New Trends in Literary Studies and the Experience of International Research Internship

As humanity develops, the burden of literature as an art form and literary studies as a scholarly discipline grows heavier. This is due to the fact that the primary object of literature is the human being. The inner world, consciousness, worldview, perception of phenomena and nature, emotions, moods, and value systems of today’s reader have changed, diversified, and become more complex. The importance of articulating and studying these processes is increasing day by day. From this perspective, the place of Kazakh literary studies within contemporary world scholarship must be clearly defined. The ability to keep pace with global academic trends becomes especially significant, as major changes are currently taking place in the objects of research, methodologies, approaches, and interdisciplinary connections in literary studies. Following these new tendencies necessitates that young literary scholars acquire new experience, complete international internships, and gain access to modern academic resources.

Second-year doctoral students of the educational program “8D02304 – Literary Studies” of the Department of Kazakh Literature and Literary Theory at the Faculty of Philology – Yeldos Yekpin, Toibazar Ayazhan, Almaskhankzy Arailym, and Turdali Talgat – completed a research internship at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, United Kingdom, from November 3 to December 2, 2025.

Behind every significant step on the path of science stands an individual who quietly guides and supports others at critical moments. At times, the wisdom and dedication of a single person can shape the academic destinies of many young researchers and give impetus to the development of an entire scholarly direction. One such individual is Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Temirbolat Alua Berikbaikyzy.

In ensuring the systematic and effective implementation of this internship, Professor Alua Berikbaikyzy’s scholarly foresight, organizational skills, and strong sense of responsibility toward her students were clearly demonstrated. Thanks to her guidance, advice, and clear academic direction, we began the internship well prepared, highly motivated, and in a positive frame of mind.

The main objective of the research internship was to acquire international academic experience in line with the topics of our dissertation research, to gain in-depth familiarity with modern theories of literary studies, and to improve research skills within a foreign academic environment. Within the framework of the internship, systematic research work was carried out on our respective topics.

In accordance with the internship program, research activities were conducted at the university’s central library. In particular, scholarly materials were collected and analyzed in the following areas:

– classical and contemporary studies were reviewed, and the theoretical foundation for analyzing intertextual connections in poetry was expanded;

– works devoted to comparative literary analysis of contemporary Kazakh and English literature (poetry and prose) were examined;

– scholarly articles and monographs addressing issues of artistic transformation, genre hybridity, and the renewal of poetic language in contemporary poetry were studied.

Alongside research activities, we attended courses delivered by professors of the host university. Of particular interest were lectures on receptive aesthetics, one of the branches of hermeneutics. This is a modern approach that emerged within Western literary criticism and literary theory, grounded in the idea that a work of art is formed only through the interaction between the literary text and the reader. The purpose of studying this phenomenon is to observe how socially established values change over time, identifying which values are preserved and which are renewed.

In this context, attending lectures by foreign scholars, analyzing them, and conducting both theoretical and practical research proved especially important for us. In addition, with the aim of preparing an article for an international scientific journal indexed in the Scopus database, contemporary academic publications were analyzed, and relevant theoretical and methodological approaches aligned with our research topics were identified.

During the internship, we participated in academic meetings and discussions involving faculty members and students, thereby gaining experience in scholarly communication within the international academic community.

As a result of the research internship, the following concrete outcomes were achieved: relevant academic sources and theoretical materials necessary for our dissertation research were collected; modern Western scholarly approaches and methods in literary studies were thoroughly mastered; our professional experience in research and academic writing was expanded; academic connections were established with foreign scholars and early-career researchers; and our skills in presenting and defending research results in an international academic environment were significantly enhanced.

Overall, the materials gathered and the experience gained during the research internship contribute to raising the academic quality of our dissertation projects and provide a solid foundation for their successful completion. The results of the internship will further enable the publication of scholarly articles and the deepening of the theoretical and methodological sections of the dissertations.

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University,

Department of Kazakh Literature and Literary Theory,

second-year doctoral students of the educational program

“8D02304 – Literary Studies”:

Toybazar Ayazhan, Eldos Ekpin, Almashankyzy Arailym, Turdali Talgat.