The Department of psychology and correctional pedagogy

The history of the Department dates back to 1993 and is closely connected with the long-standing traditions of the Department of Psychology at the Ust-Kamenogorsk Pedagogical Institute. Following the introduction of the Psychology degree programme in 1991, the Department was divided into two separate departments.

The Department of General Psychology was headed by Anatoly Fedorovich Soklakov, Candidate of Medical Sciences and Professor, while the Department of Applied Psychology was headed by Natalia Alekseevna Ladzina. In 2015, the two departments were merged.

Over the years, the Department was headed by Zhanel Maratbekovna Akanova, Gulnur Kenzhekhanovna Kilybayeva, Malika Farkhatovna Bekbayeva, Yulia Evgenievna Kukina, Gulnaz Ukmetbekovna Turarova, Raushan Zhomartovna Tyulyupergenova, Svetlana Alexandrovna Stelmakh, Irina Konstantinovna Matskevich, Kulchariya Shamilevna Kokkozeva, Sergey Eduardovich Kovalev, Ardakh Rizabekovna Yermentayeva, and Zhanat Kanashevna Aubakirova.

A significant contribution to the establishment and development of the Department was made by Stalina Efimovna Reskina, Amangeldy Bainazarovich Akashev, and Raisa Beshibayevna Karamuratova.

The development of the Department is inextricably linked to the expansion of its range of academic specialities and educational programmes.

Since 1991, the Department has trained more than 3,000 psychologists for the education and healthcare sectors, judicial and law enforcement agencies, as well as enterprises and organisations in the region and throughout the Republic of Kazakhstan. Many graduates of the Department have successfully pursued professional careers in countries within and beyond the region.

In 2004, the Defectology degree programme was launched within the Department. Specialists were trained in four educational pathways: education of persons with intellectual disabilities, education of persons with hearing impairments, speech and language therapy, and education of persons with visual impairments.

The demand for qualified psychologists within the regional healthcare system and the divisions of the Ministry of Emergency Situations led to the launch of the Clinical Psychology educational programme in 2019.

In 2023, as part of the Teacher Education Modernisation Project, two new educational programmes – Ergopedagogy and Pedagogy of Early Support – were introduced. In 2025, the Ergopedagogy educational programme with a specialisation in occupational therapy (occupational rehabilitation) was launched.

These educational programmes were developed in response to the region’s demand for qualified professionals capable of providing early intervention and comprehensive support services for children with special educational needs. They also prepare specialists to assess the functioning of children and adults in accordance with the principles of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and to develop models of occupational therapy support.

The development of the Department is closely associated with the systematic advancement of its research activities. The Department conducts theoretical and applied research in ethnopsychology, family psychology, developmental psychology, legal psychology, political and social processes, and special education. Within these areas, researchers develop scientific concepts and practice-oriented approaches.

A distinctive feature of the Department is the applied orientation of its activities. Most faculty members are practising professionals in organisational psychology, psychological counselling and psychotherapy, special and corrective education, speech and language therapy, and educational psychology. The activities of the Dana Bala Research and Practice Centre are supported by highly qualified specialists from the Department.

Since Kazakhstan gained independence, the Department has organised the first national academic competitions, the first psychology festivals, and the CliDePsy thematic weeks.