Dr. Kairat Kurakbayev is an Assistant Professor at Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, specializing in Comparative and International Education with a focus on Sociology and Education. He earned his PhD from Columbia University, where his research explored transnational policy borrowing and the adaptation of global education policies in post-Soviet contexts. His scholarly interests include transnational policy transfer, private sector engagement in national education policy-making, policy translation, and the development of international-standard schools as reform modalities. Dr. Kurakbayev's work critically examines the dynamics of education policy transfer in Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan, offering insights into the local adaptation and impact of global policies in the region.