Zhakyp Baurzhan

Baurzhan Zhakyp is a poet, Doctor of Philology, professor, and corresponding member of the Academy of Journalism of Kazakhstan and the National Academy of Higher Education of Kazakhstan.

Baurzhan Omirzhanuly was born on May 1, 1963, in the village of Akkora, Aбай district, Aбай region. He graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of Kazakh State University in 1985. He began his career at the editorial office of literary and dramatic broadcasts of Kazakh Television. Later, he worked as an editor at the "Zhalyn" publishing house.

Since starting his teaching career at Kazakh National University in 1986, he has held positions such as associate professor (1994), head of the Department of Journalistic Skills and Literary Editing (1995), deputy dean for academic affairs, head of the Department of Periodical Press (1999), and dean of the Faculty of Journalism (2001).

In 1994, he defended his candidate dissertation on the topic "Mukhtar Auezov – Publicist," and in 2004, he defended his doctoral dissertation on "The Formation and Development Pathways of Kazakh Publicism."

Since 2009, he has been serving as the general director and chief editor of the "Kazakh Encyclopedia." His poems have been published in the national press since 1980. The poet's works have appeared in collections such as "Auditory" (1984), "Karlygash" (1987), "On One Ship" (1987), and "My Aral – My Honor, My Balkhash – My Treasure" (1988). He became a laureate of the "Zhiger" festival.

For his first poetry collection "The Light of My Eyes" (1990), he was awarded the M. Makataev Prize by the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan. His children's book "Ak Lak" (1977), "Sky Above the Lake" (1996), "Signature" (2001), "Time Spindle" (2004), and "Red Birch" (2008) have reached readers. His poems are included in the selected poetry collection "Two Thousand Years of Steppe Poetry" (2000).

Among his scientific works are monographs titled "M. Auezov – Publicist" (1997), "The Great Artist's Legacy" (1997), "The Formation and Development Pathways of Kazakh Publicism" (2004), and "Fundamentals of Publicistic Creativity" (2007). In 2023, as part of the "Abai Way" library project implemented with the support of the Akim of Aбай region, the collection "Karauiltobe" was published by "Foliant" publishing house.

For his work "M. Auezov – Publicist," he became a laureate of the S. Saduaqasov Prize from the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan in 1998. In 1999, he was awarded the "Daryn" State Prize for Youth. He is an academician of the Academy of Journalism of Kazakhstan (2006), a member of the International Association of Writers and Publicists (2006), and a corresponding member of the National Academy of Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2007). He has been awarded the medal "20 Years of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan," the "Honor" Order, and in 2013, the badge "Excellence in Culture." He is an "Honorary Professor" of Shakarim State University of Semey. In 2014, he was awarded the "Golden Star" prize from the Academy of Journalism of Kazakhstan, among many other awards.

In 2009, he was appointed as the general director of the "Kazakh Encyclopedia." Since March 2015, he has been serving as the advisor to the rector at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and as the deputy editor-in-chief of the serial publication "Exemplary Life." On March 12, 2018, he was elected as the deputy chairman of the Board of the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan at the XV Congress of Writers of Kazakhstan.