Gulnaz Tleuzhanova - Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Dean of the

Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​of the Karaganda University named after Academician E.A. Buketov. She completed advanced training in the field of foreign language training at leading foreign universities (Germany, Finland, Turkey, Russia). Gulnaz was twice awarded with the title of the Ministry of  Higher Education and Science RK "Best University Teacher" (2013, 2023), she has published more than 200 scientific and scientific-methodical works, is the head of a scientific project within the framework of grant funding for 2023-2025 on the problems of informal education, she is a supervisor of 35 Master students, 20 students - winners of international, republican scientific competitions and Olympiads, 4 PhD students.

"Convergence of formal and informal education in the process of foreign language training at a university".

We present the outcomes of the grant funding project of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the topic IRN AP19678268 "Scientific and methodological foundations for the implementation of professional foreign language training in the context of convergence of formal and informal higher education".

Lifelong learning, which has become a relevant trend in recent decades, increases the competitiveness of people through their development of intelligence, structured thinking, the ability to adapt and self-organize, expanding the circle of cooperation, opportunities and ideas about the world, improving psychological health, mastering competencies. In the modern world, lifelong education is implemented through its various forms (formal, informal, non-formal), as well as their combination and interpenetration. In this regard, another trend stands out - convergence as a challenge for education. Based on modern research in the field of higher professional education, we come to the conclusion that improving the professional foreign language training of a student at a university is possible by applying the advantages of both educational formats, that is, through the convergence of formal and informal education.

In the context of professional foreign language education, integration is aimed at creating a single educational program that includes language as a key element, and convergence is aimed at bringing together and jointly using various educational resources and methods to improve the educational process.

As a result of studying various research, regulatory documents, as well as analyzing international experience in implementing formal and informal higher education, a conclusion was made about the possibility of convergence of formal and informal education in the process of foreign language training at higher educational level.