Department of geography
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About the Department
The Department of Geography is one of the oldest academic units at the Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University. For more than 80 years, it has made significant contributions to education and research.
Since its establishment, the Department has trained several thousand geography teachers for schools across Kazakhstan. Today, its graduates work in schools, universities, and research organisations throughout Kazakhstan and in Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, China, and Mongolia.
The Department’s primary mission is to prepare highly qualified and competitive specialists in geography education, research, and tourism. Its curriculum combines theoretical and practical courses in physical geography, human and economic geography, geography teaching methodology, geographic information systems (GIS), and tourism.
History of the Department
The Department has been led by distinguished scholars and experienced educators, including:
- Nugman Bayandin (1945-1948);
- A. G. Popolzin (1955-1960);
- A. B. Birmagambetov (1960-1961, 1968-1979, 1989-1996);
- R. Mashanova (1961-1965);
- K. Akhmetov (1979-1984);
- A. K. Akhmedova (1984-1989);
- N. N. Karmenova (1996-2001);
- S. K. Kassenov (2004-2009);
- D. Urkinbayeva (2009-2012);
- K. N. Mamirova (2012-2019);
- Sh. U. Laiskhanov (2019-2020);
- E. A. Tulegenov – Head of the Department since 2020.
The Department’s history reflects the experience of its educators, the scholarly work of its researchers, and its students’ commitment to learning.
Academic Programmes
The Department offers degree programmes at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.
Bachelor’s Programmes
- 6B01510 – Geography;
- 6B01511 – Geography-History;
- 6B11101 – Tourism.
Master’s Programme
- 7M01506 – Geography.
Doctoral Programme
- 8D01506 – Geography.
The programmes are offered under Licence No. KZ75LAA00018542, issued on 4 August 2020 by the Committee for Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The bachelor’s programmes are designed to develop students’ personal, intercultural, and professional competencies. Graduates may continue their studies in the master’s programme in Geography (7M01506) or the doctoral programme in Geography (8D01506).
Career Opportunities for Graduates
Graduates of the Geography and Geography–History programmes may work in the following settings:
- comprehensive schools, gymnasiums, and lyceums;
- teacher-training colleges and vocational education institutions;
- universities and educational centres;
- regional and municipal education authorities;
- research and research-and-production organisations.
Graduates of the Tourism programme may work for travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, airline ticketing and reservation services, excursion bureaus, colleges, and universities.
The Department’s academic staff includes K. N. Mamirova, a recipient of the national Best University Teacher Award, and E. A. Tulegenov, B. Sh. Kaliyev, E. K. Kuandykova, recipients of the Bolashak International Scholarship.
Research
The Department’s research activities focus on two principal areas:
- Scientific and methodological foundations for improving the content and methods of geographical education in accordance with the updated comprehensive school curriculum.
- Theoretical and applied foundations for the sustainable use and conservation of Kazakhstan’s natural and human-modified geosystems.
The first area focuses on the content, principles, methods, approaches, and teaching resources used in school geography. Findings are published in textbooks, teaching materials, and scholarly articles. The Department also develops recommendations to strengthen students’ subject-specific competencies.
The second area focuses on the sustainable development of natural and human-modified geosystems, how they change over time, and their responsible use and conservation. Findings are disseminated through academic publications and conference papers.
Faculty members participate in international conferences and symposia. They publish their findings in journals recommended by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and in journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. Faculty members and students maintain active academic links with research and methodology journals, including Geography and Nature («География және табиғат»), School of Kazakhstan («Қазақстан мектебі»), Geography, Biology and Ecology in Secondary School («Орта мектептегі география, биология және экология») and Geography in Schools and Universities of Kazakhstan («Қазақстан мектептері мен жоғары оқу орындарындағы география»).
K. N. Mamirova serves on the editorial boards of several academic journals in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Türkiye. N. N. Karmenova serves as a scientific adviser to the journal «Geography and Nature» (География және табиғат), while E. A. Tulegenov is a member of its advisory board.
Student Research
The Department hosts the Kökzhiek (Horizon) Student Research Club. Members develop their research skills, prepare scholarly articles and projects, solve Olympiad-level problems, present their findings, and communicate their work to wider audiences.
QYZPU TOUR
QYZPU TOUR is a university-wide organisation that promotes tourism, fosters patriotic values, and encourages the exploration of nature. It organises experiential learning and recreational activities, helps students develop tourism-related skills, and deepens their knowledge of their homeland’s natural and cultural heritage.
International and Academic Cooperation
To expand opportunities for academic mobility and research internships, the Department has signed cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding with the following universities:
- Gazi University, Türkiye;
- Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Türkiye;
- Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Türkiye;
- Karabük University, Türkiye;
- Akdeniz University, Türkiye;
- Kusein Karasaev Bishkek State University, Kyrgyzstan;
- Sadriddin Aini Tajik State Pedagogical University, Tajikistan;
- Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hungary;
- National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, Uzbekistan.
Dual Education and Professional Placements
The Department was among the first at the University to introduce elements of dual education. Under a memorandum of cooperation with the Kazakh Academy of Sport and Tourism, students in the 6B11101 Tourism programme take practical classes in Techniques and Tactics of Active Tourism at the Academy.
Teaching practice is an essential part of preparing future teachers for their profession. Under institutional agreements, students in the Geography and Geography-History programmes complete placements at Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Chemistry and Biology, Zaman Elite School, Sh. Ualikhanov Private School, Sh. Smakhanuly School-Gymnasium No. 62, School-Gymnasium No. 176, and Comprehensive School No. 95.
Field Studies
The Department organises field studies for students in the Geography, Geography–History, and Tourism programmes. These activities help students consolidate their theoretical knowledge and develop practical skills in field research, the study of natural, historical, and cultural sites, and the assessment of tourism and recreational resources.
The routes of the field study practice cover the shores of Lake Balkhash; historical, cultural, and recreational sites in Astana; the Kokshetau, Burabay, and Kolsai Lakes State National Nature Parks; Charyn Canyon; recreational areas of the Almaty Region; the city of Ayagoz in Abai Region; the Katon-Karagay area; Rakhmanov Springs; and the Bukhtarma Reservoir in East Kazakhstan Region.
Strategic Development Priorities
By maintaining a strong link between teaching and research, the Department of Geography continues to integrate modern teaching technologies and digital and geospatial tools into the learning process. Its main goal is to prepare responsible, proactive, and competitive professionals who can contribute meaningfully to the development of the country’s intellectual and human capital.
Mission of the department and strategy
Educational programs
Staff compositionLoading...
Contacts
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Almaty, st.Ayteke bi 99(124 office)
