Institute of the Oriental Studies

History of the Institute

Institute of the Oriental Studies named after R.B.Suleimenov

Institute of the Oriental Studies of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan was established on 11 November 1996 on the basis of the Institute of Uigur Studies and the Center of Oriental Studies. The institute was reorganized with the purpose of a complex study of mutual relations of Kazakhstan and eastern countries in historical, cultural, socio-economic and political aspects.

Structure of the Institute

The organizational structure of the Institute looks as follows:

·      Department of  the Near and Middle East countries, consisting of the  following sectors: Arabic philology, Turkish and Iranian studies;

·      Department of Central and Southern Asia  with the Middle Asia, Indian Studies and Mongol Studies sectors;

·      Department of  the Pacific Ocean and Asian region with sectors: sinology,  Japanese, Korean studies;

·      Department of oriental  source studies;

·      Department of history of eastern countries culture;

·      Department of scientific forecasting and analysis;

·      Center of Uigur studies.

Goals and objectives of the Institute

The objectives of the oriental studies of Kazakhstan are determined by the combination of internal and external factors that influence the establishment of the state and integration of the country into world system. The main research objectives of the Institute are:

n     research of the interaction of political, ethnical and cultural systems of Central Asia and countries of the East during ancient and medieval times;

n     study of the role and place of Kazakhstan in historical, cultural and international relations of nations and countries of Eurasia;

n     research on oriental written historical and cultural monuments of    Kazakhstan;

n     research on interaction of different religious systems on the territory of Central Asia  (Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and other confessions);

n     research on history, culture and  language of Uigur during ancient and medieval  times in the system of spiritual values of Turk nations.

n     research on socio-economic, national and cultural processes in China from the point of view of Kazakkhstani-Chinese relations;

n     research on history of diplomatic relations of Kazakhstan with the countries of the East;

n     research on problems of socio-economic and political development of modern eastern countries;

n     comparative analysis of oriental societies with the processes occurred in post-soviet Central Asia;

n     development of conceptual approaches to the mutual relations of RK with the countries of the East, determination of priority political and trade-economic partners;

n     forecasting the prospects of international relations development in Asia.

Activities of the Institute

Scientific researches of the Institute are regularly published in the form of individual and collective monographs, collections, articles, materials of scientific conferences and others.

The following works have been published during last years:

“Modern Sinzan and its place in Kazakhstani-Chinese relations”

“Chingiz-name” by Utemish-hardzhy

“Brief history of Uigur”

“Foreign researches of the Middle Asia and Kazakhstan”

“Names of distant ancestors (Sources of formation and peculiarities of ancient Turk onomastics”

“Uigur poetry of XYIII c”

"Chinese materials on the history of the Eastern Turkestan, Middle Asia and Kazakhstan XY-XYII cc: history, policy, diplomacy” and others.

The Institute organized seven international conferences. Scientific readings in honor of Kazakhstani orientalists Suleimenov R.B., Sadvakasov G.S., Udin V.P., “Malov readings” are conducted annually.

Potential and corporate relations of the Institute

The Institute has its own publications:

“Izvestia MS RK, Serial of public sciences” (once a year);

“Isvestia of Korean studies of Kazakhstan” (four times a year);

In addition, the institute plans to issue a specialized scientific journal (four times a year). For this purpose the editorial center and informative network with the state institutions and organizations, international and foreign representations are being organized.

Great partners and customers of the Institute are Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, governmental institutions and international organizations, diplomatic representations.

The scientists of the Institute make reports, recommendations, memorandums for the state institutions, render consulting services to governmental institutions and international organizations.

Scientific staff and training

Doctors and candidates (PhD) of historic, political, economical, philological and philosophical sciences are studying a wide range of classical and modern oriental issues. Scientific researchers of the Institute speak different oriental languages: Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, Persian, Arabic and Hindi.

The Institute has a full- time post graduation Program and post-graduation Program by correspondence, Ph.D Program.

International Cooperation

The Institute established scientific relations with more than 30 foreign research centers of Turkey, USA, Great Britain, China, Russia, Trance, Japan, Egypt, Iran, Mongolia, Holland, India, Korea, Italy, Germany and others.

The Institute has signed different agreements and protocols of intention on international cooperation. It is implementing studies on international programs, grants are provided by Fund Fullbrite, Korea Foundation, Fund Soros, Islamic Center of History, Culture and Art study (Turkey) and others.

The researchers of the Institute make reports presenting the results of their researches on different international conferences. Scientists-orientalists of the Institute are members of editorial boards of foreign periodic scientific journals, international associations, institutes.

Since 1995 the Institute is a collective member of the International Association of specialists in Mongolian studies.