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On March 31, 2026, a meeting of the Academic Council of the Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences was held. The meeting was chaired by the Dean of the Faculty and attended by deputy deans, heads of departments, and members of the Academic Council. The agenda covered key issues aimed at the development of the faculty’s scientific, educational, and кадровый (human resource) policies.

During the meeting, the Dean of the Faculty, Aktymbayeva A.S., presented information on the issues discussed at the meetings of the University Academic Council and the Dean’s Office, as well as measures for their implementation at the faculty level. Particular attention was paid to improving the quality of education, advancing scientific research, and strengthening international cooperation.

In addition, an indicative development plan for the faculty was presented, outlining key performance indicators and priority areas for the upcoming period. It was emphasized that all academic staff must ensure accurate and timely completion of these indicators. The importance of strengthening control over the quality of reporting and implementation, as well as coordination of this work at the departmental level, was highlighted.

The Vice Dean for Research and International Cooperation, Abdullayeva A.S., delivered a report on the specifics of QS and THE international rankings, as well as an analysis of QS by Subject results. The report included a comprehensive assessment of the faculty’s current positions, identifying both positive trends and problematic areas. Growth was observed in several subject areas, while declines were recorded in others.

It was noted that the faculty demonstrates steady growth in key quantitative indicators, including an increase in the number of publications, citation impact, and international research collaboration. However, a decline was observed in academic reputation and employer reputation indicators, indicating the need to enhance the visibility of research outcomes and strengthen engagement with the professional community.

The analysis also presented the distribution of the faculty’s publications across QS subject areas. It was found that a significant portion of publications is classified within adjacent fields such as Engineering and Life Sciences, leading to a dispersion of research output and reduced concentration in the faculty’s core disciplines. In this regard, approaches to restructuring the publication strategy were proposed, including focusing research output within priority areas such as Natural Sciences, Geography, and related fields, as well as ensuring more strategic journal selection and coordinated publication activities at the departmental level.

Thus, the discussion not only identified key challenges but also outlined concrete solutions, including the development of a targeted publication strategy, strengthening reputation-building efforts, and implementing a systematic action plan to improve the faculty’s position in international rankings.

In the “Miscellaneous” section, personnel and image-related issues were considered. The Academic Council supported the nomination of several young researchers for the “Best Young Scientist of KazNU” competition. It was noted that participation in such competitions contributes to the development of the faculty’s scientific potential and the formation of a new generation of researchers.

Additionally, a decision was made to nominate Senior Lecturer of the Department of Cartography and Geoinformatics, PhD Sarsembekova Zeynep Kadirbekovna, for the “Best Teacher of 91��ý KazNU” award, recognizing her contribution to academic and research activities.

A separate agenda item addressed the initiative to open a classroom named after Gulbakhra M. Alimzhanova, Chief Geologist of the Lisakovsk Mining and Processing Plant, engineering geologist, labor veteran, and participant of the labor front. The opening of the named classroom aims to preserve professional heritage and promote achievements of national geological science.

Following the meeting, relevant decisions were adopted, and tasks were assigned to further enhance the scientific and educational potential of the faculty.