Open AccessANALYSIS OF ICT COMPANIES’ NEEDS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF ICT HIGHER EDUCATION AT MASTER LEVEL: THE CASE OF KAZAKHSTAN
Author(s) -
Andreas Ahrens,
Jeļena Zaščerinska,
Saule Amanzholova,
Gulnara Zakirova,
Ludmila Aļeksejeva
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of regional economic and social development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2661-5800
DOI - 10.17770/jresd2020vol1.12.5389
Subject(s) - information and communications technology , work (physics) , business , internship , exploratory research , public relations , knowledge management , engineering , political science , sociology , medical education , computer science , medicine , social science , mechanical engineering , law
The correspondence between ICT master programmes and requirements of ICT companies is shaped via needs analysis. The research aim: The aim of the present article is to analyse the empirical results of the study of needs of ICT companies, underpinning the elaboration of implications on ICT master programmes. The primary methods used: Exploratory research has been implemented within the present work. The representatives of four ICT companies, namely CISCO, KAIB, Kaspersky Lab and Soft Com, took part in the focus group interview organised at International Information Technology University, Almaty, Kazakhstan, in October 2019. A brief description of the main research results: The theoretical findings of the present research allow concluding that ICT companies and the universities belong to the local or regional community. The structuring content analysis allows identifying the areas of universities-companies cooperation, namely academic staff training, students’ training, provision of universities with modern equipment, joint elaboration of the content of ICT master programmes, organisation of joint laboratories including virtual laboratories, ensuring practice and internships for students, etc. The summarising content analysis highlights the need in cooperation between universities and companies to strengthen the sustainable development of the digital economy in the region. The novelty of the present work is formulated in the implications on ICT master programmes. Directions of further research are formulated.