Presentation Schedule
Government Bonded Scholarship Programs as a Tool of the ‘Developmental State’: The Case of Kazakhstan and Japan (103060)
Session Chair: Todd West
This presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom (Online Access)
Wednesday, 7 January 2026 16:10
Session: Session 2 (Parallel)
Room: Live-Stream Room 1
Presentation Type: Live-Stream Presentation
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This study provides a comparative study of government bonded scholarship programs based on government policy papers, official reports and data of governmental programs Bolashaq and “Long-term Overseas Fellowship Program for Administrative” in Kazakhstan and Japan. The Government bonded scholarship provides funding for elite or high-performing students on the condition that the recipient either return to their country of origin or enter government service after graduation, for a stipulated number of years. The details of each system are as diverse as the countries that have adopted the system. However, despite peculiarities, there are also striking similarities between those offered by authoritarian and comparatively democratic governments. The study shows that government bonded scholarship programs represent a tool of the ‘developmental state’, aiming to strengthen the country rather than fulfilling individual (students’) aspirations. They are a long term investment and generally raise highly skilled human resources who contribute to social and economic development. However, like most institutions, bonded government scholarships rely on strong public institutions to avoid corruption; they can serve either meritocracy or kakistocracy. In kakistocratic systems, about half of highly skilled individuals leave government service or their home country after completing their term, causing brain drain and low long-term efficiency. In contrast, meritocratic systems retain over 90% of scholarship recipients in public service even five years later, showing effective human capital investment. The study emphasizes that success depends not only on training talent, but also on creating a supportive environment for sustainable outcomes.
Authors:
Aktolkyn Rustemova, University of Tsukuba, Japan
About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Aktolkyn Rustemova is currently a researcher on the project “Educational Impact of the International Baccalaureate in Japan” at the University of Tsukuba, Japan.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule
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