FACULTY OF BIOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY

The Faculty of Biology and Geography is one of the oldest ones at the Karaganda Buketov University. It was established in 1972 on the basis of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the Pedagogical Institute, the history of which began in 1952.

Today, the Faculty unites specialists in various fields of biology, geography, ecology, biotechnology, agricultural and medical sciences. The mission of the Faculty is to provide high-quality education in the field of biological, geographical and environmental sciences based on the application of innovative technologies, while preserving the values of classical education and to prepare a new generation of specialists who are able to take responsibility for the future of the region.
The Faculty employs 60 teachers, including doctors and candidates of science, holders of the republican title "The Best University Teacher", state scholarships for talented young scientists of the Ministry of Education and Science, etc.

More than 900 students, master and doctoral students study at the departments of the faculty, and about 200 specialists graduate annually from the Faculty. The Faculty has five research laboratories united in the Research Park of Biotechnology and ecomonitoring. Classes are held in specialized laboratories and classrooms, computer classes connected to the Internet, lecture halls with interactive multimedia equipment. The Faculty has a training and field base in the Karkarala State National Natural Park, a Nature Museum, and a diverse herbarium fund.

Dates and facts

History:
In 1955, the Faculty of Natural Sciences separated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, became an independent faculty. The first dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences was PhD Omarova R.G. She laid the foundation of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, setting a high level of lectures, conducting practical classes, made a great contribution to the training of highly qualified specialists in Kazakhstan, namely biologists and chemists. In December 1955, Ph.D., Associate Professor P.S. Kravitskaya was appointed the head of the Department of Natural Science.
In 1956, the Departments of Botany, Zoology, and Chemistry were opened.
In 1964, an agrochemical laboratory was opened at the Department of "Agricultural Production", where agronomists of the Karaganda region were retrained.
In 1966, the Department of Zoology was divided into two departments: "Zoology" and "Human and Animal Physiology".
In March 1972, the Pedagogical Institute was reorganized into a university, and the Faculty of Biology and Chemistry became the basis for the organization of two independent faculties: biological and chemical ones.
After the establishment of Karaganda State University, the first deans of the Faculty of Biology were Candidates of Biological Sciences, Associate Professors R. A. Toktamysova (1973-1976) and I. M. Anapiyev (1976-1980). In 1980, Associate Professor O.A. Abdrakhmanov was transferred from the preparatory department to the position of the dean of the Biology Faculty. During his seven years in this position, the Faculty achieved some success in all areas of life.
In 1990, the Faculty began training students in two specialties: "Psychology" and "Geography", two more "Psychology" and "Geography" joined the four existing departments at the Faculty.
ВIn the period from 1987 to 1991, the rector of Karaganda State University was Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor A.B. Bigaliyev, thanks to his active support, on April 10, 1992, a new building of the Faculty of Biology was commissioned, with a total area of 5982 square meters, the initial design cost of the building was about 3 million rubles. Both teachers and students of the Faculty actively participated in the construction of the new building.
A great contribution to the development and formation of the Faculty was made by teachers who gave more than 30 years to the Faculty. They are Abdrakhmanov O. A., Abulkasymova N. T., Alexandrov I. B., Anapiev I. M., Aubakirov T. I., AubakirovaKh.Zh., Akhmetzhanova A. I., Balmagambet T. B., Bekishev K. B., Vishnevskaya G. V., Gvozdyrova E. M., Dzhumabaeva Sh. B., DyusekeevaSh.E., Yerzhanov T. N., ZhumazhanZh.Zh., Kapitonov V. I., Kozhakhmet M. K., Kolbasinskaya V. G., Kravitskaya P. S., Kulzhanova K. I., Meiramova R. G., Mukhachev B. N., Pudova R. A., Skopin N. G., Slavchenko N. P., TarabaevaZh. B., Utebaeva M. K., Fathulova A. B., Shaushekov T. K.
Doctors of Biological Sciences, professors worked at the faculty are Kravitskaya P. S., Kornilov V. I., Skopin N. G., Kalinin V. I., Bigaliev A. B., Yerzhanov N. T., Khanturin M. R., Smagulov N. K., Myrzakhanov N. M., etc.

Students:
The contingent of students in the 2020-2021 academic year is 841 students, 79 master students, and 33 doctoral students. 627 persons out of the 953 students are holders of state grants. The average number of prospective students entering the faculty's programs over the past three years was more than 200 students, of which 10% are holders of the "AltynBelgi" badge. The student body includes the regions of Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, China, and the United States.

Employment opportunities:
The employment rate of graduates is 80%;

Teachers:
50 teachers, of whom 60% have a scientific degree. The faculty has 8 holders of the republican title "the Best University Teacher".

Educational programs:
There are polynomial programs: 5B011300/6B1509-Biology, 5B011600/6B01510-Geography, 5B060700/6B05101-Biology, 5B070100/6B05102-Biotechnology.

Dissertation tips:
Dissertation Council for the defense of dissertations for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Philosophy in the specialty profile: 8D05108001 – Biology.

Accreditation and leadership:
The Faculty's educational programs are accredited by the Independent Agency for Quality Assurance in Education. The leading positions in the national ranking of 2020 according to the Independent Agency for Quality Assurance in Education are occupied by 4 bachelor's programs, 5 master's programs and doctoral programs: 5B011300 / 6B1509-Biology, 5B011600 / 6B01510-Geography, 5B012900 / 6B01511-Geography-History, 5B060700 / 6B05101-Biology, 5B060900/6B05203-geography; 7M01501501-Geography, 7M05108301-Geobotany, 7M01501401-Biology, 7M05208701-Ecology, 7M05108001-Biology, 7M05108201-Biotechnology, 8D051080001-Biology.

Partners:
Gerhard Kutch Diabetes Institute (Germany),
Laboratory of Structural and Functional Adaptation of the Faculty of Biology and Soil of St. Petersburg State University (Russia),
Faculty of Geography of Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia),
Research Institute of Complex Problems of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases (Russia),
Wroclaw University of Environmental Protection and Earth Sciences (Poland),
Southwestern University "Neofit Rilski" (Bulgaria).

Research projects:
«Determination of the Philadelphia chromosome and vitamin D levels in patients with leukemia» in collaboration with the National Center of Biotechnology of Nur-Sultan, Ben-Gurion University, Israel.
«Study of flora and plant resources of Central Kazakhstan» together with the Astana Botanical Garden of Nur-Sultan, Mangyshlak Experimental Botanical Garden of Aktau, Zhezkazgan Botanical Garden of Zhezkazgan.
«Cryopreservation of Plant material and Microclonal reproduction» together with the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology in Almaty, the V. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources in St. Petersburg, the Institute of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine in Kharkiv.
«Introduction of medicinal and tree-shrub plants in the conditions of the Karaganda region» together with the Altai State University, Barnaul, Astana Botanical Garden, Nur-Sultan.
«Pharmacognostic, histochemical and commodity analysis of medicinal plants of Kazakhstan» together with the Medical University of Karaganda, the Institute of Applied Chemistry of ENU, Nur-Sultan, "Biomedpreparat" LLP, Stepnogorsk.

Graduates:
Many graduates of the Faculty achieve success in their careers:
Aybat Muzbay, Executive Director of the NGO "Kazakhstan Wildlife Foundation", member of the SULI working group in Central Asia from the Commission on Species Survival (SSC IUCN), is an alumnus of the specialty "Biology" in 2018.
Bekmukhametov Alibek is the head of the Department of ecology of the South Kazakhstan region of the Committee for environmental regulation and control of the Ministry of ecology, Geology and natural resources of Kazakhstan (a graduate of the specialty "Ecology" in 2004).
Voronova Vera Vladimirovna is the Director of "Kazakhstan Association of biodiversity conservation (ACBK)" in Nur-Sultan (graduate of the specialty "Ecology", 2007).
Zhirkov Valentin V. is Director of LLC "Scientific-research Center "Biosphere Kazakhstan" Zhezkazgan (graduate of the specialty "Biology", 2006).
Kim A.V. is the head of the Karaganda Regional Territorial Inspection of Forestry and Wildlife (graduate of the specialty "Ecology", 2003)
Maratov Temirlan is the Chief expert of State Inspection Committee in the Agro-industrial Complex of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan (graduate of the specialty "Biotechnology", 2017).
Kamshat Musakhanova is the head of the personnel Department of the State Institution "Fire Fighting and Rescue Services" of the Emergency Department of the Karaganda region (graduate of the specialty "Ecology" in 2004).
Evgeny Protas is the head of the Department in the Karaganda Regional Territorial Inspection of Forestry and Wildlife of the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan (graduate of the specialty "Biology" in 2013).
Sergey Ryabtsev is a chief specialist of the Karaganda regional territorial inspection of forestry and wildlife Committee of forestry and fauna of the Ministry of ecology, geology and natural resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan (the graduate of the specialty "Biology" in 2013).
Tlegenov Asylzhan Kanatuly is a chief specialist of the Department of environmental protection LLP "Kazakhmys Korporaciya" (graduate of the specialty "Ecology" in 2015).
Shaizadayeva Zhansaya Amirzadayevna is a chief specialist of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management of the Karaganda region (graduate of the specialty "Ecology" in 2015).

4. Alumni Association
The Faculty Alumni Association was founded in 2006. It includes graduates from different years. It helps to strengthen the faculty's partnership with the corporate environment.