Department of Cybersecurity

The history of the Cybersecurity Department is a history of cooperation, ambition, and striving for the highest standards of academic and professional activity. The Cybersecurity Department has a rich history, as it was recently separated from the two previously merged departments: Computer Engineering and Technical Cybernetics.

At the end of 1962, the Faculty of “Automation and Computer Engineering” was established at the Kazakh Polytechnic Institute, with departments of automation and telemechanics, computer engineering, radioelectronics, and electronic engineering. The “Computer Engineering” department, now “Cybersecurity, Information Processing and Storage,” trained engineers in the specialty “Mathematical and Computing Instruments and Devices” (MCI), which in 1968 was transformed into the specialty “Electronic Computing Machines,” and in 1990 into the specialty “Computing Machines, Complexes, Systems and Networks.”

The first head of the department (1962–68) was a well-known educator and Honored Inventor of the Kazakh SSR, Associate Professor Brichkin L.A. From 1968 to 1971, the department was headed by Associate Professor Vinokurov L.A., a graduate of the Kharkiv Higher Aviation Engineering Military School.

In 1971, the department became part of the newly established Technical Cybernetics Department, and since 1975 it has been restored under its former name “Computer Engineering.” During 1975–1988, the department was led by Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor Tynymbayev S.T., a graduate of the Faculty of Automation and Computer Engineering of KazPTI named after V.I. Lenin and a graduate of the postgraduate program at the Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School. The department developed in the core areas of Computer Engineering and Information Technologies related to hardware and software in tasks of automating scientific research and industrial applications. заказчиками работ являлись такие организации как: NIICTEVT (R&D Association “Persey,” Moscow); the Institute of Nuclear Physics (Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR); NO “Soyuzvuzpribor” (Moscow); the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant (Karaganda), and others. The Computer Engineering Department was a center for training computer engineering specialists for all of Central Asia and Southern Siberia and had the largest student body in the USSR.

In 1983, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Sarypbekov Zh.S. became dean. In 1989, on his initiative, a Kazakh-language division was opened in the specialty “Electronic Computing Machines.” In 1993, a new specialty for Kazakhstan was opened — “Information Protection and Security.” In 1996, a Kazakh-language division was opened in the specialty “Information Protection and Security.”

Subsequently, the department trained specialists in the following specialties: “Organization and Technology of Information Protection” and “Computer Engineering and Software” (specializations: “Information Protection and Security” and “Computing Systems and Networks”). Foreign students are trained in these specialties from countries such as India, Cuba, Jordan, Peru, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Turkey. From 1988 to 2011, the “Computer Engineering” department was headed by Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor Ermakov A.S., a 1969 graduate of KazPTI in the specialty Electronic Computing Machines. New specialties were opened, and the department staff developed State Compulsory Educational Standards for the specialties “Information Protection and Security,” “Computer Engineering and Software,” and “Information Security Systems.”

From 2011 to 2014, the department was headed by Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Zhangisina G.D.

From September 2014 to 2021, the department was headed by Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor Seylova N.A. During this period, licenses were obtained for training master’s and doctoral students in the field of information security. Bachelor’s programs in Information Security, master’s programs in Comprehensive Information Security Provision, and doctoral programs in Information Security Systems were developed.

In 2018, the department was merged with the “Information Technologies” department, under the former name “Technical Cybernetics.”

The “Technical Cybernetics” department was organized in 1971 as a profile (major) department in the specialties: Automated Control Systems (ACS) and Electronic Computing Machines (ECM), headed by Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Ashimov A.A., a graduate of KazPTI named after Lenin, now an academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan and president of MAIN. Since 1989, the head of department became Professor K. Sagynгалиев of this department. From 1994 to 2012, the department was headed by Professor D.N. Shukaev. At the turn of the two centuries, during D. Shukaev’s work as vice-rector of the university, the department was headed by its graduate B. Zhumagaliyev, who strengthened the staff and student body after the difficult 1990s.

In the 1980s, the department was considered one of the largest and most famous departments in the USSR in the specialty “Automated Control Systems,” and its representative was a member of the methodological council of the USSR Ministry of Higher Education. For 13 years, the head of this department, D.N. Shukaev, served as chairman of the dissertation council of the Ministry of Higher Education for the defense of doctoral and candidate dissertations in three specialties in the field of automation and control. Many leaders of various levels and major scientists emerged from this department, and more than 30 grant-funded and contract research projects were completed. The department staff, under the leadership of A. Ashimov, participated in the development of the first ACS at the largest enterprises of the USSR — UK SCTsK, ShSZ, BGMC, Aktyubrentgen and Aktyubselmash, and EGRES-2. Subsequently, with the emergence of the specialty “Information Systems” replacing ACS, the department was reprofiled and renamed “Information Technologies.” From 2012 to 2018, this department was headed by L. Balgabayeva and then N. Saparhodzhayev. Bachelor’s programs in Information Systems, master’s programs in Management Information Systems, and doctoral programs in Management Information Systems were developed.

A significant contribution to the training of highly qualified scientific and pedagogical personnel was made by professors Ashimov A.., Asaubaev K., Aitkhozhaeva E., Aitchanov B., Akhmetov B., Dzhuruntaev D., B., Sagynгалиев K., Sarypbekov Zh.S., Sokolova S., Tukeev U.A., Khisarov B.D., Shukaev D., and associate professors Tynymbayev S.T., Dzharbolov Sh., Zhumagaliyev B., Ismail E., Medetov M., Pshenin E., Kutsyi A., Tazhibayev B., Turym A.Sh., Ermakov A.S., Seylova N.A., Kim E., Tusupova B.B. Under the supervision of these scholars, 11 doctoral, over 70 candidate, and several десятков PhD dissertations were defended.

At present, the head of the department is Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor of the department Yagaliyeva B.E. The academic staff of the department consists of highly qualified specialists. Professors Aitkhozhaeva E.Zh., Akhmedyarova A.T., Alimseitova Zh.K., Yubuzova Kh.I., Nurtay A., Kashaganova G.B., Ogan A., Kalaman E., Magazov R., and the department instructors contribute to its work. Highly qualified specialists in the fields of information technologies and information security have been trained within the department, including heads of educational institutions and research organizations, and leaders of national agencies and committees. The department’s graduates successfully work in the Republic of Kazakhstan, other CIS republics, as well as in far and near abroad: Canada, the USA (including Silicon Valley), Germany, Israel, India, Cuba, Turkey, etc.

The department actively cooperates with leading universities and research centers in near and far abroad, such as Pennsylvania State University (USA), City University of Hong Kong (China), TENAGA UNITEN (Malaysia), the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (Belarus), etc. Cooperation is carried out with the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, with Kaspersky Lab, and with companies such as Tochpribor, FalconeEye, Aknur Security, SearchInform, Check Point, Halyk Kazteleport, Galaktika, the State Technical Service (KZ-CERT), the Center of Information Technologies, National Information Technologies, and others, which are potential employers of the department’s graduates.

Academic education is supported by additional certified training in the training courses of the Cisco Networking Academy, Huawei, and Kaspersky Lab. Students actively participate in scientific and innovative activities. Through academic mobility, students and master’s students study at foreign universities in the USA, Europe (Ukraine, Poland, Italy, France, Germany, Portugal), the CIS, and Asia (Korea, Malaysia, China).

At present, the department trains specialists in two areas — information security and information systems — at all levels of education.

In the educational program Information Security, there are the following tracks: Systems and Network Security; Cryptographic Information Protection; Technical Information Protection; Blockchain Engineering.

The CS Department trains specialists under the following educational programs: 6B06301 ‘Information Security’, 7M06301 ‘Comprehensive Information Security Assurance’ (1, 2 years), 8D06301 ‘Information Security Systems’.

The CS Department employs about 30 faculty members, including 6 professors (Doctors of Science), 3 associate professors, 6 PhD holders, and 2 Candidates of Science.

The CS Department operates 5 laboratories: ‘HUAWEI’, ‘1C’, ‘Cisco’, and ‘Lenovo’, as well as an accredited Research Laboratory for Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence.

Over the years, more than 30 grant-funded and contract (industry-funded) research projects have been completed. In 2025–2026 alone, the department is implementing 7 research projects in the areas of ‘Cybersecurity’ and ‘Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence’ with a total budget of KZT 1,284,097,363.
The department’s educational programs cooperate with Penn State University in the USA (3+1+1 program).

Under the 6B06301 ‘Information Security’ program, students have the opportunity to transfer to dual or online learning, including with retention of the scholarship/grant (via the Adway platform).

The department has direct ties with companies such as: TSARKA, Halyk Bank, Noventiq, Kazakhtelecom, Kaspi, Otbasy Bank, CenterCredit, Kcell, 1C Kazakhstan, HUAWEI Kazakhstan, Centurion IT, the National Security Committee (KNB), the ‘State Technical Service’ (KZ-CERT), and others.

Under the supervision of the department’s faculty, 11 doctoral dissertations, over 70 candidate (PhD-equivalent) dissertations, and dozens of PhD dissertations have been defended. The department’s graduates successfully work in Kazakhstan, CIS countries, and abroad—in Canada, the USA, Germany, Israel, India, Turkey, and other countries.

Head of the Department: Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor, Yagaliyeva Bagdat Esenovna Email:

b.yagaliyeva@satbayev.university