Kulamergen Mussin (1951 - )

Short Biography & Significant Contribution

Kulamergen Mussin is Professor of the Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai, Almaty, Kazakhstan where he has held a personal UNESCO Chair on Science of Education and Teachers Training from September, 1998 till present. Born in Almaty in 1951, he was educated at the former Kazakh State University after S.M. Kirov (now Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi). Kulamergen Mussin is very well known in the fields of comparative education, teacher education, information technologies in teacher education, and adult education. This is evidenced by his list of publications, consultancies, invited papers, international addresses, and related published reports which run close to 150 in number. He coordinates a few research networks, such as Pedagogical Education "Multicultural Dialog" - a project based at the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia in Saint Petersburg since 2006, and the Network "Adult Education Week in Kazakhstan" based at the "Europe House in Saint Petersburg", Russia since 2003.

Kulamergen Mussin has taught, conducted research and provided consultancy services for the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan as the independent expert in educational research. He significantly contributed as Vice-Chairman of the Council on 'Candidate of Sciences' Dissertations on Teaching Methods (Information Science and Information Technologies in Education), Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2004-2007) and currently as Vice-Chairman of the Council on 'Doctor of Sciences' Dissertations on Teaching Methods (Information Science and Information Technologies in Education), Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2007 till present).

Acting as the UNESCO Chairholder on Education and Teacher Training in the Kazakh National Pedagogical University after Abai, Kulamergen Mussin was one of the key figures initiating the move to form the Council on Comparative Education of Kazakhstan (CCEK). He gathered academics and practitioners from Kazakh universities in Karaganda, Almaty and Astana, who were working in the newly emerging field of comparative education. Mussin acknowledged strong presence of UNESCO in Kazakhstan, mainly through its UNESCO Chair Program, as a catalyst for comparative work and international collaboration on educational programs and projects. Prior to forming the Council, the CCEK members had been taking an active part in UNESCO organised study missions and international conferences for UNESCO Chairholders. The CCEK was established in 2005 as a non-governmental organisation in accordance with the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Its admission to the WCCES in March 2006 signalled a focal point of comparative activity in Central Asia. Unlike other WCCES members which commonly have the term 'Society' or 'Association' in their name, the CCEK is one of the two member institutions that uses the term 'Council'. Kulamergen Mussin, Vice-President of the CCEK, underscored that the rationale for naming the CCEK as a Council lies in its aim to becoming a doctoral degree approving institution in the future. In Kazakhstan, this authority is vested only in academic councils, not in academic societies or associations.

Mussin's significant contribution to the field lies in his penetrating research in the area of comparative education development in Kazakhstan. More specifically, he is widely recognized as an expert of using information technologies in teacher education and adult education. He draws on the disciplines and fields of history and methodology of comparative education, and development theory to analyze the different acquisition of local skills and knowledge in adult education and training institutions.

Educational Background

Kazakh State University named after S.M. Kirov (now Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi), Almaty, Kazakhstan (1974)

Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Institute of Metallurgy of Academy of Sciences of Soviet Union, Moscow, Russia (1977)

Candidate of Physical-Mathematical Sciences, Ural State University, Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), Russia (1981)

Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Almaty State University named after Abai (now Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai), Almaty, Kazakhstan (1999). Principal fields: Comparative Education; Information Technologies in Teacher Education, Adult Education

Professional Background

Senior Lecturer, Chief of the Department on Theoretical Physics and Technical Disciplines in the Taldykorgan Pedagogical Institute named after I. Jansugurov (1978-83)

Senior Lecturer at the Department on Physics, Vice-Dean of the Heat Energy Faculty in the Almaty Power Institute, Almaty, Kazakhstan (1983-95)

Doctorate Student in the Almaty State University named after Abai (now Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai, Almaty, Kazakhstan (1996-99)

Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair on Science of Education and Teachers Training in the Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai, Almaty, Kazakhstan (1999-)

Vice-Chairman of the Council on Candidate of Sciences Degree Dissertations on Teaching Methods (Information Science and Information Technologies in Education), Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2004- 2007)

Vice-Chairman of the Council on Doctor of Sciences Degree Dissertations on Teaching Methods (Information Science and Information Technologies in Education), Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2007-)

Independent Expert in Research Projects in the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2003-2006)

Affiliations (associations, organizations, institutions)

Member of the Council on Doctor of Sciences Degree Dissertations in Pedagogy in Kazakh Academy of Education named after I. Altynsarin, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2002-2004)

Full member of the International Academy of Informatization, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2003-).

Full member of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Kazakhstan, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2004-)

General Secretary of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Kazakhstan, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2004-)

Vice President of the Council on Comparative Education of Kazakhstan, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2005-)

Selected Publications

Nurgalieva G.K., Kussainov A.K., Mussin K.S. (1998): Comparative Education. Textbook for universities. Almaty: Rauan, 176 p. [in Kazakh and Russian]

Nurgalieva G.K., Kussainov A.K., Mussin K.S. (1998): Comparative Education. Electronic Textbook for universities. Ust-Kamenogorsk. [in Russian]

Mussin K.S. (1999): Methodology of Teacher Professional Education and Training: Major Highlights and Tendencies of Development. Almaty: Almaty State University named after Abai, 175 p. [in Russian]

Mussin K.S. (2000): Systems of Continuing Teacher Education in Kazakhstan, Russia, England and the USA: Tendencies of Development. Textbook for universities and pedagogical institutes. Almaty: Gylym, 183 p. [in Russian]

Mussin K.S. (2001): Comparative Education. Curriculum for universities and pedagogical institutes' students. Almaty: Almaty State University named after Abai, 15 p. [in Russian]

Litvinova, N.P., Mussin, K.S., Saffina, Z.N. (eds.) (2003): Adult Education in Modern World. Saint-Petersburg: Tuskarora, 85 p. [in Russian]

Created: 3/17/2008

Updated: 7/22/2008

Contributed By: Andrey Uroda