Program Aims and Strategic Goals

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1. Program Aims

Industry 4.0 with its synthesis of digital, physical and biological worlds has an enormous impact on natural sciences education and research including how problems ranging from biological, biomedical to environmental sciences are addressed. To partake in this transformation, students will acquire theoretical knowledge and practical skills, which will enable careers in both industrial and academic environments. The B.Sc. in Biological Sciences program provides and education and training aims to enable students to: 1. acquire the fundamental theoretical knowledge, critical thinking and practical skills in biological and natural sciences to address both research and real-world problems; 2. build a foundation for leadership through the abilities to communicate effectively; 3. work independently or as a member of a team in a professional manner in industry, academia, or government within Kazakhstan or abroad; 4. recognize ethical boundaries and limitations of scientific processes. The four-year full-time and student-centered program (240 ECTS credits) led by the Department of Biology at SSH, NU. The program follows the signature structure of other B.Sc. programs run by NU comprising of an undergraduate common core curriculum (UCCF) framework, a disciplinary core curriculum and elective courses within and outside the Department of Biology that offer opportunities of specialization and exploration of subjects areas according to the students’ personal interests as well as research experiences. NU UCCF aims to broaden the academic experience of NU undergraduate students and impart interdisciplinary thinking skills through shared experiences in English and Kazakh languages; Kazakhstani history, knowledge of the natural and social sciences, numerical and digital literacy skills, business, design and entrepreneurial thinking skills, and research skills and methods to complete projects. The discipline core curriculum consists of 20 courses in physics, chemistry, statistics, mathematics, and biological sciences that are essential for providing students an entry and knowledge base for future academic, research or professional specialization depending their career goals. The major elective courses offered to students with the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills essential for research and careers in life sciences sector. All courses are taught by faculty selected from the Department of Biology and SSH based on subject-relevant teaching and research experiences. The courses of the entire program will consist of lectures, problem- and team-based learning courses, practical and experimental approaches. Courses scheduled in the fourth academic year of the program will be integrated research experiences into teaching. English language will be used throughout the program. The program is unique in Kazakhstan because of its interdisciplinary focus and research-integrated teaching approaches. Graduates of the program will be highly qualified to enter graduate programs or develop a career in scientific or non-scientific areas of private industry sectors or governmental organizations.

2. Relationship to Nazarbayev University Mission and Goals

2.1. Educational Reform Leadership. Education that supports the development of a highly knowledgeable, flexible, workforce adapted to the global competition is recognized as one of the key priorities of the “Kazakhstan – 2050” and “Modernization 3.0” strategies. The program is in line with these strategies and the NU strategic plan approved in April 2013 to become an advanced model of higher education for higher education institutions in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The proposed program aims to contribute in a major way to the national vision of creating a flexible and highly educated workforce that can compete internationally and drive innovation and entrepreneurship and contribute to the training of higher education science leaders and teachers in support of the government’s educational reform effort. 2.2. Academic Excellence. With the program providing the foundation of the path to both graduate studies or professional careers in both scientific and non-scientific related fields, the goal is that NU will become a leading national and regional academic hub, ultimately attracting more domestic and international students. The program will provide graduates with a unique combination of in-depth knowledge of specific areas of biological sciences through tailoring the course choices to their own interests as they develop, and sufficient breadth in other areas of to foster the development of life sciences and biotechnology-related industries and associated sectors in scientific publishing, journalism, research, education, and environmental conservation in Kazakhstan. 2.3. Research Excellence. The program offers a research-and student-centered education with a significant research-integrated teaching component in the senior year targeting biomedical, biotechnological, and environmental areas. In addition, the emphasis on inquiry, methodologies, technologies and data analysis and critical interpretation will prepare students adequately for the ongoing transformation scientific research where scientific knowledge is increasingly driven by technological advances and data. The program requires 240 ECTS as part of the degree completion requirements. Qualified students with a CGPA 3.25 or greater at the end of the Spring semester of the third academic year and with a strong interest in research are encouraged to enroll into the optional honors thesis courses that facilitate the development of independent research skills. These students will graduate after a successful Honors Thesis defense with 246 ECTS. The additional credit load of 6 ECTS is in line with provision of the NU regulatory Framework for Undergraduate Programs and Courses for variations to extend learning opportunities to high-achieving students.

3. Relationship to School Strategic Plan

The program emphasizes the development of critical thinking, problem-solving and research skills, as well as the ability to work individually and as part of a team to solve timely scientific problems and create solutions for societal concerns. In this respect the program aligns with the overall mission of SSH to provide a liberal arts education to nurture the discovery, creation and application of knowledge of SSH students, to combine a foundation of broad knowledge with rigorous training in critical analysis and analytical skills, and to promote world-class research combined with excellence in the classroom.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

On successful completion of the program, graduates will be able to: 1. integrate fundamental theoretical underpinnings and concepts when addressing both research and real-world problems in biological sciences; 2. apply scientific methods, including formulating a hypothesis, designing studies, laboratory-based techniques, and drawing conclusions to address both research and real-world problems in biological sciences; 3. evaluate biological data using mathematical and statistical techniques; 4. recognize the limitations of scientific processes including experimental and data-analytical methods when synthesizing biological knowledge; 5. critically analyse and discuss primary literature in biological sciences; 6. communicate clearly biological information in oral and written formats to both lay and scientific audiences applying for the latter scientific formats commonly used in biological sciences; 7. exercise ethical and professional conduct when conducting research in biological sciences. The Program Learning Outcomes align with the NU Graduate Attributes, which state that students shall 1. possess an in-depth and sophisticated understanding of their domain of study; 2. be intellectually agile, curious, creative and open-minded; 3. be thoughtful decision makers who know how to involve others; 4. be entrepreneurial, self-propelling and able to create new opportunities; 5. be fluent and nuanced communicators across languages and cultures; 6. be cultured and tolerant citizens of the world; 7. demonstrate high personal integrity; 8. be prepared to take a leading role in the development of their country; Tabulated Program Learning Outcomes against NU Graduate Attributes:

Program Learning Outcomes

NU Graduate Attributes

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2. Delivery of LOs The program learning outcomes and their mode of delivery are outlined in tabular format. The full range of learning outcome measures within comprehensive multimodal assessment methods of students’ achievements of competencies is shown in detail in section 7.1.

Program Learning Outcome	Where addressed (course)	How addressed (L&T Methods)
1. Integrate fundamental theoretical underpinnings and concepts when addressing both research and real-world problems in biological sciences (PLO 1).	1. NU Core 2. Discipline Core 3. Major Electives 4. Technical Electives 5. Unrestricted Electives 6. Honors Thesis Research 7. Honors Thesis	1. Instructor’s presentation (1-5) 2. Instructor's inquiry (3, 4) 3. Case Teaching (3) 4. Teaching discussion (3, 4) 5. Interactive learning (1-2) 6. Experiential learning (2-5) 7. Group work (1-5) 8. Project work (3-4) 9. Hands-on instruction (2-3) 10. Research mentoring (6, 7)
2. Apply scientific methods, including formulating a hypothesis, designing studies, laboratory-based techniques, and drawing conclusions to address both research and real-world problems in biological sciences (PLO 2).	1. Discipline Core 2. Major Electives 3. Technical Electives 4. Biology Internship 5. Honors Thesis Research 6. Honors Thesis	1. Instructor's inquiry (1-5) 2. Case Teaching (3) 3. Teaching discussion (3, 4) 4. Interactive learning (1-2) 5. Experiential learning (2-4) 6. Group work (2) 7. Project work (6) 8. Hands-on instruction (1-4) 9. Research mentoring (4, 6, 7)
3. Evaluate biological data using mathematical and statistical techniques (PLO 3).	1. Applied Statistical Methods 2. Major Electives 3. Technical Electives 4. Directed Study in Biology 5. Honors Thesis Research 6. Honors Thesis	1. Instructor’s presentation (1-3) 2. Instructor's inquiry (2-4) 3. Experiential learning (2, 4) 4. Project work (1-4) 5. Hands-on instruction (1-3) 6. Research mentoring (4, 6, 7)
4. Recognize the limitations of scientific processes including experimental and data-analytical methods when synthesizing biological knowledge (PLO 4).	1. Discipline Core 2. Applied Statistical Method 3. Major Electives 4. Technical Electives 5. Directed Study in Biology 6. Honors Thesis Research 7. Honors Thesis	2. Instructor's inquiry (1-4) 3. Case Teaching (3) 4. Teaching discussion (3, 4) 5. Interactive learning (1-4) 6. Experiential learning (3, 5-7) 10. Research mentoring (4, 6, 7)
5. Critically analyse and discuss primary literature in biological sciences (PLO 5).	1. NU Core (Critical Research Reasoning) Major Electives 3. Directed Study in Biology 4. Biology Internship 5. Honors Thesis Research 6. Honors Thesis	1. Instructor’s presentation (1) 2. Instructor's inquiry (1) 3. Case Teaching (3) 4. Experiential learning (1-3) 5. Project work (1-3) 6. Research mentoring (4-6)
6. Communicate clearly biological information in oral and written formats to both lay and scientific audiences applying for the latter scientific formats commonly used in biological sciences (PLO 6).	1. NU Core (Communications courses and Critical Research Reasoning 2. Discipline core 3. Major Electives 4. Honors Thesis Research 5. Honors Thesis	1. Instructor's inquiry (1, 3) 3. Case Teaching (3) 4. Teaching discussion (1-3) 5. Interactive learning (1-3) 6. Experiential learning (1-3) 7. Research mentoring (4, 5)
7. Exercise ethical and professional conduct when conducting research in biological sciences (PLO 7).	1. NU core (Bioethics) 2. Discipline Core 3. Major Electives 4. Directed Study in Biology 5. Biology Internship 6. Honors Thesis Research 7. Honors Thesis	1. Instructor’s presentation (1-3) 2. Instructor's inquiry (1) 3. Case Teaching (1) 4. Teaching discussion (1-3) 5. Interactive learning (1-2) 6. Experiential learning (2-5) 7. Group work (1-3) 8. Project work (3-5) 10. Research mentoring (4-7)