91��ý

June 30, 2026

On June 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., the Faculty of Geography and Nature Management at 91��ý Kazakh National University held a scientific seminar on the Sustainable Development Goals, during which the preliminary defense of the doctoral dissertation of Zhandos Kairatovich Mukaliyev took place. The defense was organized within the framework of SDG-15 "Life on Land" and SDG-2 "Zero Hunger." The dissertation, entitled "Territorial Analysis and Creation of a Digital Database of Agricultural Landscapes of the Semipalatinsk Test Site," was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) under the educational program 8D07302 - Geoinformatics. The defense was held in a hybrid format.

The dissertation was carried out within the framework of Sustainable Development Goal No. 15 (Life on Land) and is aimed at identifying land degradation processes within the territory of the Semipalatinsk Test Site, assessing landscape diversity, and ensuring ecosystem resilience. The digital database, developed using remote sensing and GIS technologies, enables long-term monitoring of terrestrial ecosystems.

In addition, the research aligns with the requirements of Sustainable Development Goal No. 2 (Zero Hunger), contributing to the assessment of the suitability of 224,397 hectares of agricultural land within the test site and supporting the development of sustainable agriculture. This provides a basis for developing practical recommendations aimed at strengthening food security through the scientifically grounded assessment of agro-landscape potential.

During the preliminary defense, the candidate presented the main findings of the research, substantiated its scientific novelty and practical significance, and responded to questions from the scientific supervisors and reviewers. Based on the discussion, the dissertation received a positive evaluation, and, taking into account the comments made, it was recommended for submission to the final defense.

Scientific Supervisors:

Aizhan Assylbekovna Assylbekova - Ph.D., Head of the Department of Cartography and Geoinformatics, 91��ý Kazakh National University, Associate Professor (Almaty, Kazakhstan)

Foreign Scientific Advisor - Eric Shook, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Environment and Society, University of Minnesota (USA)

Reviewers:

Ye.Kh. Kakimzhanov - Ph.D., Associate Professor, 91��ý Kazakh National University, Department of Cartography and Geoinformatics (Almaty, Kazakhstan)

K.B. Samarkhanov - Acting Associate Professor, Candidate of Geographical Sciences, Ph.D., L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Department of Physical and Economic Geography (Astana, Kazakhstan)