Modernizing Kazakhstan’s Higher Education: Challenges of Policy Borrowing and Doctor of Philosophy Graduation Requirements Seth A. Agbo 1 , Natalya Pak 2 , Dana Abdrasheva 3 , and Beibitkul Karimova 4 Abstract Educational policy borrowing is changing the landscape of Kazakhstan’s higher educa- tion. Kazakhstan has initiated higher education standards and quality educational ser- vices to compete globally to match those in developed countries. The government policy for higher education reform is a measure of convergence: catching up with the advanced knowledge-based economies of Europe and North America and creating a gateway into the European Union and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. According to the Bologna Process, the government’s higher edu- cation policy calls for research-based Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. Through this enterprise, the Ministry of Education and Science considers higher edu- cation to serve as a beacon light on global competitiveness by mainly introducing the PhD and setting up requirements for graduation commensurate with a research soci- ety. This article is a case study investigating the implications of educational policy bor- rowing and PhD graduation requirements regarding how the students are assimilating and accommodating the requirements. The study explores the implications of how 1 Lakehead University, Orillia, Ontario, Canada 2 International Information Technologies University (IITU), Almaty, Kazakhstan 3 Academic Vice Rector, Korkyt Ata University, Kyzlorda, Kazakhstan 4 Rector, Korkyt Ata University, Kyzlorda, Kazakhstan Corresponding Author: Seth A. Agbo, Lakehead University, Orillia, 500 University Avenue, Orillia, Ontario, CANADA, L3V 0B9 Email: sagbo@lakeheadu.ca Original Article International Journal of Educational Reform 1–27 © The Author(s) 2023 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/10567879231191500 journals.sagepub.com/home/ref