The Turksoy Department prepares highly qualified specialists in the educational programmes "6B02207-Oriental Studies", "6B02301- Foreign Philology (Oriental languages)", "6B02302- Translation (Oriental languages)", "7M02217-Oriental Studies", "7M02310-Foreign Philology (Oriental languages)", "7M02302-Translation (Oriental languages languages)", "8D02209-Oriental Studies", "8D02305-Foreign Philology (Oriental languages)", "8D02301-Translation (Oriental languages)", "7M03115-Regional Studies: Eastern countries".

The Department has 77 students, 7 Masters and 4 doctoral students. Turkish language, history, culture, politics and economics of Turkey are taught at the department by 16 teachers, of whom 7 are candidates of sciences and PhD doctors.   9 teachers or 65% have diplomas from Turkish universities. The Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Almaty annually sends a foreign teacher to improve the language skills of students. Currently, the foreign teacher is PhD Koshumuju S.

Since 2017, the scientific and educational center "Monuments of Writing and Spiritual Heritage" has been operating at the department under the guidance of Associate Professor, Ph.D. Shadkam Z.

The main tasks of the center are:

• Collection and creation of a fund of manuscripts in Oriental languages (Arabic, Persian, Chagatai) discovered on the territory of Kazakhstan;

• Development of a branch index of manuscripts, which can serve as a basis for research in history, ethnography, archeology, philology, literature, philosophy, religion, oriental studies, Turkology;;

• Study of manuscripts found on the territory of Kazakhstan, introducing them into scientific turnover;

• Through these works, popularization of Kazakh history, literature, language and culture at the world level, the popularization of Kazakh science through written monuments is aimed at creating works.

On 7 May 2018, the opening of the "Azerbaijani Centre of History and Culture" at the Department of Turksoy, Faculty of Oriental Studies of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University was held. The center is the only one in Kazakhstan opened by the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Bases of production and research practices for students, Masters and PhD students studying at various levels of educational programs at the department: JSC "Subsidiary Bank of Kazakhstan-Ziraat International Bank", National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Public Fund "Almaty Turkic Culture Fund" and the Eurasian Research Institute at the International H.A.Yassaui Kazakh-Turkish University. Students of the department undergo practical training at the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Public Fund "Almaty Turkish Cultural Fund", JSC "International Bank "Kazakhstan-Ziraat". Masters and doctoral students undergo research practices in the Institute of Oriental Studies named after R.B. Suleimenov, research centre "Monuments of writing and spiritual heritage", Eurasian Research Institute at the International  H.A. Yassaui  Kazakh-Turkish University.

Currently, graduates of the department work in the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Security Committee (KNB), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, JSC Subsidiary Bank Kazakhstan-Ziraat International Bank, Eurasian National University named L.N. Gumilev, Turkish companies both in Kazakhstan and  in Turkey.

Turksoy Department history

Preparing of specialists-turkologists at the Faculty of Oriental Studies of Al-Farabi KazNU has been carried out since 1991-1992 academic year. As an independent Department of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, the department has existed since 11 April 1996. In the same year the first graduation of students from this department of 17 people took place. Since then the department has graduated over 500 graduates of Bachelor's, Master's and PhD programmes.  The founder of the department and the first head of the department was the candidate of Philological sciences, Associate Professor Fadli Ali.

Since 2000, the department has been reformatted along the country studies principle and now it concentrates not only teachers of Turkish language and literature, but also teachers of Turkish history, culture, religion, politics and economics. This means that our graduates gain a comprehensive knowledge of the country of study (Turkey) and can work in any industry. In 2005, the department was renamed as the Department of Turkology and Oriental History due to the transfer of teachers of Asian and African history to the department. In 2011, the specialty "5B021200-Turkology" appeared at the Department of Turkology and History of the East and the department receives the name Department of Turkology and History of the East. Since 2012, the department has been called the Department of Turkology and Indology. Since 2015, the Department of Turkology and Indology has been renamed the Turksoy Department.

From 1996 to the present day, the departments have been headed by a number of well-known scientists in our country. In particular, Ali F.F., Turganbaev A.A., Kaliev A.K., Karsakov I.B., Avakova R.A., Dosova S.N., Sapashev O.S., Kazhibek E.Z., Kydyr T.E., Kydyrbaeva U.T., Egamberdiev M.Sh.

Since 2022, the department has been headed by PhD Doctor Gabdullin Kenzhebek Tulepbergenovich. The deputy head of the Turksoy department for educational and methodological work is the senior lecturer Zhanataeva K.B. The deputy head of the Turksoy department for scientific and innovative activities and international relations is the teacher Montanai E.A.

Outstanding scientists and experts taught at the Turksoy department, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Professor Chupekov A.A., Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor F.F. Ali, Candidate of Historical Sciences Karsakov I.B., Doctor of Philology, Professor Avakova R.A., senior lecturer Kaliev A.K.

Currently, the teaching staff of the department: Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Shadkam Z., Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Egamberdiev M.S., PhD, Associate Professor Kurmanali Chakyroglou A.A., PhD, senior teachers Gabdullin K.T., Koshumju, Kuanyshbaev E.A., Dulaeva E.Z., senior teachers Zhanataeva K.B., Nazarova A.Zh., Abeldaev Zh.A., Temenova G.K., Shuinshina Meta N.M., Iliyas N.K. and teachers Montanai E, A., Isakhanova M.M.

Scientific achievements of the department

The scientific cooperation of the department with Kazakhstani and foreign scientists and organizations consists in establishing scientific ties with domestic and foreign Turkologists, holding joint events – conferences, congresses, round tables, in joint implementation of scientific projects, in carrying out research, publishing monographs, collections of works, textbooks, in the exchange of research developments and methods of teaching languages.

The areas of research activities of the teachers of the chair are: Turkish language and literature, history, culture, geopolitics and foreign policy, political system and economy, Turkish literature, manuscript sources, comparative linguistics.

The teachers of the department are actively engaged in scientific activities. The teachers have published 8 monographs, 12 textbooks, 21 scientific articles indexed in Scopus database, 62 articles in the journals recommended by Committee for Control in the Sphere of Education and Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 8 author's certificates have been acquired, 8 teachers have hirsh 1 and higher.

In 2021-2023, the scientific project of the GF "The source of steppe medicine "Dastar al-ilaj" AP09259326 was implemented at the department (scientific supervisor Ph.D., Associate professor Shadkam Z.).

PhD, Associate Professor Shadkam Z. and PhD, Associate Professor Egamberdiev M.Sh. are the owners of the "Best teacher of the University of the Republic of Kazakhstan" (2023, 2022).

Department`s International relations

The Department has close ties with the International Organization of Turkic Culture TURKSOY, the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey, the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Almaty, the Agency of the Turkish Administration for Cooperation and Development (TICA), Almaty Fund of Turkic Culture.

The main partners of the Turksoy Department in the field of education and science in the Republic of Turkey are Istanbul University, Ankara University, Ankara Haji Bayram Veli University, Osmangazi University, Pamukkale University, Ege University, Hacettepe University.

Every year our students undergo language and scientific internships at the mentioned leading universities in Turkey. Winter and summer schools are held every year for students, Master students and PhD students of a number of leading universities in Turkey.

Opening of the Center of "Azerbaijani History and Culture" at the Turksoy Department (2018)