Manuscripts from Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana

Professor of the Department of World History, Historiography and Source Studies, Director of the RSRI, Honorary Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, Kalkaman Zhumagulov has collected in the Vatican new materials on the history of the Turkic world, and the early and medieval history of Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

While undergoing a scientific assignment under the State Program «History and Culture of the Great Steppe» at the University «La Sapienza Universita di Roma» and «Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana», the Professor has studied archives and manuscripts in Latin. These are papal correspondence, chronicles, stories and notes of travelers, missionaries and other rare narrative testimonies that contain valuable information on the history of the Hun Empire, the Turkic Khaganate, Desht-i-Kipchak, the Altyn Horde, the integration of East and West on the Great Silk Road. These materials are drawn by Professor from the collections of manuscripts in the hall of the manuscripts of «Vaticani Latini», as well as from the book-depositories and rare collections of the Vatican.

During the meetings and lecture sessions of K.T. Zhumagulov at the University «La Sapienza» and the Department of History, Culture and Religion, he discussed the practical training of masters and students in double diploma according to the Memorandum signed in 2015 between Al-Farabi KazNU and La-Sapienza Universita di Roma. Four undergraduates from the University of the Italian University - Jessica Venturini, Mateo Frioli, Mastroroko Adriano, Farissi Sahim currently study at the Faculty of History, Archeology and Ethnology of KazNU.

For its part, the Director of the Department Emanuel Prinzivali and Professor Fabio Grassi positively noted the project of KazNU’s undergraduate student Meruert Seilbekova. Today, other KazNU students Akzhan Duisenkul, Zhayyk Chalten, and Arailym Kabidolla have been studying on academic mobility there as well. This is facilitated by the joint work of Professors Kalkman Zhumagulov and Fabio Grassi on the preparation of PhD students at KazNU and the participation of representatives of two Universities in international conferences in Almaty and Rome.
By the end of his stay, the KazNU scientist has been invited to a reception at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Italy, where he spoke about the fruitful cooperation of two Universities and scientific work in Rome. At the meeting, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Italian Republic Sergey Nurtaev noted the invaluable importance of the rare written Latin manuscripts of the Vatican for revealing the most important unexplored aspects of ancient and medieval history and culture of Kazakhstan. He also expressed great satisfaction with interaction of Al-Farabi KazNU and the University of Rome «La Sapienza», and wished further success for the benefit of the development of education and science of two countries.

Two leading Italian news agencies «Agenzia Nova» and «Agir Agenzia Giornalistica Repubblica» interviewed Professor Kalkaman Zhumagulov and posted on their pages a material on cooperation between Kazakhstan and Italy in the sphere of science and education on the example of Al-Farabi KazNU and the University «La Sapienza».

Press service of Al-Farabi

Kaznu.

www.kaznu.kz