Professor Douglas Hartman (MSU) Held a Class for KAFU Master’s Students on the Commercialization and Marketization of Higher Education

On November 6, 2025, Professor Douglas Hartman of Michigan State University (MSU, USA), a part-time professor in the Department of Foreign Languages ​​at the Kazakh-American Free University, held a class for master’s students in the 7M01702(01) “Foreign Language: Two Foreign Languages” and 7M02302 “Translation Studies” programs, focusing on the subject “The Nature and Organization of Higher Education.”
The topic of the class was the commercialization and marketization of higher education. During the class, Professor Hartman discussed with the students the reasons for the strengthening of market mechanisms in education, their impact on the academic values ​​and mission of universities, and possible ways to maintain a balance between the quality of education and the economic sustainability of universities.
The master’s students actively participated in the discussion, comparing trends in Kazakhstan and the United States, examining examples of successful international practices, and analyzing the risks of excessive commercialization of the educational environment. The professor focused on issues of educational accessibility, social justice, and maintaining the university’s role as a public good.

Department of Foreign Languages