On March 27-28, 2025, the spring school “Digital media, culture and society” was held as part of the Jean Monnet Module “Digital Culture in Higher Education: European Perspective (DigCEE)”. The event aimed to explore the integration of European digital education practices into Kazakhstan’s higher education system and to discuss current challenges and opportunities. The event brought together educators, researchers, and students and served as a platform for knowledge exchange, discussions on innovative digital learning approaches and a practical workshop.
The main objectives of the event were:
- To analyze European practices in digital education.
- To discuss the role of digital transformation in higher education and its impact on teaching and learning.
- To present information on Jean Monnet program, to provide recommendations on application preparation for prospective applicants.
- To highlight key findings from the Jean Monnet Module research on digital culture and student perceptions.
The event opened with a keynote address by Dr. Zhibek Tleshova, who spoke about “The Role of Digital Competencies in Modern Higher Education: Lessons from Europe.” She emphasized the importance of fostering digital literacy, critical thinking, and online collaboration skills in university curricula. Dr. Elmira Gerfanova spoke about the Jean Monnet program and provided recommendations for application preparation. The event also featured presentations on the research findings from the DigCEE module. Dr. Zhibek Tleshova presented “Digitalization of Education in the European Union and Kazakhstan: Comparative Analysis of Policies.” The session provided a comparative analysis of digital education policies in Kazakhstan and EU countries, emphasizing best practices that could be adapted to Kazakhstan’s context. Dr. Elmira Gerfanova presented “The Jean Monnet Project Research on Digital Culture and Education: The Analysis of Categories in Student Responses.” The study focused on students’ perceptions of digital learning.