Abstract
This study addresses the professional preparedness of female academics in Kazakhstan in the context of higher education digitalization. Guided by a multidimensional readiness framework combining self-efficacy, digital competence, reflective readiness, and institutional support, we sought to identify psychological, digital and reflective dimensions of preparedness and to examine associations with key institutional, professional and personal factors. We employed a cross-sectional empirical design with 117 female researchers aged 25–65 recruited from four universities in the Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan. Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and a battery of diagnostic elements focused on motivation, cognitive readiness, digital competence, self-efficacy, impostor-syndrome symptoms, and reflective readiness. We carried out statistical analysis using descriptive statistics, correlation and chi-square tests in SPSS 26.0. Our findings indicate that participants generally show strong motivation and cognitive readiness, comparatively high self-efficacy, and good capacity for reflection, although digital competence is the least developed component of preparedness, with only 42% of respondents reporting high levels, and 28% indicating low levels. We also identified impostor syndrome symptoms among 34% of the subjects, indicating the presence of a significant subgroup of psychological vulnerability. Scientific mentoring showed the strongest association with preparedness, followed by work-life balance, digital resources and training, professional communities, and organizational support. The results suggest that universities should prioritize structured mentoring, targeted digital upskilling, and work-life balance policies. Given the regional and relatively small sample, the findings should be interpreted as exploratory rather than generalizable to all female researchers in Kazakhstan.