Today, on 16 October, the 9th General Assembly of the Union of National Academies of Sciences of the Turkic World (UNASTW) was held in Almaty. The meeting was jointly organized by the Turkic Academy and the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan as part of events marking the 80th anniversary of the Kazakhstani Academy.
The Assembly brought together the heads and representatives of national academies of sciences from Turkic countries and other scientific organizations. Discussions focused on the Union’s future priorities, prospects for joint research and new opportunities to strengthen scientific ties across the Turkic World.
Participants included President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Isa Habibbeyli, President of the Board of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Akhylbek Kurishbayev, President of the National Academy of Sciences under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Bekmamat Dzhenbaev, President of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) Muzaffer Şeker, First Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan Shamansur Sagdullaev, Vice-President for Social Sciences of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences Tsegmed Tserendorj, and Vice-President of the Turkic Academy Askhat Kessikbayev.
Addressing the Assembly, Askhat Kessikbayev conveyed the greetings of the President of the Turkic Academy, Prof. Dr. Shahin Mustafayev, and congratulated the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan on its 80th anniversary. He outlined the Academy’s main areas of activity, highlighted projects already implemented and plans for the future, and briefed participants on the scientific and expert platforms across the Turkic World coordinated by the Academy.
A key item on the agenda was the report by the Turkish Academy of Sciences on the Union’s activities during the 2025–2026 term. Following the meeting, the chairmanship of UNASTW was transferred from TÜBA to the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. Participants also discussed prospects for expanding joint scientific research and agreed that Kyrgyzstan would host the next, 10th General Assembly.
An agreement to establish an international consortium for the study of steppe civilization was also signed at the initiative of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan. The agreement was signed by the national academies of sciences of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan and Mongolia. The Turkic Academy supports the initiative and will contribute to further developing scientific cooperation in this field.
As the Secretariat of UNASTW, the Turkic Academy continues to coordinate cooperation among the participating national academies, promote the exchange of scientific expertise, support joint research and strengthen academic ties across the Turkic World.