried out in the 1920s. Its impact in terms of land redistribution was small, but it generated consensus in the countryside and produced a first cohort of rural Uzbek communists. This research (and the two articles it results in) stems out of a more general reappraisal of the reform. For the first time, the latter is studied from a bottom-up perspective, focusing on a single district (Aim, Andijan province, eastern Fergana). In addition, I show the connection between the land reform, national delimitation and boundary-making, and the anti-Islamic hujum campaign, which are usually studied in isolation.Item Open Access Institutional engagement of internationalization of higher education in Kazakhstan(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Parmenter, L.; Sparks, J.; Sagintayeva, A.; Li, A.; Ashirbekov, A.; Jumakulov, Z.Applying theories of internationalization, organization structures, and policy transfer, this research examined institutional engagement with internationalization by higher education institutions in Kazakhstan, and generated insights into the alignment and disjunction of strategies and approaches at the national and institutional levels, as well as the progress and challenges faced by Kazakhstani higher education institutions.Item Open Access The 1 st year Phd students' career expectations and reasons to choose NUGSE(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Nurpeissova, A.; Almukhambetova, A.; Makhmutova, A.; Soltanbekova, A.; Mukhamejanova, D.; Tolesh, F.; Smanova, G.; Karabassova, L.; Tazabek, Sh.; Jumagulova, T.; Tursunbayeva, X.The Graduate School of Education was launched in 2012. Its PhD program is designed for students, who "are committed to taking a leadership role in educational reform and management in Kazakhstan" (NU website). In 2014 eleven students were selected and offered a state scholarship. Within the course on Advanced Methods of Educational Research, the 1s t year PhD students conducted a small scale research to address two research questions, namely to understand the reasons behind PhD students" desire to pursue post-graduate education at Nazarbayev University, Graduate School of Education (NUGSE), and their career expectations upon the completion of the program.Item Open Access Assessing entrepreneurial activity, aspirations and attitudes in Kazakhstan(Nazarbayev University, 2014) O'Callaghan, R.; Yergozha, L.Entrepreneurship remains a priority in most economies, and particularly so in Kazakhstan as recognized in the 2050 Strategy document proclaimed by President Nazarbayev. Evidence shows that the growth engines of an economy are not large companies, but the many entrepreneurs who start new businesses. NUGSB has recently joined GEM (The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor), the largest ongoing research project on Entrepreneurship in the world. The project assesses the motives and aspirations of (potential) entrepreneurs and the attitudes of those around them, i.e. the climate for entrepreneurship in society [1]. Nearly 100 "National Teams" from every corner of the globe participate in the project. NUGSB is now the National Team of Kazakhstan.Item Open Access Can two biases be better than none? complementarity between CEO overconfidence and accounting conservatism(Nazarbayev University, 2014) Hsu1, C.; Novoselov, K.; Wang, R.We study the joint effect of CEO overconfidence and accounting conservatism on firm performance and value. Successful innovation involves trial and error. An overconfident CEO is more willing to initiate daring investment projects, but also subjects the firm to excessive risk. Accounting conservatism (also referred to as prudence), on the other hand, accelerates the recognition of bad news, giving managers additional time to search for creative solutions that could not be anticipated before the project was undertaken. The theory of innovation, therefore, predicts that CEO overconfidence and accounting conservatism are complementary, i.e., the presence of both biases improves the firm's performance relative to the baseline case, especially if the firm operates in a dynamic, fast-changing environment.