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Over the past decades, Islamic finance has expanded its presence to many countries including post-Soviet region. The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate this phenomenon in Kazakhstan by adopting qualitative sociological approach. The study also aims to provide vital information and propose recommendations for market participants to contribute to the development of Islamic finance industry in Kazakhstan.

Primary data were gathered using the qualitative method of in-depth expert interviews with nine Islamic finance professionals representing Islamic banks, ijarah companies, funds and development institutions in Kazakhstan who occupy senior positions (directors, managers, heads of departments, etc.). Furthermore, the primary data of interviews were analyzed and processed using another qualitative method of cognitive mapping, the essence of which is to graphically display the concepts that are most often used by informants.

The study has shown that first there is a demand for Islamic finance among Kazakh business and population. At the same time, Muslims are not the only consumers of Islamic financial services; therefore, it is affordability rather than religiosity that is an important criterion for choosing Islamic finance. Second, murabaha and ijarah are the two most popular Islamic financial products in Kazakhstan, while equity-based instruments are hardly ever used. Third, Kazakhstan government policy toward Islamic finance received controversial assessments of experts: the state support is declared, but specific actions required by the market participants are not taken. Fourth, key factors that significantly limit the development of the Islamic finance market in Kazakhstan include a shortage of supply, which, in turn, is strongly associated with the second factor – limited funding of local Islamic finance institutions, the absence of insurance (or guaranteeing) system of investment accounts of the local Islamic banks, insufficient economy of scale, lack of convenient service and weak marketing policy of the existing Islamic banks and, finally, lack of educational programs.

The study reveals the potential development of Islamic finance in Kazakhstan which is a rarely studied topic. The findings and recommendations of this study can be used by the regulators, market players and policymakers of Islamic finance industry in Kazakhstan, post-Soviet and other Islamic finance-oriented countries.

This study offers new insights on the future of Islamic finance in Kazakhstan: in long term, the development will be determined by new financial technologies – Islamic FinTech, but in short term – by Islamic windows (currently not allowed by Central Bank) that will help to significantly expand the audience, increase awareness and demand for Islamic finance among local businesses and public. The current study is original, important and up-to-date, as it uses an approach that sources primary data in the form of experts’ point of view instead of relying on literature or document analysis. It is not a mere theoretical study of the literature but an empirical investigation of the problem. Moreover, it seeks to contribute to the Islamic finance literature in the post-Soviet region, particularly from the experts’ perspective.

As a result of the ongoing globalization and commercialization of higher education, English is increasingly being used as the language of instruction in universities across the globe. Despite the growing popularity of English-medium instruction (EMI) for academic subject instruction in Kazakhstan, there is limited research on regional university undergraduate students' attitudes towards learning EMI. This article explores a case study of a chemistry undergraduate program in Kazakhstan, where EMI is used. This study seeks to identify beliefs related to EMI, student attitudes and the challenges faced when studying science in English.

Qualitative data were collected using open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with individuals selected using purposive sampling, which were then triangulated using classroom observations. The study employed a thematic analysis methodology to examine the gathered data, which included transcripts from interviews, audio logs from classroom observations and survey responses.

Following an in-depth look at the main themes, there were a variety of codes that made more sense when arranged in one of the four primary groups. These categories primarily focused on the possible obstacles that may be encountered when adopting EMI in Kazakhstan's higher education institutions. They are as follows: linguistic, managerial, cultural and emotional.

The results of this study will contribute to the development of improved EMI policies and practices that are more comprehensive, equitable and efficient.