Editor-in-Chief
Sydykov Yerlan Battashevich is a Doctor of Historical Sciences, a professor, a public figure and a statesman. He is the Chairman of the Board – Rector of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University and the Chairman of the National Congress of Historians of Kazakhstan.
As editor-in-chief of the Turkic Studies Journal, Sydykov Yerlan Battashevich determines the academic focus of the journal, which is on integrative research into medieval culture (history, archaeology), Turkic written monuments and Turkic languages. The journal places particular emphasis on Kazakhstan as the key civilizational and intellectual core of Central Asia and the East.
Academic Career and Scholarly School
He graduated from the Faculty of History at S.M. Kirov Kazakh State University (now al-Farabi Kazakh National University) in 1978. From 1981 to 1984, he attended the postgraduate studies at the same institution. He defended his doctoral dissertation in 1999 and was awarded the academic title of professor in 2001.
Sydykov Y.B. has completed all stages of academic, educational, and managerial activity, progressing from intern researcher to head of one of Kazakhstan’s leading universities. Under his leadership, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University has strengthened its position in the international academic arena, entering the QS Sustainability Rankings 2024 and reflecting the sustainability of scientific and humanitarian research in the Eurasian context.
Scientific Interests and Contribution to Turkology
Yerlan Battashevich’s academic interests include domestic and world history, historiography, source studies and the history of socio-political thought, as well as fundamental issues in Turkology. His research focuses particularly on the history of Kazakhstan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the formation of the national intelligentsia, the “Alash” movement, Eurasianism ideas, and the historical heritage of the Turkic world.
A significant part of Y.B. Sydykov's scientific work focuses on the medieval history and culture of the Turkic peoples, their role in the formation of Eurasian civilization, the transmission of cultural codes and the cultural and linguistic connections of the Turkic peoples. His research consistently affirms Kazakhstan's position as the historical and cultural center of the Turkic world, emphasizing its pivotal role in the development of statehood, spiritual culture, and intercivilizational contacts in Central Asia and the East.
Gumilyov’s Legacy and the Eurasian Paradigm
Sydykov Y.B. is one of the foremost organizers and promoters of the scientific legacy of Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov – an outstanding Turkologist and Eurasianism theorist – within both Kazakhstan and the international scientific community. He is committed to institutionalizing Gumilyov’s research, establishing sustainable scientific platforms and reintroducing his works into the modern scientific discourse of Turkology and Eurasian studies.
As part of this work, Sydykov Y.B. heads editorial boards and research projects devoted to ethnogenesis theory, the Eurasian civilization model, and the role of Turkic peoples in Eurasian history. Under his general editorship, several key publications have been released, including the collective monograph “L.N. Gumilyov: Ethnogenesis Theory” (Astana, 2012) and materials from the 9th Eurasian Scientific Forum, "The Legacy of L.N. Gumilyov and Modern Eurasian Integration" (Astana, 2012). These publications have become significant international scientific platforms.
Turkic Spiritual Tradition and Intellectual Heritage
A significant aspect of Yerlan Battashevich's scientific endeavors has been dedicated to the study of the spiritual and intellectual legacies of Abay Kunanbayev and Shakhim Kudaiberdiuly, who are pivotal figures in Kazakh and Turkic culture. He is the author and scientific editor of key works, such as “Shakarim and the Alashorda” (Almaty, 2008), “Shakarim” (Almaty, 2013), “Shakarim Kudayberdiuly/Shakarim Kudayberdiev” (Almaty, 2018), and the monograph “Kunanbay” (Moscow, 2019).
These studies reveal the intellectual connections between Turkic peoples and the continuity of spiritual traditions. They also explore the role of Turkic thought in shaping the historical consciousness of Eurasia. This contributes to the inclusion of the Kazakh humanities tradition in international scientific discourse.
International Significance and Editorial Mission
As Editor-in-Chief of the Turkic Studies Journal, Y.B. Sydykov has consistently developed the journal as an international scientific platform, bringing together researchers specializing in medieval culture (history and archaeology), Turkic written monuments in various script systems, and the historical and modern development of Turkic languages.
The editorial and scientific-organizational activities aim to promote interaction between Eastern and Western cultural and civilizational models, strengthen academic dialogue, develop comparative and interdisciplinary approaches, and promote Kazakhstan as a key scientific center for Turkic and Eurasian studies.
