The Natural Resources and Ecology law Department was founded in 1975 and was called the Land law and Legal protection of nature Department The first Head of the Department was Kemalkhan Arystanbekovich Shaibekov, one of the prominent scholars and agricultural law sciences expert. Under his management the Department became the place for scientific research in the field of the natural resources and land law, and of first attempts to study the collective-farming law. Among the teaching staff was S.B.Baisalov, S.T.Kulteleev, L.V.Ilyashenko, at that time being the candidates of legal sciences. 

Since 1977 the Department was managed by the honored lawyer of the Kazakh SSR, the laureate of the Ch. Valikhanov Prize in the field of social and geographical sciences, the holder of Cum Laude, Doctor of Law, Professor Sagindyk Baisalovich Baisalov. It is under his scientific guidance the Department contributed actively into the development of the fundamental environmental and agrarian laws of the Kazakh SSR. These involve the drafting of the Land, Water and Forest Codes, the laws "On the priority of aul, village, and agro-industrial complex development", "On land reform", "On land tax" and others. The end of the 90s and the beginning of the new century are characterized by a new rise of the creative forces of the Department. Since the end of the 90s, it became known as the Natural Resources and Environmental Law Department. The untimely departed Baisalov S.B. was replaced by a new head - professor, doctor of jurisprudence Baydeldinov D.L.

Since the end of 2002, the Department has been headed by Doctor of Law, Professor Yerkinbaeva Lyazzat Kalymbekovna. That period was marked by ambitious implementation of new technologies and teaching methods into the educational process.

Department of Investment and Financial Law of KazNU named after al-Farabi was formed as the legal successor of the Department of Soviet Law in 1998. The initiator and first head of the department was an outstanding lawyer of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Law, Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nazhmetdin Baukeevich Mukhitdinov

N.B. Mukhitdinov is the founder of the mining law of Kazakhstan, the author of more than 100 scientific works where over 30 of them represent the golden fund of the legal science of Kazakhstan. He was widely known in the neighboring countries and beyond, was a member of the UN Environmental Commission.

Such famous scientists as Professor G.G. Dospulov, T.T. Kulteleeva, A.I. Khudyakov, S.P. Moroz, etc. were the pioneers of the Department. For the first time in the post-Soviet space, such market driven disciplines as Investment Law, Mining Law, Legal Foundations of Investments in Subsoil Use, Legal Regulation of Foreign Economic Activity" were introduced in addition to teaching fundamental financial and legal disciplines at the Department. The teaching staff of the Department was invited by the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan to develop investment, banking and tax legislation. Many teachers-members of the Department were invited to work in state bodies and currently represent the interests of Kazakhstan in the financial sphere. Under the guidance of the Department’s staff the leading research institutes and organizations in the field of tax, financial and banking sectors were created. In total more than 20 laws and bylaws were developed with the participation of the member staff of the Department and among that acts the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan on taxes and other obligatory payments to the budget, the Code of administrative offenses, the Budget Code, etc. should be highlighted.

Current directions of development of the Customs, Financial and Environmental Law Department of KazNU named after al-Farabi.

Lapteva N.G., the candidate of legal sciences, associate professor was appointed as a head of the merged Department of Customs, Financial and Environmental Law and she managed the Department until 2011.

In 2011, A.E. Zhatkanbayeva was appointed as the head of the Department. Currently, the staff of the Department is represented by 31 members, including 6 doctors of legal sciences, 9 candidates of legal sciences, 11 holders of PhD decree. Among them, there are 5 holders of the title "The best teacher of the university", 5 holders of the "Bolashak" scholarship program, 18 holders of state medals and certificates. The academic degree holders rate of the Department is 85%.

During the years of independence, all spheres of life in Kazakhstan have undergone significant transformations, including education. In the context of the goals set by the university as becoming one of the leading research universities in the world that integrate science and education to ensure economic development - the Department currently provides training not only for law enforcement agencies and public service, but also for the business environment and international financial organizations.

The Department has developed educational bachelor's programs: Jurisprudence, Customs, Financial Law. The master’s programs include: Jurisprudence, Customs, Financial Law, Sports Law, Environmental Law, as well as a double degree program: Maritime and Energy Law (jointly with Baku State University, Republic of Azerbaijan). The Department prepares scientific personnel for two educational programs of doctoral studies: Jurisprudence and Customs.

Contributing to the achievement of the goals of the University, the Department seeks to train personnel for its educational programs not only for Kazakhstan, but also for the entire Central Asian region. For example, KazNU was the first university in Central Asian region to receive accreditation from the World Customs Organization and international recognition of the educational program "Customs" (April 2, 2019). The WCO certificate confirming the international accreditation of the educational program "6B04203-Customs" is recognized by 180 member countries of the international organization and increases the competitiveness of graduates of the program. Along with this, the Department offers a double degree program jointly with the Baku State University "Maritime and Energy Law", our graduates are in demand in various countries of the Caspian region. And we strive to obtain world recognition of all educational programs developed at the Department.

Being a center for organizing and conducting scientific research in the field of customs, financial, environmental, natural resources, land law, the Department successfully implements research results in various areas of economics and law. The inseparable combination of the educational process with scientific research is a distinctive feature of the KazNU Law Faculty.

Today the staff are represented by the best graduates of the University who continue the traditions of their teachers. They are engaged in scientific research and are actively involved in law drafting process and legal expertise. More than 30% of the Department are the authors of a number of scientific monographs and textbooks, developers of regulatory legal acts and experts of legal and anti-corruption expertise.

Education and research activities are impossible without cooperation and liaisons with top universities of the world in the context of globalization and the willingness to become one of the leading universities in the world. So, the department has its international partners, such as: R&D Establishment-1 under All-Russian Scientific-Research Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (Russian Federation), Riga Technical University (Republic of Latvia), Altai Academy of Economics and Law (Russian Federation), A.S. Griboyedova (Russian Federation); Kyrgyz State University. J. Balasaguna (Kyrygyzstan); Central European University (Hungary); Academy of Management of the Russian Federation (Russian Federation); Eastern Institute of Law (Germany); OSCE Center in Almaty, ILO office, USAID; Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov (Russian Federation), T. Shevchenko University of Kiev (Russian Federation), Moldavian State University (Russian Federation), Free University of Berlin (Germany); Xinjiang Normal University (PRC), etc.