Presidents

Composer, Doctor of Art Studies, Doctor of Public Administration and International Development, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of the Higher Attestation Commission under the President of Kazakhstan, Honorary Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan

Aktoty Raimkulova,  was born on May 2, 1964, in the city of Almaty. Her father, Rakhmetulla Raimkulov, was a writer, and her mother, Makiza Dairbay kyzy Raimkulova-Shashkina, was a philologist.

In 1987, she graduated from the Faculty of History and Theory of the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory, specializing in “Composition” and “Piano.” In 1994, she completed an assistantship in “Composition” at the same conservatory. In 2006, she obtained an MBA degree at the International Business Academy. In 2010, she defended her PhD in Public Administration and International Development at the Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation. In 2018, she defended her doctoral dissertation in “Art Studies” at the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Bulgaria.

Aktoty Raimkulova is a composer, Doctor of Art Studies, Doctor of Public Administration and International Development, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of the Higher Attestation Commission under the President of Kazakhstan, Honorary Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, and Honored Worker of Kazakhstan.

Since 1988, she has worked at the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory as a concertmaster and lecturer.
From 2001, she held the positions of Vice-Rector and Head of Department at the same conservatory.
From 2014, she served as Head of the Department of Culture and Arts at the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and from October 3, 2016, as Vice-Minister of Culture and Sports. Between 2019 and 2022, she served as Minister of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

On April 6, 2022, she was appointed Director of the Roza Baglanova State Concert Organization “Kazakhconcert” under the Culture Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
On November 3, 2023, by the decision of the Heads of State of the Turkic countries at the 10th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, she was appointed President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

In 2010, Aktoty Raimkulova was awarded the honorary title of “Honored Worker of Kazakhstan.” She has also been decorated with the state order “Kurmet” (2018), the medal “20th Anniversary of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan” (2015), the medal “25th Anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan” (2016), the medal “Astana – 20 Years” (2018), the medal “30th Anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan” (2021), as well as other state awards and medals.

She is the author of more than 25 scientific works and monographs, as well as the musical scores of the ballets Aspanköshi (“Аспанкөші”), Sounds of Time, and Kozy Korpesh – Bayan Sulu (“Қозы Көрпеш – Баян Сұлу”); the vocal-symphonic cantatas Dala Syry (“Дала сыры”), Tolgau (“Толғау”), Jamila (“Жәмиля”), Tarlan (“Тарлан”), and Asar (“Асар”); the symphonietta Ejelgi Turan (“Ежелгі Туран”); music for more than 20 dramatic performances; the Kazakh-Turkish joint television series Astana – My Love (“Astana – махаббатым менің”); soundtracks for animated films including Letters to an Angel (“Періштеге хаттар”); and over 300 other musical works. In addition, she is the author of numerous articles published in the mass media.

First President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Ambassador

Mrs. Gunay Afandiyeva served as Consul at the Consulate-General of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Istanbul from 2004 to 2008, and later as Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO from 2009 to 2015. During this period, she was actively engaged in the implementation of large-scale cultural, educational, and scientific initiatives aimed at fostering cooperation among peoples of different cultures and religions, and at building bridges of understanding between them.

In September 2015, pursuant to the decision adopted at the 5th Summit of the Heads of State of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States (now the Organization of Turkic States) in Astana, she was appointed as the first President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. She held this position until November 2023.

As President of the Foundation (2015–2023), Mrs. G. Afandiyeva participated in and addressed numerous major international forums and high-level events. These included the 5th to 10th Summits of the Organization of Turkic States and the corresponding Meetings of Foreign Ministers; the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, where the Foundation organized a round table on “Turkic Heritage at the Crossroads of Cultures and Civilizations”; the 5th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, during which the Foundation hosted a round table on “The Role of the Great Silk Road in Building Dialogue among Turkic-speaking Countries”; the 6th Global Forum; the 5th and 6th Baku International Humanitarian Forums; the 12th General Conference of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO); the UN Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum; Meetings of UNESCO National Commissions and Committees of TURKSOY member countries; the “Heart of Asia” – Istanbul Process 7th Ministerial Conference; the 18th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM); the Ministerial Conference of NAM; the Ministerial Meeting of the NAM Coordinating Bureau themed “NAM: United and Steadfast in Confronting Emerging Challenges”; the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF); and many other high-level gatherings attended by senior government officials, leaders of international organizations and diplomatic missions, as well as renowned political, scientific, cultural figures, and experts from around the globe.

Under her presidency, the Foundation organized numerous conferences, seminars, round tables, exhibitions, concerts, and other large-scale projects dedicated to the preservation, research, and promotion of the rich Turkic culture, history, art, music, and heritage at the international level.

Mrs. G. Afandiyeva is the author of numerous publications and articles featured in local and international media. She has been awarded multiple national and international diplomas, certificates, and medals in recognition of her contributions.