On August 6, 2013, a roundtable discussion was held at the Academic Council Assembly Hall of S. Toraighyrov Pavlodar State University. It was devoted to topical problems and prospects for development of historical science and education in Kazakhstan. The leading historians of the Pavlodar region, as well as local mass media representatives attended this event.
The key point in the roundtable discussion was the program entitled "The People in the Flow of History" initiated by the Head of the State N.A. Nazarbayev. Its main objective is creating conditions for a qualitative leap of historical science in Kazakhstan on the basis of advanced methodologies and techniques, expanding the horizons of the national history of the Kazakhs, formation of a new historical outlook of the nation; comprehension of two decades of Kazakhstan's recent history.
A special interdepartmental group is working on the draft program. A round table meeting at PSU was organized in connection with the instructions from the Secretary of State Marat Tazhin given in June 2013 at the first meeting of the group on the study of national history: "Today we have a well-established state and we need to understand its history looking from the position of modern science and see the whole picture of the national history".
Among the participants of the roundtable meeting, there were the leading scientists of the University: Vice-rector for Development Strategy, Educational and Social Work, d.p.s., Professor Arman Akishev; c.h.s., Associate Professor of the Department of Philosophy and Culturology Gulfayruz Zhapekova; c.h.s., Associate Professor of the Department of History Kayrat Batallov; c.h.s., Associate Professor of the Department of History Yernur Rakhimov; as well as the Vice-rector for Research and International Relations of PSPI, c.h.s. Asem Ilyasova; d.h.s., Professor of PSPI Gulfira Otepova; the first deputy chairman of Nur Otan NDP, c.h.s. Arman Yeshmuratov; Director of the Center for Analysis of Interfaith Relations, c.h.s., Gulnar Razdykova; members of non-governmental organizations.
During the event, many important problems were discussed: the need for systematization and classification of historical facts, release of new textbooks on History, revision of historical methodology, development of a unified national historical concept. A proposal was made to carry out management of the historical science which would allow for progressive development of historical knowledge in our state.