🇰🇿 Kazakh scholars revealed new dimensions of their research on an international academic platform!

On 21–23 October 2026, Beijing hosted the “Tian Shan Forum on the Literature of China and Central Asia.” The international gathering brought together prominent scholars and literary researchers from China and the five Central Asian countries.

Representing Kazakhstan, Duken Masimkhanuly, Director General of the R.B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies, Doctor of Philology and Professor, and Bauyrzhan Zhakyp, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper “Qazaq Adebieti,” presented academic papers.

✨ A distinctive scholarly contribution to the forum!

Professor Duken Masimkhanuly’s study, “Mukhtar Auezov and Lu Xun: A Critical Perspective on National Traditions and Innovation in Literature,” received high praise from the international academic community.

At the closing ceremony of the conference, Professor Liu Daxian, Deputy Director of the Institute of Ethnic Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, specifically highlighted the paper by Kazakh scholar D. Masimkhanuly while summarising the academic outcomes. “One of the significant new contributions to this conference was the paper comparing the works of the Chinese writer Lu Xun and Kazakhstan’s great writer Mukhtar Auezov.

The significance of this comparison lies not only in identifying similarities between the works of the two writers, but also in examining each nation’s experience of literary renewal in connection with its historical and cultural identity. Issues such as reassessing national heritage, conveying society’s spiritual aspirations through literature, and exploring the relationship between tradition and innovation demonstrate the broad potential for studying Kazakh and Chinese literature in relation to one another. From this perspective, comparing the works of Mukhtar Auezov and Lu Xun provides a foundation for a deeper understanding of the literary heritage of the two countries and for advancing scholarly dialogue in literary studies,” he said.

This assessment affirmed the scholarly significance of the comparative study presented by Duken Masimkhanuly and demonstrated an interest in exploring Kazakh–Chinese literary relations from a new perspective.

The paper by B. Zhakyp, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, entitled “M. Auezov’s Studies of the Kyrgyz Epic ‘Manas’,” also attracted particular attention from participants.

🌐 At the forum, scholars including Professor An Deming, Li Weijian, Adil Jumaturdu, Jabbor Eshonqulov, Umit Kultayeva and Sun Lei discussed literary heritage, epic studies and cultural relations. Tao Yang’s scholarly work and the spiritual legacy of Confucius were also examined.

📚 Three academic sessions addressed the interaction between literatures, epic traditions and the digitisation of cultural heritage.

This international gathering enhanced the standing of Kazakh literary scholarship and Oriental studies, paving the way for stronger academic and cultural cooperation between Kazakhstan and China.