The Abay Center for Applied Research in Kazakh Language, Literature, and Culture organized a program to commemorate and introduce Abay Kunanbay. The event held on May 7, 2026 in the Ahi Evran Conference Hall of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and was attended by Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Letters Prof. Dr. Faruk Selçuk, Director of the Abay Kazakh Language, Literature, and Culture Application and Research Center Assoc. Prof. Dr. Osman Kabadayı, as well as academic and administrative staff and students.

The opening speech of the program was delivered by the Director of the Abay Center for Applied Research in Kazakh Language, Literature, and Culture Assoc. Prof. Dr. Osman Kabadayı, who stated that the center established within the university is not merely an academic institution, but also a significant step aimed at preserving the shared cultural heritage of the Turkic world. Noting that Abay Kunanbay is a shared value not only of the Kazakh people but of the entire Turkic world, Kabadayı said that the establishment of the center is a concrete result of the cooperation protocol signed between our university and the Abay Kazakh National Pedagogical University in Kazakhstan. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Osman Kabadayı also mentioned that an application and research center named “Ahi Evran” has been established in Kazakhstan, emphasizing that this model represents a first of its kind in Turkey.

Then, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Prof. Dr. Faruk Selçuk took the floor and delivered a speech. In his remarks, Selçuk stated that universities are not merely institutions that produce knowledge, they are also structures that preserve cultural memory, transmit the accumulated heritage of civilization to future generations, and build bridges of understanding between different regions. Noting that the academic and cultural ties developed with the Turkic world hold great importance for our university’s vision, Prof. Dr. Faruk Selçuk said that the Abay Center for Kazakh Language, Literature, and Culture, established in this context, has positioned the university to forge stronger bonds with the Turkic world.

Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil then delivered a speech. In his talk, Rector Karahocagil noted that Kazakhstan’s national poet, thinker, and philosopher Abay Kunanbay was a great intellectual who spoke to the Turkic world through his ideas, moral philosophy, conception of humanity, and perspective on civilization. Explaining that Abay is one of the founding figures of Kazakh literature and a source of wisdom that illuminates not only his own era but also our present day. Rector Karahocagil said, “When we look at Abay’s intellectual world, we see a powerful philosophy centered on knowledge, ethics, hard work, justice, and the continuous self-improvement of the individual.” Emphasizing that in this regard, Abay’s ideas are in perfect harmony with the fundamental pillars of our civilizational vision, from Pir-i Türkistan Ahmed Yesevi to Ahi Evran-ı Veli. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil continued his speech as follows: “He is a prominent intellectual who sought to bridge the wisdom of the East with the intellectual heritage of the West, striving to fuse tradition and innovation into a single mold. One of the things the world needs most today is a civilization philosophy that places humanity at its center. In an age marked by accelerating technological advancements and increasing cultural alienation, the re-reading and re-interpretation of thinkers like Abay and Ahi Evran hold great significance. We believe that the shared cultural values of the Turkic world will contribute not only to our understanding of the past but also to our collective construction of the future.” At the conclusion of his speech, Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil expressed his hope that this program would make significant contributions to Turkish-Kazakh brotherhood, the cultural unity of the Turkic world, and academic cooperation between universities, and thanked everyone who contributed to the organization of the program.

Following the opening speeches, Nurayım Bolat and Araylım Kunhojayeva gave a presentation on Abay Kunanbay. This was followed by a dance performance by Kazakhstani students.
Later in the program, Ayaulım Hatepbay recited Abay’s “1st Kara Söz,” and Alua Sabevhanova recited the “18th Kara Söz.” The program also featured recitations of Abay Kunanbay’s poems, providing the audience with an enjoyable experience.

At the event organized to promote Kazakh culture, there was a Dombra concert, a theatrical performance about the love story of Abay and Togjan, and a choral performance featuring Kazakh and Turkish songs.