The Research Center “Study of Personalities and National Spirituality” is a scientific subdivision of the university that conducts research on the heritage of outstanding figures of Kazakh science and culture, as well as issues related to national spirituality, literature, and language.
The activities of the Center were formed on the basis of the scientific fields “Zhubanov Studies” and “Abai Studies and National Spirituality,” which focused on the study of the scientific and spiritual heritage of the Kazakh people. The Center continues the development of these scientific schools by integrating research in linguistics, literary studies, folklore studies, and national spiritual culture.
One of the key areas of the Center’s activities is the study of the scientific heritage of the outstanding Turkologist scholar, one of the founders of Kazakh linguistics, Professor Kudaibergen Zhubanov. The research is devoted to his scientific works in the fields of phonetics, phonology, terminology, the history of the Kazakh language, and the development of the national scientific language. The study of the scholar’s heritage has been carried out since 1991, when the “Zhubanov Studies” Research Laboratory was established at the university on the initiative of Rector Professor M. G. Arinov. The first head of the laboratory was Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Yeset Kudaibergenovich Zhubanov.
Within this area, scientific research is conducted, dissertations are defended, and monographs and educational materials devoted to Kazakh linguistics and the scientific heritage of K. Zhubanov are published. The Center also organizes scientific conferences, seminars, and scientific-practical events aimed at the development of the humanities and the popularization of the scholar’s scientific heritage.
Another important area of the Center’s activities is the study of Abai studies and national spirituality. Within this field, the ideas and philosophical heritage of Abai, issues of national spirituality, folklore, oral literature, and the history of Kazakh literature are explored. The main goal of this area is to apply research results in the educational process and to educate young people based on the humanistic ideas of the great thinker Abai.
The Center promotes the involvement of students, master’s students, and doctoral students in research activities, provides scientific and methodological support to young researchers, and develops cooperation with scientific organizations and research centers in Kazakhstan. Within the framework of its activities, the Center organizes scientific conferences, seminars, educational courses, and research projects dedicated to Abai studies, folklore studies, and national spiritual culture.
Main areas of the Center’s activities:
- studying the scientific heritage of Kudaibergen Zhubanov and other outstanding representatives of Kazakh science and culture;
- development of research in the fields of Kazakh linguistics and literary studies;
- research in Abai studies, folklore studies, and the history of Kazakh literature;
- promotion of national spirituality and the humanistic ideas of Abai;
- involvement of students, master’s students, and doctoral students in scientific activities;
- organization of scientific conferences, seminars, and educational programs;
- development of scientific cooperation with research centers and universities of Kazakhstan.
The Center’s activities are aimed at preserving, studying, and promoting the spiritual and scientific heritage of the Kazakh people, as well as developing humanitarian research and shaping the scientific worldview of the younger generation.