On May 28–29, 2025, an official delegation from the Polish Academy of Sciences visited Almaty. As part of the visit, a working meeting was held between staff of the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology and their Polish colleague, Dr. Katarzyna Kość-Ryżko, Head of the Department of Ethnology at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS).

The Kazakhstani side was represented by Dr. A.T. Abdulina, Head of the Department of Ethnology and Anthropology, and Dr. G.U. Orynbayeva, Senior Research Fellow. The researchers discussed prospects for joint projects focused on interethnic contacts between Poles deported to Kazakhstan and the local Kazakh population.

Key topics included traditional survival practices such as building adobe houses, cultivating local crops, and agricultural techniques — all of which facilitated adaptation and mutual support between communities.

The participants also expressed interest in future research into the Kazakh diaspora in Poland and the Polish diaspora in Kazakhstan, offering promising directions for interdisciplinary cooperation.

Special attention was paid to expanding collaboration in the fields of ethnography and the study of historical and cultural heritage of both nations.

Dr. Kość-Ryżko also introduced her colleagues to two academic journals published by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of PAS — Etnografia Polska and Archeologia Polski. Both are indexed in Scopus and belong to high percentile ranks. Submissions are accepted in English.

🔗 Journal links:
• Etnografia Polska
• Archeologia Polski