Third Academic Council Meeting Held at the Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences

On October 30, 2026, the Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University held its third Academic Council meeting.

During the meeting, Aliya Aktymbayeva, Dean of the Faculty, informed the Academic Council members about the main issues considered by the University Academic Council and outlined tasks for implementing the adopted decisions at the faculty level. In particular, the discussion covered the key areas of KazNU's Development Strategy until 2030, improving the quality of scientific research, strengthening academic achievements, expanding international cooperation, digital transformation, and sustainable development. The importance of achieving strategic targets aimed at strengthening the University's position in international rankings was emphasized.

One of the key agenda items was the organization of the Sci Office information system at KazNU and the identification of its main objectives. The issue was presented by Marzhan Tursyngali, Vice-Dean for Research, Innovation and International Cooperation. She explained that the Sci Office platform enables the integration of information on scientific publications, projects, and achievements of academic staff, researchers, and doctoral students into a unified digital system. The discussion also addressed opportunities for analyzing research performance, developing researchers' academic profiles, and expanding scientific cooperation.

In addition, the Council discussed identifying promising research areas, developing the Faculty's scientific schools, attracting young researchers, and strengthening research capacity. The need to form student project teams to participate in the third stage of the AI-Sana program was also highlighted.

The Academic Council also considered the integration of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) available on Coursera into the educational process, progress in implementing the indicative planning system and KPIs for the 2026–2027 academic year, the organization of online lectures by an international professor, and matters related to doctoral dissertation topics and academic supervisors.

During the meeting, the Faculty honored two members of the Department of Recreational Geography and Tourism, Marzhangul Inkarbekovna Zhilkibayeva and Alexander Mikhailovich Artemyev, on the occasion of their 70th birthdays. The honorees received congratulatory addresses from Zhanseit Tuimebayev, Chairman of the Board – Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, recognizing their significant contributions to the development of the University and tourism education in Kazakhstan. The Trade Union Committee presented commemorative gifts, while colleagues prepared video presentations highlighting their personal and professional journeys.

Following the meeting, relevant decisions were adopted and priorities were identified to support the further development of the Faculty's research and educational activities.