Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

the leading scientific institution of the Kazakh SSR. Founded in 1946 as the Kazakhstan branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Located in Alma-Ata. In 1968 the academy had 54 acting members and 45 corresponding members.

The academy has five departments and 21 scientific research institutes. The department of physical and mathematical sciences includes scientific research institutes in nuclear physics, and mathematics and mechanics. The department of astrophysics and earth sciences also has scientific research institutes: the K. I. Satpaev Institute of Geological Sciences; a mining institute; an astrophysics institute; and an institute of hydrogeology and hydrophysics. The scientific research institutes of the department of chemical engineering are in metallurgy and ore dressing, chemical sciences, chemical metallurgy, and the chemistry of petroleum and mineral salts. The department of biological sciences has scientific research institutes in soil science, botany, zoology, microbiology and virology, physiology, and experimental biology. The department of social sciences has a scientific research institute in economics; the Ch. Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History, Archaeology, and Ethnography; an institute of philosophy and law; the M. O. Auezov Institute of Literature and Art; and an institute of linguistics. Other scientific research institutions include those for the study of the ionosphere and physical geography. There is a central botanical garden. The central library had 2,700,000 items in 1968.

The leading research developments are in complex problems relating to the utilization of minerals found in the republic (regional geology, metallogeny, hydrogeology, mining engineering, and the complex processing of ores of nonferrous, ferrous, and rare metals); applied nuclear physics; the physics of high-energy particles; astrophysics; differential equations and solid mechanics; chemical engineering relating to complex and concentrated fertilizers; electrochemistry; catalysis; polymers; biologically active substances; the dynamics of soil processes; the plant resources of Kazakhstan; improvements in agricultural crop yields and livestock production; the natural causes of human and animal diseases; microbiology and virology; the economy of the republic; philosophy and law; and the history, literature. and language of the Kazakh people.

The academy has been publishing Vestnik (Herald, since 1944), Izvestiia in five series (since 1963), and scientific works, and is preparing the Kazakh Soviet Encyclopedia for publication.

Presidents of the academy have been K. I. Satpaev (1946–52), D. A. Kunaev (1952–55), K. I. Satpaev (1955–64), Sh. Ch. Chokin (1964–67), and Sh. E. Esenov (since 1967).