On November 21, 2025, the RSE “Gylym Ordasy,” together with the Ch. Ualikhanov Memorial Museum “Altynemel,” held a scientific and cultural educational event titled “Shokan Ualikhanov and the Origins of National Science.” The event was dedicated to the 190th anniversary of the prominent Kazakh scholar — historian, orientalist, ethnographer, folklorist, traveler, and enlightener — Shokan Chingisovich Ualikhanov
The event began with a flower-laying ceremony at the monument to Shokan Ualikhanov in front of the “Gylym Ordasy” building. The main program included thematic reports on the scientific legacy of the scholar and his contribution to the development of national humanities and historical scholarship.
Representing the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology,
Auezhan Kadyrzhanovich Shashayev — Senior Expert, Candidate of Historical Sciences,
delivered a presentation titled:
“Shokan Ualikhanov and the Origins of the Term ‘Kazakh’.”
In his scholarly report, he analyzed the origins of the ethnonym “Kazakh,” Ualikhanov’s research on ethnogenesis, and the significance of his work in shaping scientific approaches to the history of the Kazakh people.
A mobile exhibition titled “Shokan Ualikhanov: Heritage of a Great Personality” was also organized. It displayed archival documents, scientific works, rare photographs, personal belongings of the scholar, and materials related to the Ualikhanov family from the collections of the “Altynemel” Memorial Museum.
The event gathered scholars, cultural figures, university researchers, museum specialists, schoolteachers, students, and young participants.
