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Farabi University hosted the latest international research and practice conference titled “Abai is a world-class thinker”, dedicated to the 181st anniversary of the birth of the great thinker Abai Kunanbayev. The event was jointly organized by the Abai Research Institute and the Farabi Library at KazNU.

The conference brought together prominent international and Kazakhstani scholars, researchers and faculty members from research institutes and higher education institutions, as well as college and school teachers. The participants included Nizami Mammadov Tagisoy, Professor at Baku Slavic University; Kanipash Madibay, Professor at the M.O. Auezov Institute of Literature and Art; Islam Zhemeney, Professor and Director of the Turan-Iran Research Center at KazNU; Mohammad Masoud Sadeghi, the Cultural Attaché of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Almaty; Rakhymzhan Turysbek, Professor at Eurasian University; Shanzharkhan Bekmagambetov, Professor at Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University; Aigul Isimakova, Professor at Nazarbayev University; Samal Daribay, Head of the Department of History and Theory of Kazakh Literature at KazNU; as well as doctoral and master’s students.

The international scientific conference was opened with welcoming remarks by Margulan Ibraimov, Member of the Management Board and Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation of KazNU. In his address, he highlighted the significance of Abai’s legacy for contemporary society and emphasized the enduring relevance of the poet’s ideas on morality, education, science, labor, and personal development. Particular attention was given to the importance of exploring Abai’s philosophy through modern scholarly approaches in an era of rapid advances in artificial intelligence and digital technologies, as well as conducting comparative research, systematizing his intellectual legacy, and presenting it to contemporary audiences in new formats. In conclusion, Margulan Ibraimov wished the participants a productive conference and expressed his best wishes to the organizers and scholars in their efforts to promote and advance the study of Abai’s legacy.

The conference moderator, Laila Mussaly, Associate Professor at the Abai Research Institute, presented an overview of the Institute’s work in 2026. She emphasized the significance, scope, and relevance of the Institute’s research outcomes, noting that they represent not only the University’s intellectual achievements but also scholarly and creative works of national significance that contribute to the country’s national ideology. To illustrate this, she reported on the progress made in implementing the objectives set out in the resolution adopted by the Academic Council of KazNU on January 23. 

Zhangara Dadebayuly, Director of the Abai Research Institute, Doctor of Philological Sciences and Professor, presented the Institute’s key research outcomes in his report titled “The Abai Institute’s Intellectual Products of Exceptional Value.” He highlighted the Anthology of Abai Studies, Abai’s Code of Humanity, the Abai Taxonomy, and the academic course Abai’s Teachings as some of the Institute’s most significant intellectual products, emphasizing their role in promoting national values, advancing the education system, and bringing Abai’s legacy more broadly into the public sphere. He also proposed wider application of these scholarly works in education, research, and culture. 

“Among our distinguished scholars who have devoted many years of tireless work to the study of Abai’s teachings and Kazakh literary scholarship, one is celebrating his 80th anniversary this year, while another is marking her 75th,” Zhangara Dadebayuly said. He congratulated Professor Dandai Yskakuly on his 80th anniversary and Professor Kanipash Madibay on her 75th anniversary, presenting each of them with a copy of Abai’s Code of Humanity as a commemorative gift. 

Alma Kenzhekozhayeva, Junior Research Fellow at the Abai Research Institute, presented an overview of the Institute’s publications for 2026. She introduced the participants to articles published in the media, research papers in journals approved by the Committee for Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education and indexed in Scopus, proceedings of international conferences, books, scholarly collections, interviews, as well as the Danalyq Sozder (Words of Wisdom) series. 

Professor Nizami Mammadov Tagisoy of Baku Slavic University, who joined the conference online, delivered a presentation titled “Abai’s Works in Azerbaijani Translations,” in which he discussed the history of the study and translation of Abai’s legacy in Azerbaijan. He emphasized the important role of literary translation in promoting Abai’s legacy internationally and strengthening the spiritual continuity among Turkic peoples.

Zhangara Dadebayuly, Director of the Abai Research Institute, Doctor of Philological Sciences and Professor, along with the Institute’s leading researchers, Professors Dandai Yskakuly, Kanseit Abdezuly, and Toregeldi Tuyakbay, took part in the scientific conference.

In his presentation titled “Life and the World Are Like a Flowing River...,” Professor Dandai Yskakuly explored the philosophy of life in Abai’s works, examining the poet’s profound reflections on human existence, time, life, and the meaning of life.

In his presentation titled “Do These People Really Know Iskander?..,” Professor Kanseit Abdezuly examined Abai’s poem Iskander in relation to the portrayal of Iskander in the Eastern literary tradition. The scholar emphasized that, unlike the tradition represented in the works of Nizami, Ferdowsi, and Navoi, Abai portrays Iskander as an embodiment of vanity, greed, and insatiable desire, thereby highlighting the poem’s humanistic and educational significance. 

Professor Islam Zhemeney, Director of the Turan-Iran Research Center, delivered a presentation titled “Eastern Poetry and Abai,” in which he explored the spiritual and artistic continuity between Abai’s works and the Eastern literary tradition. He also presented his book Abai zhane Shygys shaiyrlary (Abai and the Poets of the East), which explores the connections between Abai’s legacy and the poetry of such Turkic and Persian classics as Fuzuli, Navoi, Saadi, and Hafez. 

Mohammad Masoud Sadeghi, the Cultural Attaché of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Almaty, delivered a presentation titled “Abai: An Eastern Thinker,” highlighting the significance of Abai’s legacy in representing the national spirit and culture of the Kazakh people. He drew attention to the connection between the poet’s worldview, Persian literature, and the tradition of Eastern wisdom, emphasizing the universal significance of Abai’s ideas on humanity, morality, knowledge, and public enlightenment. In this context, he noted that Abai Day contributes to strengthening the historical, cultural, and scholarly ties between Kazakhstan and Iran.

Kanipash Madibay, Professor at the M.O. Auezov Institute of Literature and Art, delivered a presentation titled “The Study of Abai’s Ethnopoetics,” emphasizing the importance of examining the poet’s works in the context of national identity and the traditional poetic worldview. She highlighted the need for a systematic study of the artistic representation of national character, the people’s traditional way of life, worldview, and spiritual values in Abai’s poetry.

Shanzharkhan Bekmagambetov, Professor at Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University, delivered a presentation titled “Some Aspects of Abai’s Cognitive Teachings (From the Perspective of the Genetic Ontology of Language),” in which he examined the interrelationship between language, thought, and human cognition. The scholar noted that studying the deeper layers of language – including meaning, sign, symbol, and idea – within the framework of genetic linguistics can provide a deeper understanding of how humans perceive the world. In this context, he outlined the possibilities for exploring Abai’s cognitive teachings from the perspective of this scholarly approach.

Aizhan Bayaliyeva, a teacher of Kazakh Language and Literature at the Abai Zhambyl Higher Humanitarian College, delivered a presentation titled “Abai’s Code of Humanity and Personal Development: Opportunities in Educational Practice,” in which she presented ways of incorporating Abai’s Code of Humanity into the teaching and educational process. She linked Abai’s principles of conscience, justice, responsibility, education, hard work, and self-discipline with the principles of the modern Kaizen approach, including continuous development, progress through small steps, and self-improvement. She emphasized the importance of integrating these values into character education based on the concepts of Adal Azamat (“Honest Citizen”) and Ozyq Oily Ult (“Progressive Nation”).

Zhadyra Arekenova, Director of the 91��ý Library, delivered a presentation titled “Presenting the Anthology of Abai Studies at the 91��ý Library,” in which she outlined the Library’s efforts to preserve, systematize, and make Abai’s legacy accessible to readers. She noted that the electronic version of the Anthology of Abai Studies is available on the Library’s website and that digital resources devoted to Abai’s works and Abai studies can be accessed via QR code.

In addition, she introduced the participants to a special exhibition featuring nearly 100 books organized around several themes: “The Literary Legacy of Abai Kunanbayev,” “Abai: A Sage Recognized by the World,” “Abai’s Words of Edification and Their Studies,” “Mukhtar: The Man Who Introduced Abai to the World,” and “Abai’s Teachings.”

Concluding the conference, moderator Laila Mussaly noted that the scholarly issues raised and proposals put forward during the meeting would contribute to exploring Abai’s legacy from new perspectives and to integrating his ideas and moral teachings more broadly into education and public life. She expressed her gratitude to Kazakhstani and international scholars, guests, and organizers, emphasizing that systematic efforts to study and promote Abai’s teachings would continue in the future.

  Abai Research Institute Press Office