Laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2015 in the field of science and technology named after al-Farabi and laureate of the A.I. Barayev Prize for the best scientific research and work in the field of agricultural science. He was born on September 17, 1960 in the Balkash, Karaganda region. From 1977 to 1982 he studied at KazGU, where he qualified as an ichthyologist and biologist. While still in his 2nd year student, he took part in an expedition to mountain reservoirs organised by the Department of Zoology and Ichthyology to mountain reservoirs. On the advice of his supervisor A.F. Sidorova, he devoted himself in particular to the study of the indigenous species – Ottomans and Marinka. Subsequently, interest in this group of fishes determined the scientific interests of S.R. Timirkhanov for many years. After graduating from the university, Serik Rakhizhanovich was engaged in research and teaching activities at alma mater for fourteen years. During this time, he examined almost all mountain reservoirs in the south and southeast of Kazakhstan, as well as mountain reservoirs of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. The desk work was continued in the inter-faculty laboratory of bioorganic chemistry named after A.N. Belozersky, where its head was a well-known scientist, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor B.M. Mednikov. He proved the possibility of restoration of extinct populations by acclimatizers, whose morphology and biology have significantly changed in the course of the naturalisation process. These results formed the basis for the international program to restore the native ichthyofauna of Lake Issyk-Kul 25 years later. Serik Rakishzhanovich participates in the preparation of the fundamental five-volume book "Fishes of Kazakhstan". This work was nominated for the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1993. In 1997, an important event occurred that determined the fate of Serik Rakishzhanovich for many years. He was invited to head the marine field group of the International Oil and gas Consortium OKIOC (OKIOS), which was carrying out oil exploration work in the Caspian Sea. Recruitment, purchase of equipment unique to Kazakhstan, training personnel, mastering new techniques introduced by foreign specialists and retraining personnel. As a result, the group led by Serik Rakhizhanovich became the best in the region and competed on an equal footing with leading foreign companies. Since 2001 Serik Rakishzhanovich organized and headed the Department of Environmental Monitoring at the Kazakhstan Agency for Applied Ecology. His group conducts state monitoring in the Caspian Sea by order of the Akimat of the Mangystau region. On behalf of Kazakhstan, he performs interstate research together with other Caspian Littoral states and many other works. The hydrobiological laboratory he established was recognized as the best hydrobiological laboratory in the region based on the audit conducted by CEFAS (The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science [UK]), and some of the specialists there are considered unique to Europe. During this period, Serik Rakishzhanovich represents and defends the interests of Kazakhstan in the Commission on Bioresources of the Caspian Sea, the Committee on Wildlife of CITES, and other international organizations and forums. In 2005 The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) organized a regional office for fisheries in the countries of Central Asia and Transcaucasia. Until 2013, Serik Rakishzhanovich was the national coordinator of the regional office of the FAO for the development of fisheries in Kazakhstan. Despite the huge amount of work, he does not leave his scientific activities. During this period, he headed the group for the study of the Alakol Lakes, conducted ichthyology classes at the Department of Small Livestock of the Kazakh National Agrarian University, and advised the international legal organization "Asian-American Partnership". One of his most remarkable achievements is the preparation of the first and for a long time the only, textbook for ichthyologists in Kazakhstan in the Kazakh language. In 1999, together with Associate Professor of the Department A.A. Baimbetov, a "Kazakh-Russian Guide to Fish and Fishes of Kazakhstan" was written and published. This book immediately became a scientific bestseller. The achievements of scientists in the field of environmental monitoring of oil operations are reflected in one of the volumes of the monograph "Ecology and the oil business". Since 2010 Serik Rakishzhanovich returns to his main specialty – fisheries. In 2010-2011 he is the Deputy General Director of the Kazakh Research Institute of Fisheries. Under his leadership, research was conducted for the first time in Central Asia and the Transcaucasia region to study the population genomics of sturgeons. Currently, this work has resulted in a joint Kazakh-Russian program for the certification of sturgeon. His extensive scientific connections allowed him to involve the world's leading scientists in the work. A deep comprehensive understanding of the environmental situation in the Caspian Sea and the situation with sturgeons allowed him to become the author of a scientific justification for the introduction of a moratorium on commercial fishing of sturgeons in the Caspian Sea, an initiative put forward by our First President in April 2009 during the official visit of the President of Iran to the Republic of Kazakhstan. The moratorium was implemented in 2010 and remains in effect to this day. As Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Republican Association of Public Associations of Fishermen and Fisheries entities "Kazakhrybkhoz", S.R. Timirkhanov makes significant efforts to develop aquaculture in Kazakhstan. S.R. Timirkhanov pays great attention to personnel training. For the best students of his native department and faculty, he established a personal scholarship "To the best hydrobiologist of Kazakhstan". In 2013 he became one of the initiators of the creation of Aqua Alliance LLP, a company that produces fish feed through the disposal of waste from the fishing industry.