The Research School of Theory and Philosophy of Law

About the Research School Current projects Completed projects RESEARCH SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP Research seminars Student clubs

About the Research School

The Research School of Theory and Philosophy of Law was established in 2022 to advance scientific research in contemporary legal theory and the state. It also explores the philosophical foundations of legal science and develops methodologies for legal research.

The primary function of the Research School is to foster international dialogue with leading foreign universities, facilitating the validation of research findings, promoting collaboration on joint projects, and contributing proposals to improve the current legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Key Focus Areas

Encouraging students to engage in theoretical and philosophical-legal research.
Developing educational courses on theoretical and philosophical-legal issues at all levels of academic training.
Organising scientific forums to stimulate research and discussion on key topics in the theory and philosophy of law in Kazakhstan.

International Partnerships

The Research School collaborates with renowned academic institutions worldwide, including:

Europe: Max Planck Institute, University of Bremen, Sofia University, Jagiellonian University.
Post-Soviet Countries: Universities and research institutes in Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Russia.
North America and the UK: Professional scientific associations in the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Preferred Research Areas

Theory of State and Law
Philosophy of Law
Comparative Law
Law-Making and Law Enforcement
Legal Language and Readability
Methodology of Legal Research

Research Team

Anton Didikin

Doctor of Philosophy, Candidate of Law, Associate Professor at MNU, Editor-in-Chief of the Law and State Journal

Zhannetta Kalisheva

Candidate of Legal Sciences, Professor Emeritus

Ainura Rustemova

Master of Legal Sciences, Senior Lecturer

Aliya Nurmagambetova

Master's student

Aigul Nauryzbay

Candidate of Legal Sciences, Teaching Professor

Zhalgas Temirbekov

Candidate of Legal Sciences, Teaching Professor

Victoria Nochevnaya

Doctoral student

Evgeniy Gribanov

Master’s student

Bakhytzhan Maidanuly

Master’s student

Zhainar Idrisov

Master’s student

Current Projects

Project name	Director	Participants	Terms of implementation	Short description
Readibility of Law	A. Didikin	S. Pen, O. Bektibayeva, D. Serebrennikov, V. Nochevnaya, D. Meirambekova	During the year	Development of a methodology for evaluating and improving the readability of draft and existing legal acts.
Research Report The influence of forms and methods of interpretation of legal norms on law-making and law enforcement	A. Didikin	A. Didikin, N. Gribanov, S. Gadzhiyeva, M. Atashova, A. Ilyasova, D. Meirambekova	2024-2025 academic year	The research project focuses on assessing the effectiveness of current methods of interpreting legal norms—both in the drafting of legal acts and in their application. It is based on a study of judicial interpretation models within continental and mixed legal systems.
Research project Theory of legal language	A. Didikin	A. Didikin, V. Nochevnaya, B. Maidanuly	During the year	The project is also dedicated to exploring the nature and development of legal language in legal philosophy, with attention to the genesis of Kazakhstan’s national legal tradition as well as ongoing discussions in foreign legal philosophy. In addition to academic publications, the project produces translations of seminal works by foreign legal philosophers for use in the educational process.

Completed Projects

Monographies

Didikin, A. B. Analytic philosophy of law: origins, genesis and structure. Tomsk: Tomsk State University Publishing House, 2016. 244 p.;
Aubakirova, I.U. Modern Eurasian model of public administration: political and legal dimension. Moscow: Zertsalo-M, 2016. 416 p.
Didikin, A. B. International Financial Centre in the Republic of Kazakhstan // In the book: Institutions of public power in the conditions of globalisation. Collective monography. М. : INFRA-M, 2020. С. 224-234
Didikin, A. B. Boundaries of application of logical analysis in the epistemology of law // In the book: How is logic in law possible? Collective monography. Edited by Antonov, M. V., Lisanyuk, E. N., Tonkov, E. N. St. Petersburg: Aleteia, 2021. Chap. 14. p. 299-311;
Aristotelian Society: 140 years of philosophical dialogues / Edited by Didikin, A. B. М. Prospect, 2021.
Didikin, A.B., Surovtsev, V.A., Ogleznev, V.V. Analytical Philosophy of Law. The Theory of Linguistic Meaning, Wittgenstein and the Boundaries of Law. Collective monography. Moscow, Canon +, 2023
Aubakirova, I.U. cooperation with the Department of State and Law Theory of MSU ‘Law. Order. Values’. M.:Prospect, 2023 (Collective monography).

Textbooks and training manuals

Didikin, A. B. History and methodology of analytical jurisprudence: textbook. M: Prospect Publishing House, 2020. 136 p.;
Didikin, A. B. Hans Kelsen’s Philosophy of Law. Study guide. M.: Prospect Publishers, 2021;
Theory of State and Law: Textbook for law schools and faculties (collective of authors) / Edited by Isakov, V.B. М. : NORMA, INFRA-M, 2020;
Theory of state and law: game-practice (collective of authors) / Edited by Isakov, V.B. M.: NORMA, INFRA-M, 2020;
Theory of state and law: a workshop (a team of authors) / Under the general ed.: Isakov, V. B. M.: NORM, INFRA-M, 2020.

Articles 2022-2023.

Didikin, A. B., Nochevnaya, V.V. Philosophical Foundations of the Legal Language // Wisdom. 2022. Vol. 24. No. 4. P. 185-192 . DOI: https://doi.org/10.24234/wisdom.v24i4.960 (Web of Science, Scopus);
Didikin, A.B. Moral principles and legal behaviour: analysis of the linguistic concept of Richard Haar // Law and State. 2022. №2. p. 6-17 (with the publication of the English translation of section 1.4 of chapter 1 of Richard Haar’s book ‘The Language of Morality’);
Didikin, A.B. On the nature of the duty to comply with the law: the arguments of Joseph Raz’s exclusive legal positivism // Law and State. 2022. №4. p. 19-35
Didikin, A.B., Trinitka, D.G. Ethical and legal dilemmas of the global pandemic era // Theoretical and Applied Jurisprudence. 2022. № 3 (13). p. 31-37.
Didikin, A.B. Epistemology of Bertrand Russell: on the way to neutral monism // Omsk Scientific Bulletin. Series Society. History. Modernity. 2022. Т. 7. № 1. С. 84-90.p
Didikin, A.B., Nehaev, A.V. Sensual data and perception of external objects in early analytical philosophy: arguments of J. Moore and B. Russell // Analytic Philosophy: Trajectories of History and Vectors of Development. Collection of scientific papers of the International Scientific Conference dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the scientific director of the Institute of Philosophy and Law SB RAS V.V. Tselischev. Novosibirsk, 2022. P. 103-110.
Didikin, A.B. ‘’Fundamental rule‘’ as a category of thinking in Hans Kelsen’s neo-Kantian philosophy of law // Transcendental turn in modern philosophy – 7. Epistemology, Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence. Collection of theses of the international scientific conference. Moscow, 2022. P. 57-59.
Didikin, A.B. Logic of ‘pure cognition’ and normativism (from G. Cogen to G. Kelsen) // Scientific Works. Russian Academy of Legal Sciences. Russian Academy of Legal Sciences. Moskow, 2022. p. 27-31.
Didikin, A.B. Linguocentrism and the problem of normativity in law // Proceedings of the VI International Scientific and Practical Conference, devoted to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of U.S. Seitov ‘The development of modern legal science: theory and practice’ Kazakhstan, Kosshy, 2023. p. 580-585.
Kalisheva, J.G. ‘The democratisation process has affected important aspects of the electoral system’, 09 February 2023. https://elorda.info/vybory-2023/27455-1675936962/
Kalisheva, J.G. ‘Theoretical and practical value of scientific ideas and proposals of Professor Baimakhanov M.T. on the issues of legal statehood in sovereign Kazakhstan’ // Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference dedicated to the memory of Academician of the NAS of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Law, Professor, First Chairman of the First Constitutional Court of the RK, Baimakhanov M.T. on the topic ‘The establishment of the rule of law and civil society in New Kazakhstan: theory, practice and prospects of development’. Baimakhanov M.T., collection of materials.pdf (dropbox.com)

Translations

Kelsen, G. What is Justice? Transl. from English. Antonova, М.В., Didikin, A.B., Kraevsky, A. St. Petersburg, Aleph-Press, 2022.
Haar, R. Moral Language. Chapter 1 ‘The imperative inclination.’ Part 4 ‘Decisions on the basis of principle’ (translated from English by Didikin, A.B.) // Law and State. 2022. №2. p. 17-30
Russell, B. Definitions and Methodological Principles in the Theory of Cognition (Didikin, A.B., Trinitka, D.G.) // Omsk Scientific Newsletter. Series Society. History. Modernity. 2022. Т. 7. № 1. p. 91-96.

Partnership

Partner Organization	Format of Cooperation	Area of Collaboration
IVR – International Association for the Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy	Participation in IVR Congresses, academic events	Collaboration with the Association’s branches in Europe and Asia; formation of the Central Asian branch
University of Bremen	Joint workshops and round tables with professors from the University	Research in the field of modern philosophy of law and legal theory
American Philosophical Association – Eastern Division	Participation in conferences and seminars	Research in the field of modern philosophy of law and legal theory
Central European Lawyers Association	Participation in annual conferences	Research in the field of modern philosophy of law and legal theory
The Aristotelian Society, United Kingdom	Participation in seminars and conferences	Broad philosophical and legal research
British-Kazakh Law Association	Participation in webinars and events	Contemporary branches of law

Research Seminars

Seminar Topic	Date	Format	Speakers
Academic Seminar: Michael Moore’s Metaphysical Realism	24 March 2024	Hybrid	V.V. Ogleznev, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor at the University of Bremen
Sociology of Law Lecture Series	October 2024	Offline	D.E. Serebrennikov, MIND
Senate Project Office Meeting: Tools for Assessing the Readability of Legal Acts	20 February 2025	Offline	S.G. Pen, O.S. Bektibayeva, A.B. Didikin, D.E. Serebrennikov, Members of the Senate
Majilis Working Group Meeting: Assessment of the Readability of Legal Acts	22 April 2025	Offline	S.G. Pen, O.S. Bektibayeva, A.B. Didikin, D.E. Serebrennikov, Members of the Senate

International workshop ‘Ways of Knowing Legal Reality’, MNU, May 30, 2023 (participants from Germany, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Russia).
International Round Table ‘Making Sense of the Language of Law in Philosophy of Law and Rulemaking’, MNU, April 20, 2023 (participants from Germany, Israel, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia)
Round table on the 7-year term of one-time President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, MNU, September 17, 2022.
International Round Table ‘Updated Constitution – the way of political modernisation of society development’, organised by Eurasian Technological University (Almaty), September 26, 2022.
International Scientific and Practical Conference ‘Introduction of the Constitutional Court in Kazakhstan – an important step in building a just and legal state’ organised by the Academy of Advocacy and the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. December 19, 2022.
Republican Scientific and Practical Conference of the Supreme Court of the RK and MNU ‘Problems of the Kazakh language in the legal system and their solutions’, MNU, December 22, 2022.
Meetings of the Scientific Circle of Theory and Philosophy of Law, December 2022 – April 2023.
Meetings of the Scientific Club ‘Legislator’, February-May, 2023.
Parliamentary Hearing on ‘How to Change National Legislation to Ensure Fair Elections in Kazakhstan’, April 25, 2023.
Webinar ‘Elections to Majilis and Maslikhat, problems of ensuring equal election rights of candidates’, April 26, 2023.
Round table ‘Legislative activity of the Majilis of the Parliament of the RK’ with Magerramov M. M. – Deputy of the Majilis of the Parliament of VIII convocation, Secretary of the Committee on Legislation and Judicial and Legal Reform, MNU, April 27, 2023.
Round table ‘Legal Consciousness of Citizens in the Republic of Kazakhstan’ with the President of PF ‘Fund for the Development of Parliamentarism in Kazakhstan’, ex-senator Batalova Z.K., MNU, April 28, 2023.
International scientific-practical conference dedicated to the memory of Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Law, Professor, First Chairman of the First Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Baimakhanov M.T. ‘Establishment of the rule of law and civil society in New Kazakhstan: theory, practice and prospects of development’, Al-Farabi KazNU, May 05, 2023.
Parliamentary hearings on ‘How to change legislation to ensure reduction of non-communicable diseases caused by smoking’ within the framework of amendments to the draft Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan ‘On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Health Issues’, May 12, 2023.
‘Festival of Law’ to celebrate the 30th anniversary of MNU (KAZGUU), March, 2024.
Research Workshop on ‘IFCA Law as a Legal Phenomenon’, October 7, 2022.

Student Clubs

Academic Club on Legal Theory and Philosophy — a community of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students dedicated to discussing classical and contemporary issues in legal philosophy and legal theory. The format includes regular monthly meetings with student voting on texts to be discussed, guest lectures by scholars, and student-led presentation and discussion of research theses.

Developing students’ research skills
Conducting scientific projects
Preparing for academic conferences
Discussing contemporary scholarly articles relevant to the club’s focus
Hosting guest lectures by experts in the field