August 15, 2025, in Tashkent at the International Institute of Central Asia, an international scientific and practical conference titled “The Role of the Spiritual Heritage of Abai Kunanbayev in Strengthening the Cultural Integration of the Peoples of Central Asia” was held in honor of the 180th anniversary of the Kazakh national enlightener Abai Kunanbayev.

The conference was organized by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan jointly with the International Institute of Central Asia.

Among the participants were researchers, writers, translators, figures of art and culture from the countries of Central Asia and international organizations, as well as representatives of Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Russian, Tatar, and Bashkir cultural centers of Uzbekistan.

The Kazakh delegation included: Kydyr Torali – Director of the Islamic Research Institute under the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan, Candidate of Philological Sciences; Adilgazy Kairbekov – Poet, Honored Writer of Kazakhstan, Chairman of the Poetry Council of the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Laureate of the International Literary Prize Alash; Dariya Kozhamzharova – Rector of the branch of the M. Auezov South Kazakhstan State University in Chirchik, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor; Dandai Yskakuly – Professor of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Chief Researcher of the Abai Studies Center, Doctor of Philological Sciences; Akzhol Kalshabek – Poet, Researcher of the Mukhtar Studies Research Center at M. Auezov South Kazakhstan University, Member of the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan.

In addition, Bakhodir Karimov, an Uzbek scholar of Abai Kunanbayev’s work, Professor at the Department of Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, presented the Uzbek-language book “Abai Ma’rifati” (Abai’s Enlightenment), published with the support of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan.

Participants of the conference emphasized that Abai’s creative legacy is the common heritage of all Central Asia, uniting peoples through shared values, historical memory, and a pursuit of knowledge. The conference served as a platform for exchanging scholarly perspectives and cultural interpretations, as well as for developing practical initiatives aimed at promoting his ideas among youth, research communities, and the wider public.

In his welcome address, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, Beibut Atamkulov, expressed sincere gratitude to the International Institute of Central Asia for its special attention to issues of Kazakh–Uzbek cultural dialogue. He stressed that “Abai’s anniversary is an event that goes beyond the national context; it is a date of civilizational significance, as Abai became a true bridge between East and West, uniting in his works Arab, Persian, Turkic, Russian, and Western European thought.”

The Head of Mission also underlined that Abai succeeded in harmoniously combining Islamic–Eastern and Russian–European philosophy into a single humanistic concept.

During the event, songs by Abai Kunanbayev such as “Zhelsiz tunde zharıq ay” and “Kozimnіn qarasy” were performed live by Zhenisbek Piyazov, opera singer, People’s Artist of Uzbekistan, Karakalpakstan, Bashkortostan, and Tatarstan, as well as by renowned Uzbek artists and singers Doniyor Goipov and Akylbek Piyazov.

The event contributed to strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties between our brotherly peoples, expanding the horizons of intercultural dialogue, and showcasing the legacy of the great figure Abai — a lasting bridge between the past and future of the countries of Central Asia. Today’s interaction opens new horizons for further development of humanitarian cooperation among the peoples of the region.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-tashkent/press/news/details/1052170?lang=kk