Manager for International Students' Support

Job Description

1. ensure timely and high-quality fulfillment of the goals, functions, instructions and tasks of the Head of the Division within the framework of this job description and the competence of the Office;

2. timely provide information on the progress of the tasks, difficulties encountered in their implementation to the Head of the Division;

3. delivery and continuous enhancement of the overall services provided to the international undergraduate and graduate students, help them gain a positive experience while studying at the University, and fully integrate and adjust to their new life in Astana

4. responding flexibly to changing circumstances and deploy resources astutely ensuring effective services delivery;

5. responding effectively to sensitive and contentious activity or service delivery issues to ensure that reputational and business risks are minimised. Resolve, or escalate/refer as appropriate;

6. participation in development of a comprehensive orientation program at the beginning of each semester tailored to familiarize international students’ with the University policies and procedures in cooperation with employees of the Division and other departments of the University within the framework of training agreements, interuniversity agreements and exchange programs; 

7. provision of effective counselling services to help international students and their families deal with social adaptation and understanding new norms in accordance with up-to-date information on RoK laws, University policies, rules and regulations;

8. coordination and collaboration with other structural divisions of the University, its subsidiaries on issues related to the arrival, stay, social adaptation and departure of foreign students from the University to ensure a positive student experience from enrolment through graduation;

9. close collaboration with the Admissions Department in obtaining Government Approvals (Invitation letters) for newly accepted international students;

10. provision of visa and immigration assistance to international students and conduct counselling sessions/workshops to ensure they remain in legal status;

11. maintainance of current and up-to date knowledge of immigration laws and accurately maintain all aspects of international student immigration records;

12. collaboration with Government Agencies to assist international students in obtaining their IINs, Visas, opening bank accounts, obtaining local SIM cards, Tax residence certificates, Residence permit, and other necessary services;

13. coordination of the support provided to international students with their housing needs before and upon arrival to campus, in close liaison with the University Housing department;

14. provision of organizational and logistical support in acculturation programming including trips to malls, grocery stores, and cultural events aimed at the involvement and adaptation of foreign students in the city and on campus;

15. participation in the recruitment campaign to attract potential international students abroad (delivering presentations at international educational exhibitions);

16. collection of the necessary materials and information for the preparation of analytical reports and presentations for the management of the University and on issues related to foreign students;

17. maintaining a database of foreign students and reporting on statistical data;

18. providing information about newly arrived students to the relevant departments and structures of the University for organizing medical examinations and providing medical insurance for foreign students of the University;

19. organizational support and coordination of the buddy program for foreign students;

20. analysis and preparation of comments and proposals for documents (draft documents) of the University within the competence of the Division;

21. collection of the necessary information for the development of proposals and recommendations for servicing foreign students;

22. development and participation in the development of policies, rules and documents related to the services and support of foreign students; 

23. development and participation in the development of information material (guidebooks, presentations, information on the site) related to the services and support of foreign students;  

24. preparation and assistance in preparation of proposals for the budget of expenses related to trips of foreign students and other events;

25. monitoring and identification of risks within the supervised territory, including monitoring students at risk, informing other departments and providing individual intervention in cooperation with the relevant structural departments of the University;

26. timely and properly fulfilling the tasks of the immediate supervisor and management of the University;

27. maintaining official correspondence with foreign partners, state bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other organizations within the competence of the Division;

28. record keeping at the Office in accordance with the internal regulations of the University;

29. control over the accounting and storage, condition and safety of the documents of the Office before transferring them to the archive of the University;

30. implementation of accounting, formation, registration and submission of Office documents to the University archive in accordance with approved procedures;

31. participation in the annual development of the draft nomenclature of cases of the Office;

32. performance of duties (replacement) of the Senior Manager for work with international students during his temporary absence (up to one month);

33. compliance with the requirements of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and internal documents of the University.

Qualifications

Master's or Bachelor's Degree, preferably from an English-taught institution of higher education in the field of International Education, Higher Education Management, Regional Studies.

For a bachelor's or specialist's degree, at least 3 years of work experience in areas corresponding to the functional areas of the position is desirable.

For a master's degree, at least 1 year of professional experience in areas corresponding to the functional areas of a particular position.

Additional Information

• Knowledge of student recruitment and enrollment procedures is required;

• Knowledge of Kazakhstani legislative and other legal acts in the field of migration and local adaptation of foreigners is mandatory;

• Knowledge of international and Kazakhstani rules of movement for foreigners is mandatory;

• Requires the ability to develop knowledge, respect and skills to interact with people of other cultures and backgrounds;

• Requires practical knowledge in word processing, spreadsheets and databases (MS Word, Excel, Power Point, etc.);

• Knowledge and ability to organize the negotiation process and protocol events are welcome;

• Knowledge of database management software is desirable;

• Preference is given to practical knowledge in the field of budgeting;

• Knowledge of the international and Kazakh educational and scientific environment is desirable;

• Knowledge of programming, web design and internet marketing is a plus;

• Proficiency in languages ​​other than English is preferred;

• Fluency in English, Kazakh, Russian (local candidate), if the candidate is international, knowledge of any of the local languages (Kazakh or Russian) from level A2 and above is an advantage.

Recruitment and selection process

Recruitment and selection at Nazarbayev University include preliminary selection based on experience and qualifications, followed by assessments and formal interviews. Formal interviews are typically based on organizational values and behaviors and conducted in English.