A Case Study of One Accelerated University in Kazakhstan Establishing an IREC
Ispambetova B. Sparks J. Kuzhabekova A.
March 2026Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
Journal of Academic Ethics
2026#24Issue 1
This study explores the establishment of the Institutional Research Ethics Committee (IREC) at an accelerated university in Kazakhstan, focusing on the experiences of key stakeholders. Using a qualitative case study research design, data were collected through documents analysis, observations and 32 interviews with faculty and administrative staff involved in the IREC’s creation and analyzed thematically. Findings reveal that the IREC’s development unfolded in three distinct stages, each shaped by stakeholder roles, institutional needs, and external influences. Key challenges included limited policy infrastructure and faculty members’ varying levels of familiarity with ethical research practices. The study highlights the critical role of stakeholder engagement and contextual adaptation in developing research ethics frameworks in non-Western academic settings. These insights contribute to the broader discourse on internationalization of research ethics and building institutional capacity for ethical oversight in emerging academic contexts and not only.
Institutional diffusion , Institutional research ethics committee (IREC) , Institutional review board (IRB) , Institutionalization , Institutionalization of human subject protection in research , Neo-institutional theory , Policy-borrowing theory
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Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, Kabanbay Batyr 53, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Werklund School of Eduaction, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education
Werklund School of Eduaction
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Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026