Abstract
Abstract This study aimed to show why people and place-based policies should be grounded on people and place research, using Generalized Q Analysis, and shift the focus of the research from the features of observed entities on the study of entities associated with combined and evident features of people and places. For the present study “people and places” were recent alumni from the University of North Kazakhstan. The “people and place-based policies” were programs of English proficiency and international mobility provided by the University. The literature links regional development with human capital and professional wellbeing, as well as English proficiency and international mobility. First, to test this hypothesis we used a regression relating professional wellbeing of 1250 alumni with their places of origin, gender, marks, sector of employment, English proficiency and international mobility, but no major evidence was achieved. Then, to test people and places that have higher professional wellbeing, following a Generalized Q Analysis 1250 alumni from the University of North Kazakhstan were explained analyzed by 10 profiles. On the one hand, directly related with professional wellbeing and, on the other hand, clustered and related with professional wellbeing using differences and differences regression. Results indicated that people with English proficiency did not have higher professional well-being because English was not useful for existing follow-up studies and for more common employment. Alumni with professional wellbeing were male, self-employed, urban or rural that participated in student mobility activities most probably in a Russian speaking language environment. This clearer evidence justifies more attention to people and place-based approaches for people and place-based policies.