AbaiCenter

10/25/2025

Between October 11 and 25, 2025, the team of Kazakh scholars from the Al Farabi Kazakh National University Farabi University working on project BR21882334-OT-23, "Developing a Kazakh Poetry Corpus: Morphological and Poetic Annotation of Abai's Poems," completed a research internship at the Abai Center at the George Washington University in the United States.

The delegation of the Al Farabi Kazakh National University consisted of Gulmira Madieva (project manager), Dina Sabirova (project implementer), and Ainura Pirmanova (project implementer).

The primary objective of the internship was to develop international scientific cooperation in the fields of digital humanities, corpus poetics, and linguistic technologies, as well as to share expertise in creating poetry corpora for minority languages.

During their visit, the team held meetings with prominent scholars, including Prof. Marlene Laruelle, a renowned Eurasian expert; Dr. Peter Rollberg, a scholar of Russian and Kazakh cinema and literature; researcher Marhabo Rakhmonova and others.

The participants also toured the Library of Congress, George Washington University, and Georgetown University, where they explored advanced digital resources and collections. Additionally, they visited the Planet World Museum, which highlights innovative technologies in language and communication.

This internship helped strengthen scientific partnerships, enhance professional skills, and promote international dialogue between Kazakh and global researchers.

08/11/2025

Abai’s words invite careful reading. Written with a kind of internal logic and often ending with a striking or unexpected thought his sayings leave the reader reflecting deeply. They are exercises in reasoned argument, echoing the traditions of Kazakh folk oratory, where eloquent bards, akyns, engaged in contests of wit and persuasion.

Yet, what is the ultimate value guiding Abai as a philosopher–heart or reason? In his 17th Word, he declares that the heart should triumph. Still, he is sometimes conflicted which ought to prevail.

In his 39th Word, he observes that even as we become more educated, we sometimes lose the virtues of our ancestors, who above all cherished unity and honor. “The essence of a person is composed of love, justice, and spiritual depth”, he decides in his final 45th Word.

Celebrating 180 Years of Abai's Philosophy and Kazakh Spirit

03/03/2025

It’s fascinating to see how despite the end of other Chinggisid dynasties (the Yuan dynasty ended in what is now China, and the Ilkhanate dynasty ended in Iran), the Jochids stayed very strong and remained clear leaders in the great region of Central Asia. So I wanted to show not only how they survived the end of the Mongol Empire, but also how they even developed by being creative, how they also found a way to reinvent themselves.

Marie Favereau is a French historian and writer. Her 2021 book, The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World, was published to critical acclaim, being

02/19/2025

We were surrounded on all sides by enormous mountains, covered by foliage in a shade of green I didn’t think possible, while giant eagles circled overhead. It was a scene plucked from a Bob Ross painting, and immediately clear why it is known as the “Pearl of the Tian Shan” (Heavenly Mountain in Mandarin). As we cast off across the lower of the three lakes in a small boat, the air was pure and the water crystal clear.

With world-beating museums and spectacular nature, Almaty – Kazakhstan’s largest metropolis – remains surprisingly undiscovered

02/15/2025

Marie Favereau is a French historian and writer. Her 2021 book, "The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World", was published to critical acclaim, being nominated for the Cundill Prize, the Prose Award in World History by the Association of American Publishers, and listed as a notable book of the year by several publications.

In this video interview, she discusses the Golden Horde's evolution from Genghis Khan's son Jochi's Ulus into an independent, powerful, and diverse regime ruling Eurasia for almost three centuries. The Qazaq Khanate, or Ulus of the Kazakhs, succeeded the Golden Horde and is crucial to Kazakhstan's history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc7snfLT0xg

08/27/2024

https://astanatimes.com/2024/08/discover-kazakhstan-the-astana-times-ranking-of-top-10-pristine-destinations/

Discover Kazakhstan: The Astana Times’ Ranking of Top 10 Pristine Destinations

08/10/2024

August 10 is Abai’s birthday. It was this day that was designated as Abay Day. Abai Kunanbayev is a brilliant Kazakh poet and thinker. The works born from his pen have been fulfilling their duties by focusing on the common problems of humanity until now. Happy Abai Day to everyone!

08/10/2024

August 10 is Abai's birthday.
It was this day that was designated as Abay Day. Abai Kunanbayev is a brilliant Kazakh poet and thinker. The works born from his pen have been fulfilling their duties by focusing on the common problems of humanity until now. Happy Abai Day to everyone!

07/27/2024

When invited to family celebrations, it is customary in Kazakh culture to express eloquent wishes for a happy family.



Remember to convey your excitement and appreciation for the invitation while also showing respect for the hosts and their traditions.

07/24/2024

In Kazakh culture, a wonderful practice is known as "bata": older people bestow their blessings upon younger people.
How to give BATA in Kazakh?

07/23/2024

In English, we often use the word "sure" to express agreement or reassurance. However, in Kazakh, there are many different ways to convey the same meaning.

How to say SURE in Kazakh?

07/23/2024