As part of the Quality Week “Digital Technologies in Education – as a Factor in Improving the Quality of Professional Training,” on November 18, 2025, the Department of History and Law held an open, practice-oriented seminar, “The Spiritual Culture of Traditional Kazakh Society in the 15th–18th centuries: Digital Technologies in Historical Knowledge.”
The seminar was led by Candidate of History, associate professor Zh.T. Yernazarov, who actively utilized modern digital tools and project-based learning.
Participants included third-year students majoring in History; faculty from the Department of History and Law; and faculty from the Institute of Education and Management.
The key event of the seminar was the presentation of two unique student projects, completed using digital technologies:
- “The Kazakh Yurt – a Model of the Universe and the Center of Family Values”
- “The Kazakh Horse – a Companion of the Spirit, the Foundation of Martial Art, and the Core of Nomadic Society”
The projects vividly demonstrated how the yurt is not just a dwelling, but a philosophical model of the world, the embodiment of craftsmanship and family values, and how the horse is not only a means of transportation but also a spiritual companion, the foundation of warrior culture, economy, and social relations among nomads.
The seminar was held in the format of lively scientific research and cultural dialogue. The students didn’t simply present existing knowledge—they independently collected, analyzed, and systematized historical, archaeological, and ethnographic sources, developing key professional competencies for future historians:
- critical thinking and working with sources
- research skills
- communication skills (oral and written defense)
- problem-solving and time management
Participants highly valued the project-based approach as an effective tool for developing professional historians: it connects theory with practice, transforms students from consumers of knowledge into creators, and significantly increases motivation and depth of understanding.
The seminar was a shining example of the successful integration of traditional historical content, national cultural heritage, and modern digital technologies.
