Against this background, Kazakhstan looks quite достойно. According to data published in the National Report on Science, 54% of the country’s scientists are women. This is a very significant indicator that distinguishes Kazakhstan among many countries of the world. Moreover, according to UNESCO, Kazakhstan is among the leading countries in terms of the number of women scientists. This is not just dry statistics – it is a sign of an established scientific and educational culture in which a woman is perceived not as an exception, but as a natural and powerful participant in the scientific process. For our country, this is especially important, since human capital and intellectual potential are becoming key resources for development in the context of technological transformation.
The situation in the system of higher education and science is particularly indicative using the example of 91ý Kazakh National University.
More than 3,500 women work at our university, which constitutes about 68% of the total number of employees. Among them: teaching staff – 1,750 women; educational support staff – 497 women; in leadership positions – 1 vice-rector, 4 department directors, 7 deans, and 57 heads of departments. Among 30,975 students of our university, the majority are also female – 18,481.
1,331 representatives of the fair sex are currently actively engaged in science. Among them:
• 3 academicians of the National Academy of Sciences;
• 472 Doctors of Sciences and professors;
• 412 Candidates of Sciences and associate professors;
• 444 PhD holders.
Women scientists at KazNU today work not simply on “academic topics” – their projects are directly connected with quality of life, ecology, health, safety, and the technological future of the country. Behind the dry titles of scientific topics there are in fact very clear and socially important tasks: how to purify water, how to preserve soils, how to detect diseases earlier, how to use artificial intelligence in medicine, how to create new materials and more efficient chemical technologies.
A significant part of the projects led by women is concentrated in the fields of biology, ecology, and medicine. No less impressive is the participation of women in high-tech research. This is no longer just traditional university science, but research at the forefront of technological development: from algorithms for recognizing dangerous events and analyzing audio signals to digital solutions for early disease detection, including socially significant diagnoses.
Among the projects led by women at KazNU, large-scale research – megagrants and program-targeted funding (PCF) – is especially notable. These are no longer individual laboratory topics, but large-scale scientific directions working toward the country’s strategic objectives. Women today lead not only individual studies, but also the broader scientific agenda – from ecology and industry to digital technologies and the social sphere.
Women in science today are not only teachers and researchers. They are project leaders, deans, heads of laboratories, mentors, experts, and developers of innovations. One of the most illustrative examples is the participation of university teachers in the republican competition “Best University Teacher” – a prestigious annual award granted by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan to 150 best teachers of the country. During the period 2016–2025, 269 representatives of KazNU have been awarded this title, of whom 177 are women. In other words, women make up almost two-thirds of all recipients of this high professional recognition. This is another convincing indication that women’s leadership at the university manifests itself not only in science as such, but also in the ability to transfer knowledge, shape a new generation of specialists, and set high standards of academic excellence.
We sincerely congratulate all women on March 8! May this holiday be filled with respect, warmth, gratitude, and sincere recognition of your achievements. We wish you health, happiness, inspiration, inner harmony, new professional successes, bold ideas, and bright victories. May reliable people always be рядом, and may each day bring you joy, confidence, and a sense of your own strength and significance.