On 14 July 2026, the Ch. Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan hosted the Republican Scientific and Practical Conference entitled “The Evolution of Social Policy in Kazakhstan: Historical Transformations, the Legacy of the Soviet Period, and Post-Soviet Reforms (1920s–1980s).”
The conference was held in a hybrid format, bringing together leading scholars, university faculty members, researchers, archivists, doctoral candidates, and early-career researchers from across Kazakhstan.
The conference was organized within the framework of the grant-funded research project of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, “Social Policy in Kazakhstan in Historical Dynamics (1920s–1980s)” (Project No. AP23490001).
The conference was opened by Professor Ziyabek Yermukhanuly Kabyldinov, Director General of the Institute, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Doctor of Historical Sciences. In his welcoming remarks, Professor Kabyldinov emphasized the importance of comprehensive research into Kazakhstan’s social policy, noting that an objective assessment of the Soviet period provides valuable insights into contemporary social development and contributes to strengthening historical scholarship.
The plenary session was moderated by Shamek Bayanuly Tleubayev, Deputy Director General for Research of the Institute, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, and Professor Aizhan Tokanovna Kapayeva, Chief Research Fellow of the Institute and Doctor of Historical Sciences.
The conference featured presentations addressing key issues in the history of Kazakhstan’s social policy throughout the twentieth century.
The plenary session opened with a presentation by Professor Zauresh Galimzhanovna Saktaganova, Director of the Center for Ethnocultural and Historical-Anthropological Studies at Buketov Karaganda Research University. Her paper examined the number of female prisoners and living conditions in the Steplag labor camp, based on newly analyzed historical sources.
Professor Aizhan Tokanovna Kapayeva, Chief Research Fellow of the Institute, presented a paper entitled “Social Policy as a Factor in the Formation of Ethnic Identity in the Regions of Kazakhstan: A Historical Analysis,” highlighting the influence of state social policies on ethnic identity formation and regional development.
Professor Kiikbai Mynbayuly Zhaulin of Yessenov University delivered a presentation on the evolution of Kazakhstan’s social policy, discussing historical transformations, post-Soviet reforms, and the lasting impact of the Soviet legacy on contemporary society.
A presentation by Professor Saiyn Moldagaliuly Borbasov, Chief Research Fellow of the Institute, focused on the Alash Movement and its contribution to promoting the principles of social justice in Kazakhstan’s political and intellectual history.
Professor Gulnar Kairollinovna Mukanova, Leading Research Fellow of the Institute, examined political cartoons published in the Kazakh press between 1925 and 1934 as instruments of Soviet social policy, while Didar Beisengaliyevna Kassymova, also a Leading Research Fellow, analyzed migration processes along the Soviet–Chinese border during the 1940s and their implications for social security in the Kazakh SSR.
Further presentations included Saule Karibayevna Uderbayeva of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, who explored theoretical approaches to studying Soviet social policy in Kazakhstan, and Saltanat Amirgaliyevna Assanova, Leading Research Fellow of the Institute, whose paper examined the Virgin Lands Campaign as an attempt to address food shortages in the Soviet Union. Marat Ybyraikhanuly Ybyraikhan of Buketov Karaganda Research University presented research on the socio-economic conditions of Kazakh industrial workers in Central Kazakhstan at the turn of the twentieth century.
The second part of the conference covered a wide range of topics, including the social structure of Kazakhstani society in the 1920s and 1930s, social transformations in the Adai District, the origins of the trade union movement, urbanization processes, the development of transport infrastructure, social policy in the Semipalatinsk nuclear test zone, the history of education in the 1920s, the role of social media in addressing domestic violence, and state support for large families in Kazakhstan.
During the discussions, participants emphasized that studying the historical development of social policy is essential not only for understanding Kazakhstan’s past but also for addressing contemporary social challenges, preserving historical memory, and expanding interdisciplinary historical research.
The conference concluded with recommendations to strengthen academic cooperation among research institutions and universities, promote joint research projects, and publish the conference proceedings in a dedicated scholarly volume. The event once again demonstrated the Institute’s role as a leading national platform for discussing key issues in the social history of Kazakhstan and advancing historical research in the country.
