90 YEARS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF KAZNU

January 15 is the founding Day of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. The university is the only domestic university that ranks 230th in the international QS ranking. It also maintains a leading position in Central Asia. The top 250 of the QS world ranking includes only two universities from the CIS countries – Moscow State University named afterLomonosov and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. The alma mater of Kazakhstan's Education and Science is among the top 30 and the first universities in Asia in the QS Asia University Rankings.

The educational institution has the status of a "research university". Approved by the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated July 25, 2022.

The university first opened on January 15, 1934, recruiting 54 students, currently it has more than 25 thousand students. If the physics, mathematics and biology faculties were functioning 90 years ago, now their number has reached 16. Before 1941, 14 educational programs were approved, in the 2023-2024 academic year their number exceeded 550. 11 academicians of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 3 academicians of the Higher School of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 8 academicians of the Academy of Sciences of the Higher School of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 7 corresponding members of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan work in the classrooms where Mukhtar Auezov, Kanysh Satbayev, Alkey Margulan gave lectures. 603 doctors, 736 candidates of sciences, 512 PhDs also contribute to the development of the university. 3354 professors and teachers ensure high quality and efficiency of research work.

Over the years, the university was headed and contributed to its development by rectors: I. Lukyanets, T. Tazhibaev, A. Zakarin, T. Darkanbayev, O. Zholdasbekov, K. Naribayev, B. Zhumagulov and other scientists. Today, KazNU is headed by Doctor of Philology, Professor, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Zhanseit Kanseituly Tuimebayev.

For the 2023-2024 academic year, 10,719 applicants were accepted, the number of students increased by 3,000 compared to the previous year. 32 teachers of KazNU became winners of the republican contest "The best university teacher-2023".

KazNU maintains close relations with more than 650 higher education institutions and organizations in Western and Eastern Europe, North America, Asia and the Pacific. Last year, more than 80 partnerships were established. There are 3,928 international students from 54 countries of the world.

In 2022, as part of the official visit of Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Turkey and Kyrgyzstan, KazNU branches were opened in the Turkish city of Istanbul and the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic – Bishkek. A branch of the Russian National Nuclear Research University MEPhI has also started working at the university.

In 2023, during the state visit of the President of Kazakhstan to China, it was agreed to open a branch of the Northwestern Polytechnic University (PRC) on the basis of KazNU. On October 12, the solemn opening ceremony of the branch took place, special laboratory classes were put into operation for conducting scientific research.

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University pays special attention to the development of science in accordance with the status of a research university. Over the past three years, revenues from university science have doubled and amounted to 8.5 billion tenge.

In 2023, KazNU scientists won a megagrant in the amount of 3.8 billion tenge from the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The project, planned for three years, will analyze the issues of rational use of natural resources of the West Kazakhstan region, conservation of wildlife, prevention of environmental crises.

Associate Professor of the University, Doctor of Biological Sciences Meruert Kurmanbayeva was the first in the country to develop a method for the production of perennial wheat. Perennial wheat can be sown only once and harvested 5-6 years in a row. At the moment, a patent has been obtained for a scientific project, and work is underway to bring it to the market.

At the suggestion of the head of the Department of Biophysics, Biomedicine and Neuroscience Almira Kustubaeva, the Institute of the Brain was established. There have never been any attempts to explore the possibilities of the brain and human consciousness in the country. Scientific research conducted by the Brain Institute can help activate memory processes, correct behavioral abnormalities and prevent age-related processes of deterioration of attention.

By the 90th anniversary of the educational institution, KazNU plans to create the first model factory of Industry 4.0 in Central Asia.

KazNU, together with the autonomous cluster fund "Park of Innovative Technologies" Tech Garden, provides support to new startups in the field of industrial robotics and robotization.

In addition, a joint project is being implemented to create an IT technology park based on the Silicon Valley model, agreed with the Government of the People's Republic of China. A supercomputer will be installed that will perform 110 trillion operations per second (110 Tfl), and a single data processing center will be created.

The Chemical Coatings Innovations (ChemCoIn) Electroplating Packaging Research and Production Center has opened at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology. The center, organized with the financial support of the Scientific Foundation of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, will present new metalworking technologies.

A special contribution to the formation of the modern KazNU town was made by the statesman and public figure Dinmukhamed Kunaev. In April 1971, the main building of the state University was laid, and the first stage of construction of the KazGU complex began.

From 2024 to 2027, with the support of the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, the second stage of the construction of the KazNU will be built. Three modern dormitories with 1,060 beds, a total of 3,180 beds, are under construction. In addition, it is planned to build educational buildings, a sports and recreation center, housing for employees, an innovation center, a research center and a technopark.