Expert opinion: Nazigul Zhanakova

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his second Address to the people of Kazakhstan noted that there is a shortage of professional personnel in the agro-industrial complex and a low level of development of agricultural science. In this regard, the solution of issues of agricultural sector staffing is one of the main priorities in the strategic development of the state.

The prospects for the development of agriculture and its export potential are largely related to the development of veterinary medicine and veterinary services for animal husbandry, which now requires the adoption and rapid implementation of cardinal measures aimed at providing the industry with highly qualified personnel.    

Currently observed low qualification of veterinarians and acute shortage of specialists in veterinary medicine leads to foci of infectious diseases in animals that are dangerous, including for human life and health. This is a direct threat to the national security of the country.    

The solution to the problem is embodied, first of all, in th.organization and implementation of specialized veterinary education in higher education institutions. The issue of including such veterinary specialties as "Veterinary Medicine" and "Veterinary Sanitation" as integral parts of the livestock section related to agricultural specialties in the list of agricultural specialties for which educational grants are allocated requires resolution.

In addition, given the fact that 825 state-financed openings for educational grants under Bachelor's programme were allocated for Veterinary Medicine specialty in the academic year 2020-21, it is important to question not only increase the number of grants, but the inclusion of veterinary specialties to the list for increasing the value of educational grants up to the level of national universities because quality of training of specialists in the area of veterinary medicine, you must provide for a good many of material costs associated with the equipping of educational and laboratory fund.organization of internships for students on farms, as well as other expenses.  During the development of the State Program of AIC Development it is important to allocate funds for development of veterinary medicine.

The Classifier of specialties of higher and postgraduate education of the Republic of Kazakhstan classifies educational programs in such specialties as Veterinary Medicine and Agricultural Sciences as separate specialties, which is not quite correct, since the veterinary service, which works closely with animal husbandry, ensuring the safety of its products, refers to agricultural specialties, for which it is important to integrate the two specialties and create a single specialty in the Classifier.

Training of future domestic personnel should be carried out b.organizing guest lectures to agricultural universities of the country of foreign veterinary specialists, instead of simply inviting them to work in the domestic market, which is mainly now observed.

To promote innovative agricultural development of the country, establishment of links between scientific and educational institutions of the agrarian sector with government and business it is necessary to intensify activity of National Agricultural Research and Educational Center Non-Commercial Joint-Stock Company and to give a new status to thi.organization, which is acknowledged by the intention of country's leadership to rename th.organization into KazAgroInnovation National Research and Educational Holding with the aim of improving the efficiency of agrarian science management.

These and other additional measures will serve for the development of veterinary medicine as the main part of agriculture, promote the training of a new generation of veterinary specialists in the interests of national and food security of the country.