Failure to defend a PhD thesis in Kazakhstan is a reality for 70% doctoral students. And it’s not about the quality of the dissertation. Most often, it’s due to details that seem insignificant until the very last moment: the wrong type of document, a journal from a high-risk zone, or a publication date that’s just one day later than the submission date.
The commission makes no exceptions. The KOKSNVO conducts inspections according to protocol—and issues denials according to protocol.
This article lists 5 actual grounds for rejection based on the official requirements of Order No. 127 of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as amended in January and June 2025. For more information on a publication strategy for a successful defense, read our article «A Publication Strategy for PhD Students».
Why PhD defenses fail in Kazakhstan:
Reason No. 1: The publications do not rule out any of the MNVO options
The most common reason for rejection—and yet the least obvious one.
Many doctoral students know that they need a paper published in Scopus. But they don’t realize that KOKSNVO doesn’t check whether the paper was actually published; rather, it verifies compliance with one of the four official sets of requirements.
Effective June 2025 (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Order No. 289), the following system is in effect:
Option 1. 1 Scopus article (CiteScore ≥ 25%) or a Web of Science article from any quartile + articles from the KOKSNVO List. List 1 — 1 article, List 2 — 2 articles, List 3 — 3 articles.
Option 2. 2 articles in Scopus (CiteScore ≥ 35%) or WoS Q1–Q3. Publications in KOKSNVO journals are not required.
Option 3. 1 chapter in a monograph published by one of the top 100 publishers in the world: Elsevier, Springer, Routledge, and similar publishers.
Option 4. 1 Scopus article (CiteScore ≥ 35%) or WoS Q1–Q2 + 1 conference paper presented at a conference indexed in Web of Science.
Bonus option. 1 article in a WoS Q1 journal or with a Scopus CiteScore ≥ 75%—no other publications are required.
Important point: The type of document matters. Only “Article,” “Review,” “Article in Press,” and “Conference Paper” are accepted. “Editorial,” “Letter,” and “Short Communication” are not accepted, even if the journal is fully indexed in Scopus.
Starting in June 2025, COKSNVO journals will be divided into three lists with different requirements. According to expert estimates, no more than 20% of the current publications on the List meet the new criteria. For more details on the categories and current publications, see the article. «Waiting Lists for Publication in Journals of the KOKSNVO MNVO of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2026.».
Reason #2: The journal was removed from Scopus
It would seem that the journal was indexed in Scopus at the time of publication—so everything should be fine. But the KOKSNVO rule is strict: articles from the journal are not counted for the year of its exclusion or the preceding year.
Example: A journal was removed from Scopus in 2025 → an article published in 2024 will not be accepted.
This is not a theoretical risk. In December 2025, 16 journals were removed from Scopus. In January 2026, there was a new wave of deindexing. Of the 41 journals that experts classified as being in the «risk zone,» 37 were officially removed.
Failing to get published in such a journal means that 6–18 months of work have gone to waste. To avoid this, check out which publishers’ journals will never be removed from Scopus — this is the foundation of a sound publication strategy.
We also recommend checking the list of OP-5 predatory journals where Kazakhstani scientists lost hundreds of millions of tenge — so you don’t fall into the same trap.
Reason #3: The article's topic does not match the major code
This point often comes as a surprise. The journal is indexed in Scopus. The percentile meets the requirements. The article was published on time. And yet—it was rejected.
The KOKSNVO Commission verifies thematic alignment: the article's keywords must correspond to the dissertation's research area and the doctoral student's specialty code.
If an article strays «even slightly» from the topic—even in a reputable journal—it won’t be accepted. Make sure it fits the journal’s scope during the selection process, not after publication.
Reason #4: The magazine issue was published after the documents were submitted
KOKSNVO considers the publication date of the print issue, not the date the article was accepted by the editorial board or the date of online publication.
If an issue of a journal was published after the doctoral student submitted their documents to the dissertation committee, the publication does not count—even if the article is listed in the Scopus database.
Recommended supply: At least 2–3 months between the issue's publication date and the date of document submission.
Reason #5: Plagiarism or the use of AI without disclosure
Starting in January 2025, new academic integrity requirements are in effect in Kazakhstan. The use of AI tools in a dissertation is permitted only if three conditions are met:
1. Preliminary approval by the research advisor;
2. approval by the university's ethics committee;
3. The following information must be included in the text: the name of the tool, the manufacturer, the version, and the date of use.
The use of AI without disclosure is considered a violation of academic integrity. There are three grounds for rejection without the right to a retake: detected plagiarism, data fabrication, and the use of AI without disclosure.
Minimum Threshold for Originality — 85% under the NCGNTÉ system. At several leading universities — 90%.
All of these and other mistakes are discussed in detail in the article «Top 5 Mistakes PhD Students Make That Could Cost Them Their PhD Defense.»
How long does the entire process take?
Many doctoral students underestimate the time required. Here are the official guidelines:
1. Dissertation Committee: no more than 10 business days from the receipt of documents to the scheduling of the defense date;
2. Defense: no later than 3 months from the date of the assignment;
3. Submission of the certification file to the KOKSNVO: within 25 days after the defense;
4. Review by the KOKSNVO: 4 months + a possible 1-month extension.
In total, from the time you submit your documents until you receive your diploma, it takes at least 6–8 months. provided there are no delays. If a problem arises at any stage, the deadlines will be pushed back.
Conclusion
From 2011 to 2022, out of 10,276 doctoral students in Kazakhstan, only 4,497 successfully defended their dissertations. That’s less than half. Researchers cite difficulties with publishing in Scopus as the main reason.
The requirements of the KOKSNVO continue to become stricter. Scopus deindexing waves occur every month. Of the 41 journals that experts had classified as being at risk, 37 have been officially removed.
These aren't just abstract statistics. These are real doctoral students who lost a year of work—all because of a single journal, a single date, or a single detail in the formatting.
Defense isn't just about the quality of your dissertation. It's about a publication strategy, choosing reputable journals, and carefully planning your timeline. For more information on common mistakes, read our article «Top 6 Reasons for Failure at a PhD Defense in Kazakhstan.»
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