On February 10, 2026, the Zulkharnay Aldamzhar Kostanay Social and Technical University hosted a roundtable discussion on “Constitutional Changes in Kazakhstan: What Does It Mean for the State and Citizens?” which brought together representatives of the academic community, government agencies, experts, and students. The event was organized as an open professional dialogue, reflecting the key intellectual and social demands of the current stage of the country’s development.
Abdullin Ruslan Batyrzhanovich, Rector of the Kostanay Social and Technical University, and Baybagulov Omargali Kabievich, Chairman of the Kostanay City Maslikhat, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. Special attention was paid to the university’s role as a dialogue platform that promotes open discussion of ongoing reforms, strategic transformations, and the formation of responsible civic consciousness. In their speeches, they emphasized that the changes in the Constitution are an objective necessity driven by the demands of the times and the logic of modern society’s development.
In her speech, Әsel Zhumaguliyeva, Head of the Political Work Department at the Department of Public Development of the Akimat of Kostanay Region, outlined the socio-political context of the constitutional reforms in Kazakhstan. She emphasized that the reform responds to contemporary challenges, such as the growing demand for citizen participation in governance and the changing social and geoeconomic conditions. The reforms are not seen as a rejection of the previous Constitution, but rather as its development and the актуализация of its values through a profound constitutional modernization.
During the roundtable discussion, Sergey Mikhailovich Zhalibin, Doctor of Law, Professor, and Director of the Economics and Law Research Center at the Zulkharnai Aldamzhar Kazakh National University, provided an expert review. He emphasized the importance of continuity in reforms, stating that they will play a significant positive role for Kazakhstan in the future.
The practical dimension of the reforms was presented in the report “The Main Novelties of the New Constitution Project” by Saltanat Serikbayevna Aitova, Head of the Administrative Department of the Kostanay Region Department of Justice. She focused on the key changes in the new Constitution, highlighting the systemic changes related to the transformation of the parliamentary model, the redistribution of institutional roles, and the constitutional consolidation of fundamental values.
A comparative analysis of the norms of the current Constitution and the draft of the new edition was presented by Aizhan Buzakanova, a senior lecturer at the Department of General Legal Disciplines at the Shrakbek Kabyldaev Kostanay Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and a police lieutenant colonel. The report “Constitutional Reform in the Republic of Kazakhstan: A Comparative Analysis of the Norms of the Current Constitution and the Draft of the New Constitution” allowed the participants to see not only the legal differences, but also the profound changes in the philosophy of public administration.
The topic of human capital occupied a special place in the round table program. Olinkyan Lyudmila Yurievna, Head of the Corporate University of Allur Group of Companies, emphasized that the long-term effectiveness of any constitutional changes is impossible without investments in education, competencies, and social responsibility of citizens.
An important element of the event was the active participation of students. Zholboldykyzy Үlnar, a 3rd-year student of the History educational program, presented a report on the historical origins of human rights, while Balabayeva Dilnaz, a 4th-year student of the same educational program, highlighted the constitutional development of Kazakhstan in the context of statehood transformation. Their presentations demonstrated a high level of youth engagement in understanding key processes of state-building.
The roundtable discussion showed that the discussion of constitutional reforms goes beyond a narrowly professional discussion and becomes a subject of a broad public dialogue. The Kostanay Social and Technical University named after Academician Zulkharnai Aldamzhar, which served as a platform for this discussion, confirmed its significant role in exchanging ideas and analyzing current processes in the country.
