The Faculty of Oriental Studies of al-Farabi Kazakh National University has become the largest center in the Republic of Kazakhstan which trains highly qualified specialists in Eastern languages, which was founded by the Resolution of the Government of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic on 15 May 1989. 

     Specialists in Eastern languages were demanded by the time, when Kazakhstan was becoming an Independent country, strengthening statehood and establishing its official diplomatic contacts with foreign countries. 

     The Faculty of Oriental Studies was founded on the basis of the Department of History of Asian and African Countries and the Department of Arabic Language in 1989, is based on the 40-years tradition of studying languages and history of Eastern countries, and in 2014 celebrated the 25th anniversary. At first, the young faculty of Oriental Studies experienced a shortage of teachers, educational and methodical literature. and in 2024, it celebrates its 35th anniversary

     The faculty invited specialists who received education in Oriental Studies in universities of Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, as well as foreign teachers–native speakers. For these reasons, most of the first university graduates started working in the department of faculty. The formation and development of the faculty went along with the construction of a new Kazakh state.

     Despite the difficulties of the transition period, the government of the country and the university administration paid great attention to strengthening the teaching staff, expanding the material base, and replenishing the library fund with special literature. In particular, the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic of April 09, 1990, identified the measures for strengthening the educational and material base of the faculty of Oriental Studies of Kazakh state university named after S.M.Kirov.

 FACULTY DEANS