Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology
Department of botany and agroecology
The Department of Botany and Agroecology was established on the basis of the Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources. Today, it is one of the key academic and research units of the faculty, bringing together experienced professors, lecturers, and researchers. The department offers the following educational programs: 6B05102 – Biology (Scientific); 6B05106 – Geobotany; M083 – Geobotany – 7M05112; M083 – Landscape Design – 7M05120; D080 – Biology – 8D05101; D083 – Geobotany – 8D05108. The main research directions of the department include: - study of floristic diversity and endemism of Kazakhstan; - issues of phytocenology and agroecology; - assessment of the condition of pastures and agro-landscapes; - adaptation of plants to changing climatic conditions; - monitoring and restoration of degraded ecosystems. The department combines fundamental research with applied developments aimed at the sustainable use of natural resources and the improvement of agricultural sector efficiency. The Department of Botany and Agroecology actively cooperates with foreign universities and research centers (Hungary, Poland, the Republic of Korea, and others), participates in international conferences and academic exchange programs. Faculty members and researchers are engaged in state-funded and international grant projects supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and foreign foundations.
Head of the department
Akhtaeva Nursulu
8(727)377-33-34, (1204)
Nursulu.Akhtaeva@kaznu.edu.kz
Department contacts
Department's Phone : 8 (727) 377-33-34 ext. (12-12, 12-13, 12-21)
Address of the Department: аl-Farabi avenue, 71, Block 6
History of the department
The official establishment of the Department of Botany at Kazakh State University took place on January 15, 1934.
In 1938, Professor A.S. Lazarenko was invited to the department. With his participation, two independent units were organized on the basis of the Department of Botany:
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Department of Higher Plant Systematics (Head — Professor N.V. Pavlov),
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Department of Lower Plant Systematics (Head — Professor A.S. Lazarenko).
In the autumn of 1940, these departments were reunited under the common name “Department of Botany”, headed by Professor N.V. Pavlov.
During the years of the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945), the academic staff of the department expanded significantly. Alongside Professor Pavlov, the department’s faculty included Associate Professors S.R. Shvartsman, N.G. Ageeva, Assistants V.S. Kornilova, M.N. Kuznetsova, V.G. Khrzhanovsky, and since 1939, B.A. Bykov.
In the following decades, the department was headed by prominent scholars and educators:
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1961–1964, 1975–1980 — B.I. Tarabaeva,
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1964–1973 — Professor V.S. Kornilova,
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1973–1975 — Professor I.O. Baitulin,
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1980–1984 — Associate Professor P.M. Myrzakulov,
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1984–1989 — Professor S.A. Bedarev,
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1989–2005 — Professor N.M. Mukhitdinov.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources was established at the university, combining the fields of botany, ecology, and conservation of biological resources. It was headed by:
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2011–2014 — Professor Saule Sagidullaevna Aidosova,
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2014–2016 — Professor Ashimkhan Toktasinovich Kanaev,
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2016–2023 — Professor Meruert Sakenovna Kurmanbayeva,
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2023–2024 — Associate Professor Gulnar Bolatovna Kegenova.
In the 2025–2026 academic year, as a result of the reorganization of the Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources, the Department of Botany and Agroecology was established. Continuing the traditions of the Kazakhstani botanical school, it develops modern research directions in the fields of floristics, agroecology, phytocenology, and sustainable use of natural resources.