CESaHR - MNU

About CESaHR

Center for Empirical Social and Humanities Research (CESaHR)

CESaHR (Center for Empirical Social and Humanities Research) is a research center within the School of Liberal Arts (SLA) at Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU). The Center coordinates the School’s research activities, supports the development of research competencies among faculty and students, organizes public academic events, and provides support to early-career researchers throughout all stages of their research journey.

Mission and Areas of Activity

Developing research competencies among faculty

Promoting contemporary approaches to academic supervision, mentoring, and supporting early-career researchers.

Fostering open academic dialogue

Organizing Research Talks seminars on current issues in linguistics, education, psychology, and working conditions.

Methodological support

Delivering a Writing Center series covering the key stages of conducting research and preparing a thesis or dissertation.

International and interdisciplinary communication

Organizing conferences that bring together scholars from diverse academic disciplines.

Supporting early-career researchers

Providing guidance on master’s research projects and supporting recipients of the Maqsut Narikbayev Scholarship internal grants.

Key Research Areas

Translation Studies

Applied Linguistics

Counselling Psychology

Cross-Cutting Research Themes

Artificial Intelligence

Digital Transformation

Multilingualism

Language Identity

Quality of Education

Psychological Well-being

Practical Relevance of Research to the Context of Kazakhstan

Research Activities (2025-2026)

Expert Materials, Public Talks and Guest Lectures

Number of expert materials and media interviews, public talks at external venues, guest lectures, and roundtable discussions at external educational institutions:
10 events, against a target of 4.

D. Mukhamedzhanova and G. Kuchumova

Open lecture “How Academic Careers Work in Kazakhstan: Career Tracks and the Role of KPIs” – 21 April 2026, MNU Public Library, Astana.

E. R. Nurtayev

Talk on “Life. Restart” on Zhibek Zholy Radio – 24 January 2026.

A. Rodionov

Public lecture “The Chances of Becoming a Homeowner” – 29 January 2026, SPACES Business Centre, Samal 11, Astana.

V. Saiko

Guest lecture at Astana International University on “Behind the Scenes of a Translator’s Work: From Preparation to Professional Etiquette” – 6 November 2025.

V. Saiko

Online guest lecture at Saratov State Law Academy on “Career Prospects for Professionals in the Translation Industry” – 22 December 2025.

V. Saiko

Interview on “Translation Educator: AI Is Changing Kazakhstan’s Labour Market but Not Eliminating the Profession.”

A. Samekin

Public lecture “Social Stereotypes in Everyday Life: How Can We Explain Other People’s Behaviour and Our Own Actions?” – 15 January 2026, SPACES Business Centre, Samal 11, Astana.

A. Tuleubekov

Interview with the Zhibek Zholy Zhanalyktary information channel on “A Unicameral Parliament: Why Is It Needed and How Does It Work Around the World?” – 9 September 2025.

A. Tuleubekov

Public lecture “On Human Freedom, or How Ready Are We to Be Ourselves?” – 9 April 2026, SPACES Business Centre, Samal 11, Astana.

A. Kamalova

Open lecture-workshop “AI in Language Education” – online, 13 May 2026.

Faculty Professional Development

As part of the development of modern approaches to academic supervision, mentoring, and research competencies among early-career researchers, a professional development seminar for supervisors of master’s and doctoral dissertations was held at the School of Liberal Arts, Maqsut Narikbayev University.

27.02.2026

Supervising Graduate Research: Practical Strategies for Effective Supervision

The seminar focused on practical strategies for effective academic supervision and the support of graduate research projects.

Academic Events for a Broad Audience

Number of academic events held:
20, against a target of 20.

Research Talks – 5 seminars

1st semester of the 2025-2026 academic year – 3 seminars

Phonetic Reduction in Regional Variants of Kazakh

25 September 2025 – Nazerke Doskelді

Changing the Approach to Peer Review of Teaching at Maqsut Narikbayev University

30 October 2025 – Assiya Alibekova and Henk Frenken

Keeping You Cool: Technostress Management in Service Jobs

4 December 2025 – Nazym Seitova

2nd semester of the 2025-2026 academic year – 2 seminars

Specific Features of the Well-Being of Mothers Participating in the ‘House of Mom’ Programme (Republic of Kazakhstan)

13 March 2026 – Moldir Berzhanova

Use of L1 in Foreign Language Teaching

2 April 2026 – Anar Baizhanova

Writing Center – 15 seminars

1st semester of the 2025-2026 academic year – 8 seminars

Academic Research: From an Idea to Success. Challenges Faced by Novice Researchers and Early-Career Scholars in Conducting Socio-Psychological Research

12 September 2025 – A. Samekin

The Art of APA 7 Citation: Structure, Clarity, and Academic Integrity

19 September 2025 – A. Shaikheslyamova

Dissertation Structure: From Topic to Conclusion

26 September 2025 – M. Berzhanova

Where Does Research Begin? Introduction, Research Questions, and the Research Problem

2 October 2025 – E. Nurtayev

Literature Review, Critical Analysis, and Synthesis

9 October 2025 – A. Pazylbek

Making the Complex Simple: Research Methodology – Methods, Design, and Tools

15 October 2025 – L. Shora

Research Conclusions: The Culmination and a Guide to What Comes Next

24 October 2025 – Zh. Ashikbayeva

Defending Your Dissertation: The Final Act of Your Academic Journey

30 October 2025 – A. Mukanova

2nd semester of the 2025-2026 academic year – 7 seminars

Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks in Research

30 January 2026 – A. Aikenova

Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks in Research

6 February 2026 – A. Aikenova

Zotero (Open-Source Reference Management Tool)

12 February 2026 – A. Pazylbek

Zotero (Reference Management Tool for Academic Research)

19 February 2026 – A. Pazylbek

Research Methodology (Qualitative Research Design, Quantitative Research Design)

27 February 2026 – M. Sergazina

Research Methodology (Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods)

6 March 2026 – L. Shora

Mixed Methods Research

10 March 2026 – M. Sergazina

Annual Report 2025-2026

Research Report 2025-2026