KazNU Master's Student Completes Research Internship at RUDN University
From February 2 to February 20, 2026, Elena Yuryevna Aleynikova, a Master's student of the "Philosophy" educational program at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, completed a research internship at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after P. Lumumba (RUDN, Moscow). The internship took place at the Department of Ontology and Theory of Knowledge under the scientific supervision of Professor V.N. Belov, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences.
The primary goal of the internship was to deepen the theoretical and methodological framework of the Master’s thesis, which focuses on the philosophy of human needs within the system of determinants and values of social being. During the internship, the problematic foundations of the research were clarified, specifically the ontological status of human needs and their value determination. Particular attention was paid to the analysis of the correlation between facticity and normativity in the structure of needs, as well as the development of a conceptual apparatus including categories such as "value," "determination," and "social being."
Through the university's library and electronic resources, an extensive bibliographic corpus was compiled, and key philosophical texts regarding philosophical anthropology and social ontology were analyzed. The analytical work resulted in identifying differences between psychological, social, and ontological understandings of needs.
A significant part of the internship was participation in a departmental scientific seminar dedicated to modern trends in social philosophy. During the professional discussion, the researcher presented her own study concept and received expert feedback, which helped refine the arguments and strengthen the logical structure of the work. The internship culminated in the preparation and completion of a scientific article titled "'Need' between 'Facticity' and 'Normativity': Ontological Analysis in the Context of Russian Neo-Kantianism."
The internship at RUDN contributed to expanding the scientific horizons of the research, strengthening academic ties, and fostering inter-university scientific cooperation. The experience gained serves as a significant milestone in the preparation of the Master's dissertation and professional development.
