Rector of Shakarim University Duman Orynbekov’s Congratulatory Address on Semey City Day
Dear colleagues, esteemed students of Shakarim University, learners of Shakarim College and Shakarim High School!
Traditionally, on the third Sunday of September, we celebrate a special holiday — Semey City Day.
All of us, residents and guests alike, can see on the façade of one of the central residential buildings the banner: “Tugan Qalam – Semeyim” (My Native City – My Semey).
These words capture the feeling that unites us all — pride in our native city, gratitude for its history, and responsibility for its future.
Historians will continue to research and debate the precise age of our Semey, yet even today we understand: this is a city with almost five centuries of history. The formal date of its foundation is considered 1718 — the construction of the Semipalatinsk fortress. But the first references to the “Seven Chambers,” Buddhist temples on the eastern bank of the Irtysh, go back to as early as 1616.
And this is confirmed not only by archival records, but also by the people’s memory: elders, who have preserved oral traditions across seven to nine generations, speak of Semey as a city whose history reaches far beyond official dates and has long become part of our national code. Here every stone breathes the centuries, and the very soil itself is a chronicle of Kazakhstan, written by time and by the often tragic destinies of generations. Its walls have seen both flourishing and wars, destruction and rebirth — yet the city has always risen again.
Semey is the historical center of Kazakhstan, the cradle of our intelligentsia, the place where new ideas were born. It was here that classical gymnasiums and the teachers’ seminary operated, educating such figures as Mukhtar Auezov, who gave Aбай to the world, and Kanysh Satpayev, the greatest Kazakh scientist. It was here that the foundations of national science and culture were laid. And here, in 1917, the Alash Orda movement emerged — the symbol of freedom and statehood for the Kazakh nation.
Semey is also the birthplace of Kazakh football, a city of cultural milestones, and a place that gave the country great individuals who changed its destiny. But above all, Semey is the land of Abai and Shakarim. Their words of wisdom still sound today as a call to action.
For our university, this year has been truly special. Shakarim University, soon to celebrate its centenary, has inscribed one of the brightest pages in Semey’s chronicle. We entered the global QS World University Rankings, declaring our place on the international academic stage; we expanded international cooperation, opened new research schools and laboratories, and transformed the university into a hub of ideas and innovation.
We have proven that a regional university is capable not only of keeping pace with the times, but also of being part of the global scientific community and a powerful civil society.
This achievement matters not only for the university. The formula is simple: the strength of the university is the strength of the city. And the strength of the city is the energy of the region.
Shakarim University is becoming a true growth point, setting new horizons for the development of science, education, culture, and the economy of the Abai region. Everything created within our university — from scientific discoveries to new cadres, from international partnerships to student initiatives — directly contributes to the prestige and sustainable development of Semey.
This is how the region becomes a driver of Kazakhstan’s future: when university and city move forward together, reinforcing one another, creating new meanings and opportunities for everyone.
And most importantly, all of this is happening here, in Semey. On the land that nurtured generations of individuals with the highest civic values, each of us today has the opportunity to study, to research, to create, and to gain recognition — without leaving our native soil.
The successes of our university are not only our internal achievements. They are a contribution to the prestige and authority of the entire city, strengthening its status as both the historical and modern center of Kazakhstan.
The President of the country has emphasized: regions are becoming the main drivers of Kazakhstan’s development. Semey is a vivid example. Here, where every inch of land demands tremendous effort, true professionals are born.
And I believe: the time will come when it will be considered prestigious to come to Semey, to enroll in our university, to become scientists, engineers, and teachers — and to contribute to the future of the country, while remaining on one’s native land.
Dear friends!
May “Tugan Qalam – Semeyim” always remain a city of strength, knowledge, and inspiration. May our love for our native city give us energy and confidence that great achievements are possible right here — in our own city, in our strong university, in our region, where every one of our steps is visibly etched into the future!
Happy City Day, beloved Semey!
Rector Duman Orynbekov