The Institute of Oriental Studies was established on the basis of the decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated November 11, 1996 No. 1369, and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Ministry of Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan-Academy of Sciences was named after an outstanding scientist – historian, founder of the Scientific School of Kazakh culture and domestic Orientalists, academician Ramazan Bimashevich Suleimenov. Today, the institute is the largest Research Center in the field of Oriental Studies in Kazakhstan.

Purpose and directions of research

The aim of the institute is a systematic, fundamental and applied study of historical, cultural, socio – economic, political, religious, as well as intercivilizational and intercultural aspects of relations between Kazakhstan and the countries of the East.

Main research tasks of the Institute:

– Identification, research and introduction into scientific circulation of New Eastern and Western European written, archival, oral materials and artifacts related to the history, religion and culture of the peoples of Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the East;

– Comprehensive and systematic study of the problems of integration of political, economic, ethno-cultural systems of eastern and Western countries in accordance with the most important initiatives of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the development of the Euro-Asian direction;

– Implementation of directions approved by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to study the state and prospects of bilateral cooperation and strategic partnership of Kazakhstan with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, the near and Middle East, Central and South Asia;

– Study and analysis of aspects of political, economic, historical and cultural changes in Eastern countries under the influence of globalization and regionalization trends in the modern world;

– Conducting a comparative analysis of interethnic, interreligious and intercultural trends in Kazakhstan and Western Europe on the basis of Kazakhstan’s initiatives aimed at strengthening the Muslim-Western dialogue;

– development of new approaches to the formation of global awareness of cultural diversity based on the Coordination of actions of the world community in order to strengthen cultural security;

-Development of a scientific and methodological justification for the multi-vector and safe geopolitical and foreign economic strategy of Kazakhstan in the framework of its interaction with Eastern countries.

Within the framework of its scientific activity, the Institute of Oriental Studies has completed more than 86 scientific projects within the framework of fundamental and applied scientific programs and targeted and grant funding. Among the projects implemented by the Institute, we can highlight such strategic state projects as “Madeni Mura”, “Halyk tarikh tolkynda”, “history and culture of the Great Steppe” and “archive 2025”.

The Institute has created an archaeological community to study the history and culture of the Great Steppe, and the eastern archaeological expedition operates. In the course of its work, previously unpublished Oriental manuscripts and archival materials stored in libraries, museums and archives of the countries of the world are identified, copies are obtained, a comprehensive study, scientific translation, analysis is carried out.

The Institute of Oriental Studies publishes scientific works on the series “Cultural Heritage”, “Kazakhstan Oriental Studies”, “Kazakhstan and the countries of the East”, “history and culture of the Great Steppe”, and the international scientific journal “SHYGYS”.

Since 2002, the UNESCO Department of Science and spirituality for Intercultural and interreligious dialogue / UNITWIN NETWORK has been operating at the Institute of Oriental Studies. The department is engaged in promoting and analyzing the spiritual development of cultures and civilizations, cultural and interreligious interaction, spiritual and scientific interaction.

In recent years, the Institute of Oriental Studies has been included in the World Index-rating as part of the report on the development of analytical centers of the world, developed within the framework of the programs “analytical centers and civil society” of the University of Pennsylvania (USA) as part of Central Asia and the Caucasus (go to Think Tank Index Report for the USA), the rating includes 800 leading analytical centers of the world.

Persons who headed the R. B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies:

Ramazan Suleimenov

Director of the Center for Oriental Studies (1992) – doctor of historical sciences, professor, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

 

 

 

 

Yerden Kazhybek

Director of the Center for Oriental Studies (1992 – 1996)

Director of the Center for Oriental Studies (1996 – 1998) – doctor of philological sciences, professor, corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

 

 

 

 

Meruert Abuseitova
Director of the R. B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies (1998-2013) – doctor of historical sciences, professor, corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

 

 

Absattar Derbisali
Director of the R. B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies (2013-2020) – doctor of philological sciences, professor, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan.