Detailed information about the department of civil and labor law

Dates and Facts 

History

The Department of civil and labor law plays a leading role in the training of highly qualified specialists in the sphere of law and has its own history of establishment and development. During the initial period of law faculty, one of the most difficult challenges was ensuring the educational process with qualified academic and teaching staff. This issue was addressed by inviting leading scholars from other higher education institutions.

Thus, from 1975 to 1977, the Department of civil law disciplines was headed by I.V. Gushchin, Candidate of legal sciences and associate professor at Kaliningrad State University. Significant assistance in organizing the educational process was provided by associate professor A.M. Tuezarova and lecturer A.Ye. Timshkevich, who came from Belarusian State University, as well as by young specialists Ye.N. Nurgaliyeva, a graduate of A.A. Zhdanov Leningrad State University (now Doctor of legal sciences, professor), T.P.Shchegoleva, a graduate of Almaty State University (now Doctor of legal sciences, professor, and dean at Orenburg State Agrarian University), and others.

At the end of the 1970s, the Department of civil law disciplines was divided into two independent structural units: the Department of civil law and civil procedure and the Department of agricultural and labor law. In 1995, these departments were merged again.

At present, the department is known as the Department of civil and labor law.

At different times, the Department was headed by associate professor V.S. Em, associate professor T.P. Iosifidi, senior lecturer Z.T. Nurabayeva, associate professor T.R. Kenzhetayev, Candidate of legal sciences and associate professor S.B. Idrisova, Candidate of legal sciences and associate professor M.Zh. Mukanova, and Candidate of legal sciences V.V. Zinchenko.

From 2008 to 2019, the Department of civil and labor law was headed by A.S. Kizdarbekova, Candidate of legal sciences and associate professor; from 2019 to 2021, by G.A. Ilyassova, Candidate of legal sciences and professor; and from 2021 to 2024, by M.T. Akimzhanova, PhD and associate professor.

Since October 1, 2024, the Department of civil and labor law has been headed by Aitugan Zhumakhmetkyzy Abdizhami, Candidate of legal sciences and associate professor.

Academic Staff

The Department employs 14 full-time faculty members, including 3 Candidates of legal sciences, 7 Doctors of Philosophy (PhD), and 4 Masters of legal sciences. Three members of the Department’s academic staff are recipients of the national awards “Best University Teacher” and “Best Researcher.”

Educational Programs

6B04205 – Legal Regulation of Entrepreneurial Activity (Bachelor’s degree);

7M04205 – Private Law (Scientific and Pedagogical) – Master’s degree;

7M04205.1 – Private Law (Specialized) – Master’s degree;

8D04201 – Jurisprudence – Doctoral program.

The Bachelor’s and Master’s educational programs have international accreditation from IAAR and IQAA and also participate in national ranking systems, including Atameken, IAAR, IQAA, and the National Ranking of Higher Education Institutions under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Applicants, students, and all interested persons can find information about the educational programs on the University website, the Faculty of Law website, the webpage of the Department of civil and labor law, as well as through the Department’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/ksu.law_civillaw

Employment:

The graduate employment rate is 75%.

For the 7M04205 – Private Law educational program, the employment rate is 100%.

Internships and Professional Development:

The academic staff of the Department actively enhance their professional qualifications at leading international educational and research centers in Germany, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, the United States, Singapore, as well as within the programs of JSC National Center for Professional Development “Orleu.”

2013 – Professor A.S. Kizdarbekova completed a research internship at the International Center for Education and Scientific Information, Interkulturelle Weiterbildungsgesellschaft e.V. In 2016, she undertook an internship at Penn State Law (Pennsylvania, USA).

2014 – Professor G.A. Ilyassova completed an international internship at the International Center for Education and Scientific Information, Interkulturelle Weiterbildungsgesellschaft e.V. (Düsseldorf, Germany), hosted by Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.

2017 – Senior lecturer G.B. Assetova completed a research internship at the Department of civil law of the Police academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the topic “Legal regulation of entrepreneurial activity in the Republic of Azerbaijan” (Baku, Azerbaijan).

2020 – Professor G.A. Ilyassova completed an international distance research internship on the topic “Current challenges and directions in the development of legal science in the 21st Century” at the faculty of law of the State University of Infrastructure and Technologies (Kyiv, Ukraine).

2021 – Within the framework of the fundamental research project IRN AP09259787 “Theory and practice of ensuring the quality of regulatory legal acts in the state language (in the sphere of civil and civil procedural legislation)”, members of the research group G.A. Ilyassova, M.T. Akimzhanova, A.A. Nukusheva, and G.B. Assetova completed a research internship at Antalya Bilim University (Antalya, Republic of Türkiye). They also visited Tashkent State University of Economics (Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan) and the Alisher Navoi National Library of Uzbekistan.

2022 – Members of the research group G.A. Ilyassova, R.A. Tokatov, and M.T. Akimzhanova completed a research internship in the Italian Republic at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (Cassino, Italy) and conducted research at the Swiss National Library in Bern, Switzerland.

2024 – Research Professor G.A. Ilyassova and associate professor M.T. Akimzhanova completed the research internship “Innovative methodologies in legal science research: bridging theory and practice” at the University of Gdańsk in an online format and received Certificates of Participation.

2024 – assistant professors A.Ye. Karibayeva and A.Zh. Abdizhami completed a 72-hour lecture course within the “Buketov research winter school-2024” program on the topic “Scientific research methodology” at the faculty of economics of Karaganda Buketov University. Certificate No. EF-00810, dated January 20, 2024.

2024 – D.K. Rustembekova completed a 72-hour guest lecture course on International Business Law and Planning and International Tax Planning and received a certificate. A.T. Otarbayeva completed a 72-hour guest lecture course delivered by Doctor of legal sciences E.E. Yukhnevichus, professor of the department of financial law at the faculty of law and administration of the University of Gdańsk (Gdańsk, Poland), on “International Business Law and Planning” and received a certificate.

The academic staff also completed the following research internships:

·                      “Innovative digital technologies and legal aspects of waste management” at Hochschule Wismar – University of Applied Sciences: Technology, Business and Design (Wismar, Germany, 2024);

·                      “Innovative technologies and digital transformation in higher education” and “Current issues of civil and civil procedural legislation” at Antalya Bilim University (Antalya, Republic of Türkiye, 2021);

·                      “Innovative methodologies in legal science research: bridging theory and practice” (Gdańsk, Poland);

·                      “The child and the internet space: issues of legal security” at the University of Intelligent Technologies and Communications (2024).

International Cooperation and Research Internships

The department actively cooperates with representatives of foreign research and educational centers. Within the framework of international cooperation with scholars from other countries, the academic staff of the department conduct joint research on issues of civil law and participate in the implementation of international research and educational projects.

2013–2015 – associate professor A.S. Kizdarbekova, professor G.A. Ilyassova, and associate professor M.T. Akimzhanova participated in the implementation of the international research and educational project “Towards a central asian higher education area: tuning structures and building quality culture (TuCAHEA)” under the TEMPUS IV Programme.

2015–2017 – Professor G.A. Ilyassova participated as a researcher in the implementation of the fundamental grant-funded project “Constitutional and legal protection and ensuring the rights of the child in the formation and development of the juvenile justice system in Kazakhstan and in the contemporary world.”

Research Grants

As a result of national grant competitions, members of the department became recipients of grants from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan:

1.                  IRN AP23490668 “Legal aspects of the processing and disposal of municipal solid waste in the Republic of Kazakhstan: problems and prospects.” Project Leader: Candidate of legal sciences, professor A.A. Nukusheva. Research team members: A.Zh. Abdizhami, D.K. Rustembekova. Project implementation period: 2024–2026.

2.                  IRN 19679658 “Legal regulation of the application of blockchain technology in the Republic of Kazakhstan: theory and practice.” Project leader: Candidate of legal sciences, research professor G.A. Ilyassova. Research team members: R.A. Tokatov, T.Tilep, S.M. Zhamburbayeva. Project implementation period: 2023–2025.

3.                  No. 9787-Yu-21 “Theory and practice of ensuring the quality of regulatory legal acts in the state language (in the sphere of civil and civil procedural legislation).” Project leader: Candidate of legal sciences, research professor G.A. Ilyassova. Research team members: M.T. Akimzhanova, R.A. Tokatov, G.B. Assetova, Zh.T. Myrzaliyeva. Project implementation period: 2021–2023.

The academic staff continuously work on improving the educational programs and enhancing the effectiveness of the teaching process. In particular, the department implements fundamental grant-funded research projects that make it possible to update the content of educational programs and integrate the latest research findings into the educational process:

Based on the department faculty’s grant-funded research:

The following works and outputs were developed:

1.                  The collective monograph “Theory and practice of ensuring the quality of regulatory legal acts in the state language (in the sphere of civil and civil procedural legislation)”; and the study guide “Reference dictionary of legal terms in civil law and civil procedural law.”

2.                  Ilyassova G.A., Sabyrzhan A., Aitimov B.Zh., Tokatov R.A., Zhamburbayeva S. “Theoretical and practical issues of legal regulation of the application of blockchain technology in the Republic of Kazakhstan.” Monograph / edited by G.A. Ilyassova. – Karaganda: Colorprint LLP Publishing House, 2025. – 336 p.

3.                  A.A. Nukusheva, A.Zh. Abdizhami, S.E. Assanova, T.S. Smagulova, N.M. Apsimet. “Legal foundations for the processing and utilization of municipal solid waste in the Republic of Kazakhstan in the context of implementing the sustainable development goals.” Monograph. – Karaganda, 2025. – 347 p.

4.                  On September 25, 2025, an international scientific and practical conference entitled “Legal regulation of municipal solid waste management in the context of implementing the sustainable development goals: challenges and prospects” was held. The proceedings of the conference were also published: “Legal regulation of municipal solid waste management in the context of implementing the sustainable development goals: challenges and prospects: proceedings of the international scientific and practical conference” (Karaganda, September 25, 2025). Responsible editors: A.A. Nukusheva, A.Zh. Abdizhami. – Karaganda: Arko Printing House LLP, 2025. – 356 p.

5.                  The results of scientific research were introduced into the practical activities of government bodies and into the educational process.

Research conducted by the department’s academic staff within the framework of fundamental grant-funded projects contributes to improving the quality of educational programs by making them more practice-oriented, relevant, and innovative. It also enhances the quality of graduate training and strengthens the University’s position in the academic and educational environment.

An online course entitled “Opportunities for the introduction and application of blockchain technology” was developed and placed on the Massive Open Online Courses platform of Karaganda Buketov University: https://mook.buketov.edu.kz/. The course duration is 36 hours. Upon successful completion, participants receive a certificate.

The course has also been commercialized, as evidenced by an agreement on the use of employee-created works concluded between the authors, including G.A. Ilyassova, and the Non-Profit Limited Company “Karaganda Buketov University.”

Research professor of the department Gulzhazira Aktureyevna Ilyassova served as executive secretary of the Law Series journal of Karaganda Buketov University from 2012 to 2026: https://law-vestnik.ksu.kz/index.php/law/about/editorialTeam.

Partners:

The department has concluded cooperation agreements with foreign professors appointed as academic consultants to doctoral students, including R. Yu. Mamedov, PhD in Law at the Police academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijan); D. Chankova, Doctor of Law and Professor at South-West University “Neofit Rilski” (Bulgaria); and Ye.N. Klyueva, Doctor of legal sciences, professor, and head of the department of economic and transport law at the State University of Infrastructure and Technologies (Ukraine).

In cooperation with foreign scholars, members of the Department’s academic staff have published research articles in high-ranking journals indexed in the Scopus database, as well as in scientific journals recommended by the Committee for Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Within the framework of the guest lecture program for doctoral and master’s students, the following lectures were delivered at the Faculty of Law:

In 2022, the following guest lectures were organized:

·                      Yevgeniya Nikolaevna Klyueva – Professor at the State University of Infrastructure and Technologies, Ukraine, November 2022.

·                      Nikita Sergeyevich Malyutin – Professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia, April 2022.

In 2023, the following guest lectures were organized:

·                      V.N. Lisitsa – Doctor of legal sciences, professor at Novosibirsk National Research State University. The guest lecture course was held in an offline format from March 31 to May 5, 2023.

·                      E. Yukhnevichus – Professor at the University of Gdańsk, Poland. From October 23 to November 15, 2023, an online guest lecture course was delivered on the topics “International business law and planning” and “International tax planning.”

·                      G. Yuldasheva – Doctor of legal sciences, professor of the department of international law and human rights at Tashkent State University of Law, Uzbekistan; National Expert of the OSCE and the United Nations Office in Tashkent. From November 29 to December 22, 2023, she delivered a 72-hour course in a blended format: offline from November 29 to December 1, 2023, and online from December 4 to December 22, 2023.

In 2024, the following guest lectures were organized:

·                      N.Ye. Gafurova and A.R. Rakhmanov – Professors at Tashkent State University of Law, Uzbekistan.

·                      Sh. Tillaboyev, A.S. Sydygaliyeva, and D.A. Egamberdiyev – Candidate of legal sciences, professor at B.N. Yeltsin Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, Kyrgyzstan, April 18, 2024.

·                      D.A. Egamberdiyev – Senior lecturer at the department of international law and human rights, April 19, 2024.

·                      Du Tianying – Professor at Shenyang Normal University, China, from November 13 to November 26, 2024.

·                      Yavuz Erdoğan – PhD in Public Law, Professor at Antalya Bilim University, Türkiye. An online course was delivered from November 4 to November 27, 2024.

In 2025, guest lectures by foreign scholars were organized:

·                      Valery Nikolayevich Lisitsa – Doctor of legal sciences, Novosibirsk National Research State University, Novosibirsk; Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. From September 23 to October 22, 2025, he delivered online and offline lectures on research methodology in the field of law.

In 2026:

·                     Fabiano Tuccillo, Professor at the University of Naples (Naples, Italy), PhD, delivered 72 hours of classes within the framework of academic cooperation, funded by his own research project;

·                     Nehal Eminoglu, Professor at Ankara University (Ankara, Türkiye), PhD, delivered a 72-hour online course entitled “Modern State and Law: Challenges and Prospects for the Development of Human Rights,” funded from sources outside the university budget;

·                     Nozimokhon Eldarovna Gafurova, Professor at the Institute for Retraining and Advanced Training of Legal Personnel under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Tashkent, Uzbekistan), Doctor of Legal Sciences, delivered guest lectures;

·                     Faringiz Uktamovna Yusupova, PhD, from the Institute for Retraining and Advanced Training of Legal Personnel under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Tashkent, Uzbekistan), delivered lectures to students as part of the academic mobility programme for teaching staff.

Academic mobility and student achievements

The academic staff, undergraduate students, master’s students, and doctoral students have the opportunity to participate in academic mobility programs both at universities within Kazakhstan and abroad. Within the framework of the academic mobility program, during the spring semester of the 2024–2025 academic year, students completed online studies at Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University.

Research internships for students are organized at research centers both within the Republic of Kazakhstan and abroad. For example, from October 30 to November 26, 2025, master’s student A.V. Urinbayev completed a research internship at the University of Naples Federico II.

As part of dual education, classes for undergraduate and master’s students are conducted at district courts of the Karaganda Region and at the Chamber of Entrepreneurs. Guest lectures are also delivered by scholars from other universities of Kazakhstan and by practicing lawyers.

Students regularly win 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in international, national, and regional subject Olympiads.

In 2025, to mark the 100th anniversary of academician Ye.A. Buketov, the Department of civil and labor law launched and organized the regional legal Olympiad on the fundamentals of civil law “De Basics Legis Civilis” for teams of university students and cadets enrolled in programs within the sphere of Law.

A total of 10 teams from regional higher education institutions participated in the Olympiad. All team members received certificates of participation. The winners received prize certificates with the following monetary values: KZT 1,000,000 for the Grand Prix, KZT 500,000 for 1st place, KZT 300,000 for 2nd place, and KZT 200,000 for 3rd place. The Olympiad was sponsored by a 2002 graduate of the Faculty of Law who is also an employer-partner of the faculty.

The department currently supervises 8 doctoral students, who actively participate in the academic and public life of the department and the university.

As a result of cooperation with the international academic community within the framework of educational programs, cooperation agreements are concluded, while students gain new knowledge, technologies, and research materials. This creates additional opportunities for training highly qualified specialists in the sphere of private law.