The Committee on Culture of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Center for the Rapprochement of International Cultures under the auspices of UNESCO held the VI International Conference on the theme "The Revival of the Reading Nation".
The conference was attended by researchers, cultural and literary figures, representatives of public organizations, as well as socio-humanitarian specialists from Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. The event was held in the conference hall of the hotel "Kazakhstan".
The forum participants were welcomed by the Director of the International Center for the Rapprochement of Cultures under the auspices of UNESCO, Hero of Labor of Kazakhstan, national writer, and poet Olzhas Omarovich Suleimenov.
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University was represented by a delegation, which included the executive director of the Scientific Research Institute of Turkology and Altaic Studies, Doctor of Philology N.S.Shaimerdenova, who made a report "Science, culture of knowledge and reading: Synergy for future generations", as well as first-year doctoral students of KazNU in the specialty "Russian language and Literature" — D.A.Khudaiberdina and A.S.Nurakhynova.
The Executive Director of the Research Institute of Technology and Altaic Studies at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, N.Zh. Шаймерденова, focused the attention of the forum participants on the need to prepare a multidimensional creative personality and find a balance between the real and virtual worlds of the XXI century. Summing up the speeches of her colleagues, she noted the importance of reviving and strengthening family reading, intergenerational transmission and stressed that modern youth, including students, undergraduates and doctoral students of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, are mostly creative and loving books. She also referenced data from the Director of the National Library of Kazakhstan, B.K. Ospanova, which showed that young people make up a large portion of library users and are highly interested in both fiction and academic literature.
The conference participants listened with great interest to the reports presented by writers, scientists, and representatives of different countries, which led to questions, discussions, and poetry readings. It should be noted that the speeches of Professor U.M.Bakhtikireeva (RUDN) and O.A.Valikova (RUDN), who are scientific consultants to doctoral students of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, who also consult with doctoral students these days, attracted special attention.
Over the past 30 years, the rise of digital technology has significantly changed the role of books in society. As people shifted toward using gadgets, mobile devices, and online resources, the importance of traditional books began to decline. This prompted cultural leaders to focus on rebuilding the connection between books and national development.
The conference concluded with a resolution that emphasized the need for international cooperation to revive reading cultures in the 21st century. It highlighted challenges to developing book culture globally and supported the goals of the 2030 Global Agenda. The resolution also proposed rebuilding systems for producing and distributing books to promote the revival of reading nations.
Press-service of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
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