On the 18th of March, the Faculty of Oriental Studies organized an international scientific seminar on “Science and Technology in the Islamic Civilization”, organized by the Turksoy Department of KazNU named after Al-Farabi and the Eurasian Research Institute of the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after K.A.Yassavi, dedicated to a well-known Turkish scientist Fuat Sezgin. The seminar was attended by Professor Musa Yılmaz, Chairman of the Plenipotentiary Council of the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after K.Yassawi, members of the Plenipotentiary Council, professors Muhiddin Şimşek and Ali Akbar Şahin, Director of the Eurasian Research Institute PhD Vakur Sümer, deputy dean on scientifically-innovative activity and international relations of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, PhD Dzhakubayeva Saltanat, head of the Turksoy department, candidate of Philological sciences, Associate Professor Kydyr Torali, professors of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, famous Arabic scholar G.N. Nadirova and academician of Turkology R.Avakova, as well as scientists, PhD students, undergraduates and students.

Prof. Mehmet Akif Kireçci, a member of the Security and Foreign Policy Commission under the President of the Republic of Turkey, Professor of the Ankara University of Social Sciences, was invited to the main report of the seminar.

“You are the happiest students of the great al-Farabi University, who have made an invaluable contribution to Islamic science and technology”, said Kireçci. The speaker pointed out that science and technology first emerged in Islamic civilization by reviewing Islamic history and that these technologies reached Western countries only in later eras. Summarizing his thoughts with specific examples, speaker pointed out the technological innovations of Al-Farabi. He also talked about the contribution of the Oriental geniuses Ibn Sina and al-Biruni to the world civilization. Particularly, the contribution of scientists from the Islamic world to natural sciences, mathematics, astronomy, medicine has been differentiated and evaluated accurately. At the foreground he noted that logic takes the first place in all of these sciences. “There is nothing without logic”, concluded M.A. Kireçci.

The speaker noted the remarkable contribution of Muslims to human civilization, which is the invention of paper technology. In ancient times, the inscriptions were on the skin, papyrus, ceramics, or stones, but now they are written down on papers. He pointed out that the paper was put into operation in 751 BC, not in ancient China but in Muslim countries. It has been proven that in 850 in Egypt, and in 950, the paperwork was in Spain. At the same time, Muslim-Turkic civilization has emphasized that human technology has also developed incredible technology in the fields of war technology, water-sewer system and architecture. It was noted that such innovations as water distribution system took place in the Turkic-Muslim world. After these facts, how we cannot believe that the clockwork of the water mechanism is the victory of the human race after the rise of Islam.

The scientific workshop has reached its goal. The listeners were quite satisfied with the details of the chief speaker. After the seminar guests and faculty staff took photos together.

Senior teacher of Turksoy department Zh.Abeldayev