Mission: To develop Kazakhstan zoology science from animal world investigations – from Republic of Kazakhstan to around of the globe.
Vision: Institute of Zoology RK – leading world class science organization of fundamental and practical zoology.
Institute of Zoology RK main directions: Kazakhstan wildlife investigation; animal population dynamics changes from environmental impact studying; studying of evolution, phylogeny, taxonomy diversity of present and past wildlife; ecologicaly valuable zoology problem solving.
Strategic objectives:
Conducting fundamental and applied zoological research necessary for the conservation, reproduction, control and sustainable use of wildlife of Kazakhstan.
To achieve a world level in the development of domestic zoology and training of highly professional scientific personnel
To improve the quality of management of scientific activities in the field of zoological research.
To provide information impact on society in order to create social support and favorable environment necessary for the development of zoological research and improvement of its quality and efficiency.
To promote commercialization of scientific knowledge.
Objectives of the Institute
Strategic Objective 1
Objective 1.1 – To find out taxonomic structure of the modern fauna of Kazakhstan; to estimate morphological, biological and ecological features, and also distribution and specific diversity of wild fauna, to provide maintenance and updating of cadastre of biological resources of RK in section Wildlife.
Objective 1.2 – Identify evolutionary processes and phylogenetic relationships of species of modern fauna, characterize the current state of wild animal populations, trace the dynamics of change of reentrant faunal complexes over the past 50-80 years and make predictions of fauna state for the coming decades.
Objective 1.3 – carry out taxonomic evaluation of fossil fauna of vertebrates and invertebrates of Kazakhstan, which is widely used in geology in the development of stratigraphic schemes, which are the basis for the prediction of geological survey and mineral exploration.
Objective 1.4 – on the basis of GIS technology to develop the structure of an electronic database on reentrant and fossil wildlife species in order to freely integrate it into other similar electronic systems (databases on related sections of science and economics) and to conduct continuous formation/updating of this database with specific data obtained during scientific work.
Objective 1.5 – establish monitoring of the status of rare, endangered populations of wild animal species with assessment of their importance for the stability of modern natural ecosystems and preservation of local, regional and global biodiversity;
Objective 1.6 – assess and monitor the current state of populations of the most economically important animal species;
Objective 1.7 – Develop recommendations and proposals for conservation, reproduction and sustainable use of wildlife of Kazakhstan; ensure commercialization of accumulated knowledge on wildlife of Kazakhstan.
Objective 1.8 – Develop and replenish scientific zoological collections and museum collections as a basis for fundamental research of fauna.
Strategic Objective 2
Objective 2.1 – provide basic and applied research on all major groups of fauna of Kazakhstan, including research in the field of teriology, ornithology, herpetology, entomology, arachnology, hydrobiology, parasitology, paleobiology and biological control of harmful plant and animal species.
Objective 2.2 – contribute to increase the quality of research through the use of the latest techniques and technical means.
Objective 2.3 – increase the number and quality of publications of scientific results in highly-rated journals, increase the number of publications in English in order to promote domestic zoology in the world scientific community, make English the second working language in the domestic zoology, actively participate with reports at the international major conferences and meetings.
Objective 2.4 – increase the level of international cooperation by means of participation of scientific personnel of the Institute in international projects and programs.
Objective 2.5 – actively participate in planning and conducting interdisciplinary research in close cooperation with other national and foreign research institutions.
Objective 2.6 – plan and conduct independent or joint research projects in foreign countries.
Objective 2.7 – use the latest international IUCN criteria and approaches concerning the assessment of threats to wildlife species when maintaining the Red Data Book of RK (volume 1, animals).
Objective 2.8 – to provide on the basis of the institute training of undergraduates and PhD students of domestic and foreign universities, as well as the passage of post-doctoral fellowship of Kazakhstani and foreign researchers.
Strategic Objective 3
Objective 3.1 – clearly define the modern goal-setting and management structure of the institute in accordance with new achievements in the field of management theory.
Objective 3.2 – use the latest achievements of IT-technologies in the organization of research, implement the latest scientific technologies and methodological approaches.
Objective 3.3 – develop human resources potential and ensure close connection of scientific activity with national and foreign universities.
Objective 3.4 – carry out modernization of the material and technical base.
Objective 3.5 – widely attract extra-budgetary sources of financing for scientific zoological research.
Objective 3.6 – develop and submit amendments and additions to the national legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan concerning improvement of the legislative base, related legislation and by-laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of study, accounting, conservation and sustainable use of fauna of Kazakhstan, as well as their compliance with modern international requirements to the relevant state authorized body.
Objective 3.7 – to develop and submit to the relevant state authorized body proposals on effective management of the scientific process in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Objective 3.8 – digitalization of the management process: widely use digital technologies in the management activities of the Institute.
Strategic Goal 4
Objective 4.1 – widely use public platforms (public debates, public lectures, conferences, mass public events, etc.) and mass media (TV, radio, Internet channels, social networks and sites) to promote the results of scientific work in modern society and obtain social support.
Objective 4.2 – popularize scientific knowledge in the society through the publication of popular scientific printed materials and souvenirs, as well as through television and Internet broadcasting.
Strategic objective 5.
Objective 5.1 – develop science-based projects for the regulation, conservation, restoration and multiplication of wild invertebrate and vertebrate species resources.
The Institute maintains the fundamental direction of research, on the basis of which science-based approaches to the regulation, conservation, restoration and multiplication of animal resources both in specially protected natural areas and in intensively used agrocenoses are developed. The results of these scientific developments will be mainly applied in agriculture, medicine and health and environmental protection. The following directions are proposed as the main vectors of commercialization of scientific zoological achievements:
- Scientific support of works on accounting of objects of wild fauna, game breeding and hunting arrangement of territories in RK;
- Development of biological justification of the use, restoration of the number and acclimatization to new areas of wildlife species (mainly birds and ungulates), as well as the development of technologies for artificial reproduction of species of interest for recreational and sport hunting
- development of technologies for the use of wild animal species in industry, medicine and agriculture;
- Development of recommendations on prevention of diseases: echinococcosis, opistorchosis, trichinellosis, tick-borne encephalitis, Crimean-Kazakhstani hemorrhagic fever, human malaria, hemosporidiosis, intestinal helminthiasis of animals
- Maintaining the Red Book of Kazakhstan (volume 1, animals), its integration into the global Red List of IUCN, and development of recommendations for the protection, restoration, conservation of rare and endangered species and animals included in the Red Book of Kazakhstan;
- development of biological methods to combat agricultural pests and species that cause damage to human health. Particular importance should be given to the fight against mosquitoes;
- development of techniques for reproduction and wide practical use of pollinators of berry, fruit and perennial herbaceous plants;
- development of technologies for producing spider poisons, which are used in medicine in the treatment of neurological diseases;
- development and maintenance of the Cadastre of fauna of Kazakhstan;
Developments of the Institute of Zoology will be patented and subsequently transferred on a commercial basis to industrial and agrarian institutions.
Objective 5.2 – to prepare and publish commercially valuable scientific and popular science publications (guides, photo albums of fauna, etc.) and software applications for smartphones and computers on fauna species diversity.
Objective 5.3 – to develop routes for scientific zoological tourism (birdwatching, zoological photo-excursions, entomological tourism, etc.) and the Institute’s own material and intellectual base to provide such tours for different categories of domestic and foreign tourists.
Brief information about the activities of the Institute
Fundamentals of the Institute of Zoology of Kazakhstan branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (hereinafter the Institute) were laid in 1932 in the form of the Sector of Zoology of the Kazakh branch of the Academy of Sciences. Despite the hostilities during World War II and understanding the strategic importance of the Institute for the development of the country, the government decision in 1943, this sector was formalized as a separate research Institute of Zoology. In 1946, the Institute of Zoology served as one of the foundations for the formation of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR. By 1980, after many years of progressive development of zoological science, the number of its researchers has reached 380 people, with a total staff of over 500 people. In 1997 the Institute, among other organizations, was transferred from the structure of the Academy of Sciences to subordinate to the Ministry of Science and Education of the RK. Since 2004, after the creation of the RSE “Center of Biological Research” in the structure of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Institute was included in its structure as a state subsidiary enterprise (SUE). By the decision of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on March 1, 2010 № 151 reorganized into Republican State Enterprise (RSE) on the right of scientific and economic management “Institute of Zoology” of the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan. The Institute operates on the basis of the Charter, approved by order of the Chairman of the Committee of State Property and Privatization of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
RSE “Institute of Zoology” of the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, is the head and the only scientific zoological organization in the Republic of Kazakhstan, which coordinates and conducts fundamental and applied research on the study of fauna of the country. The main focus is to study the ecology and biology of wildlife of economic, epidemiological and epizootic importance, as well as the study of endemics, rare and endangered species to develop measures for the protection of the intensive development of agriculture, industry and development of natural resources of Kazakhstan. The Institute is also a scientific body, on the basis of recommendations of which the drafts of resolutions and other by-laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the conservation, protection and rational use of fauna are prepared. Institute of Zoology KN MES RK is the Scientific body of CITES in the Republic of Kazakhstan on fauna (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), where the work on preparation of opinions on the export and import of animals is conducted.
For the entire period of activity a huge faunistic material has been accumulated: the species composition, ecology, morphology of various economically valuable animals of Kazakhstan have been studied, the fauna of pests and parasitic organisms has been revealed, measures to combat pathogens of some parasitic diseases of farm animals and humans have been developed.
In the 21st century, scientific cooperation with foreign scientific organizations and leading scientists has been expanded. The results of such joint research are widely presented and discussed at international forums (congresses, conferences, symposiums) in Japan, USA, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Russia, China and other countries. Since the beginning of 2019, the Institute has concluded agreements on scientific cooperation with leading institutions of zoological profile in the world – the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the People’s Republic of China, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Academy of Sciences of the People’s Republic of China, A.N. Severtsov Institute for Problems of Ecology and Evolution. A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, etc. Within the framework of international cooperation, several international field expeditions were conducted in Kazakhstan and China.
The Institute has a zoological collection with more than 715,000 specimens of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. The Institute of Zoology first developed and published in 1978 the Red Book of Kazakhstan. After that the institute conducted work on the basis of which the next 3 editions of the Red Book of the Republic of Kazakhstan were prepared, which contains information about the modern distribution, number, features of biology, and adopted and proposed protective measures for 128 species and subspecies of vertebrate animals and 96 species of invertebrates. At present the fifth edition of the Red Book of the RK is being prepared on the basis of scientific research of the Institute.
Administrative-laboratory building of the Institute of Zoology, built in 1986, consisting of two four-story buildings, the total area is 9372,5 sq.m. The facility is used for fundamental and applied research work in zoology, 5400 sq.m., the remaining 3972.5 sq.m. were transferred by the state administration body for free use to RSE “Institute of Human and Animal Physiology” of the National Academy of Sciences, RSE “Institute of General Genetics and Cytology” of the National Academy of Sciences and RSE “Central Laboratory of Biocontrol, Certification and Preclinical Testing” of the National Academy of Sciences.