AN EDUCATOR WHO LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON AMANZHOLOV UNIVERSITY

The faculty and staff of Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University extend their deepest condolences to the family, loved ones, students, and colleagues on the passing of an outstanding scholar, educator, methodologist, and Professor, Amantai Shaimardanovna Zhylkybayeva, who dedicated nearly half a century of her life to Kazakh linguistics and higher education.

Amantai Shaimardanovna’s career was closely tied to higher education in East Kazakhstan. Since 1978, she served with distinction at the university as a professor and led the Department of Practical Kazakh Language for over twenty years. Throughout these years, she successfully combined teaching and academic research, making a profound contribution to the university’s pedagogical and scientific advancement.

Having defended both Candidate and Doctoral dissertations in Kazakh linguistics, she authored numerous scientific and methodological works on Turkic ethnolinguistics, Kazakh semasiology, comparative-historical lexicology, and methodologies for teaching Kazakh as a second language.

Amantai Shaimardanovna placed special emphasis on teaching the state language. Within the university, she developed and implemented effective instructional methods for non-native Kazakh learners. Beyond campus, she delivered lectures at the Institute for Advanced Training and conducted language courses across various institutions in Ust-Kamenogorsk, playing an instrumental role in promoting and expanding the use of the state language across the region.

Her dedicated service was widely recognized: she was awarded the title of Professor in 2000 and received the ministerial badge “Honorary Worker of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan” in 2001.

Mentorship was central to Amantai Shaimardanovna’s life. Under her academic supervision, numerous master’s and candidate theses were defended, helping many emerging researchers take their first steps in academia. She mentored a generation of scholars and teachers who continue her legacy, passing forward her rich knowledge and experience.

To her, the native language was not merely a subject of research, but the spiritual core of the nation. She devoted her life to elevating the status of the Kazakh language, preserving its values, and advancing the state language.

Her decades of dedication, academic achievements, and pedagogical legacy have left a lasting imprint on the university’s history. Her name will live on through the accomplishments of her students and her published scholarship.

The cherished memory of this remarkable educator—her kindness, integrity, and devotion to science and education—will forever remain in the hearts of her colleagues and students.

The community of Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University conveys its heartfelt condolences to her bereaved family and relatives.

The academic and educational legacy of Amantai Shaimardanovna Zhylkybayeva remains an invaluable contribution to generations to come.