Asia Redefined: Oriental Studies of Kazakhstan

Abstract Kazakhstan’s experience in studying the East has gone through different periods of development, at times being itself an object of study. The article aims to examine the trajectory of the formation of Oriental studies in Kazakhstan through an investigation of its historical, institutional, and contextual settings. Given the limited attention paid to post-Soviet Oriental Studies in present-day Asian Studies, the article provides a fresh perspective on how the Soviet legacy of research influences the internationalised Oriental Studies of Kazakhstan. It also reveals the challenges of the academic transition to current globalised academia, where Asian studies are fiercely competitive due to the escalating “Asian Age” arguments. In order to achieve this, the article first examines the comprehensive institutional heritage of Oriental studies, with a particular emphasis on Soviet academia in general and Soviet Central Asian republics in particular. Then it delves into the institutional, methodological, and contextual evolution of Oriental studies in Kazakhstan to explore the state and directions of the field. The article concludes with a reflection on the current scope of Kazakhstan’s Oriental Studies and its future research potential, given the country’s growing international aspirations.