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Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University (KTMU) held an opening lecture titled “A nation cannot exist without its language” for the Kyrgyz Language and Literature Program, established within the Department of Humanities. The lecture, delivered by Prof. Dr. Layli Ükübayeva, addressed the importance of the mother tongue in terms of national identity, culture, and history, while also providing information about prominent figures and studies that have contributed to the development of the Kyrgyz language.

Speaking at the opening of the program, Rector Prof. Dr. Alpaslan Ceylan emphasized that KTMU’s commitment to the Kyrgyz language has been one of the fundamental elements of the University’s educational philosophy since its establishment. Ceylan said: “Since the day it was founded, Manas University has contributed to the strong use of the Kyrgyz language in academic life by conducting its education in both Kyrgyz and Turkish. For us, Kyrgyz is not merely a language of instruction; it is our shared cultural heritage in which we produce knowledge, publish academic works, and assume responsibility for passing it on to new generations. Since its establishment, our university has supported the development of the Kyrgyz language and the expansion of its fields of use by publishing scholarly works in Kyrgyz, preparing dictionaries and books, and conducting studies that document the language’s vocabulary. The establishment of the Kyrgyz Language and Literature Program represents a new and significant stage in these efforts, which have been continuing for many years.”

Ceylan stated that the program would provide opportunities to train young researchers who will study the Kyrgyz language through scientific methods, preserve its literary heritage, and pass the language on to future generations.

Rector Ceylan: “You Are the Most Beautiful Saplings of the Turkic World”

Noting that KTMU continues to grow like a great plane tree, Ceylan emphasized the importance of the individuals who have contributed to the University’s history and development. Addressing the new students, Ceylan said: “You are the most beautiful saplings of the Turkic world. In the future, you will become great plane trees. Never forget this.”

Ceylan stated that the establishment of the Kyrgyz Language and Literature Program had also been one of the University’s important goals and drew attention to KTMU’s accumulated experience in teaching the Kyrgyz language. He noted that the University’s success in teaching Kyrgyz had also been reflected in international rankings and said that the establishment of the new program would further strengthen the University’s work in this field.

Emphasizing the importance of passing Kyrgyz language and literature on to future generations, Ceylan said it was important for students to take on responsibilities in different fields across Kyrgyzstan in the years ahead. He also announced that, following the completion of a 50,000-word Kyrgyz dictionary, a 70,000-word dictionary and a Dictionary of Idioms—the first such work prepared in Kyrgyzstan—had also been completed. Ceylan stated that the dictionary was planned to be published during the year and thanked the academics who contributed to the projects.

Deputy Rector Ibraev: “Passing Our Mother Tongue on to Future Generations Is Our Sacred Duty”

Deputy Rector Prof. Dr. Almaz Ibrayev emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong connection to Kyrgyzstan’s language, culture, history, and traditions. Stating that passing the cultural heritage inherited from previous generations on to future generations is an important responsibility, İbrayev said that using the mother tongue in daily life is one of the most important ways of keeping a language alive.

Ibrayev also highlighted the importance KTMU places on Kyrgyz as a language of instruction and noted that the Kyrgyz language is used effectively in education at the University. He described the establishment of the Kyrgyz Language and Literature Program as a continuation of this approach and thanked the University administration, the Board of Trustees, and the Republic of Türkiye for their contributions to the establishment of the program.

Ibrayev expressed his belief that students of the Kyrgyz Language and Literature Program would demonstrate their talents and contribute to Manas University’s academic and cultural heritage. He concluded by saying, “May your path be open and your journeys be blessed with success.”

Prof. Dr. Ükübayeva: “The Mother Tongue Is One of the Most Important Elements Carrying a Nation’s Culture and Identity”

Prof. Dr. Layli Ükübayeva, who delivered the opening lecture, addressed the relationship between language, national identity, culture, and history in her presentation titled “A nation cannot exist without its language.”

Stating that the preservation and development of national culture begins with language, Ükübayeva explained that the mother tongue is not merely a means of communication, but also one of the fundamental elements through which societies transmit their history, culture, and identity to future generations.

Drawing on various examples of the relationship between language and nation, Ükübayeva emphasized the importance of valuing one’s mother tongue and using it in everyday life. Without diminishing the importance of learning different languages, she highlighted the significance of learning and using one’s own mother tongue in preserving national culture.

She Cited Atatürk’s Language Studies as an Example

Prof. Dr. Layli Ükübayeva discussed the importance of preserving and developing the mother tongue for the continuation of a nation’s cultural existence. In this context, she also presented the importance that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye, attached to the Turkish language as a noteworthy historical example.

Ükübayeva stated that Atatürk regarded language as one of the fundamental elements of national culture and identity, and pointed out that institutional efforts undertaken during the Republican period to research and develop Turkish played an important role in strengthening language awareness.

She cited the establishment of the Turkish Language Research Society in 1932 under Atatürk’s leadership and the convening of the First Turkish Language Congress in the same year as concrete examples of this approach. Ükübayeva emphasized that the future of a language is closely connected to the interest shown in it by the society that speaks it, scientific research, and its transmission to new generations.

Finding this historical experience meaningful in the context of the Kyrgyz language as well, Ükübayeva stated that the strong use of the mother tongue in science, education, literature, and daily life is decisive in ensuring that the language is passed on to future generations.

She Highlighted the Legacy of Pioneering Figures in the Development of the Kyrgyz Language

In her presentation, Ükübayeva also addressed the historical development of the Kyrgyz language, providing information about the narrowing of the language’s sphere of use during the Soviet period and subsequent efforts to strengthen it.

Referring to the views of Chyngyz Aitmatov regarding the development of the state and national language in Kyrgyzstan, Ükübayeva emphasized the importance of Aitmatov’s efforts to bring the issue of language to the public agenda under the conditions of his time. She noted that Kyrgyz has today attained the status of a state language and that efforts to develop the language continue.

Ükübayeva also discussed the work of scholars who contributed to the development of the Kyrgyz language, particularly Ishenaaly Arabaev, Kasym Tynystanov, and Bolot Yunusaliev, along with many other academics and intellectuals who worked in the fields of language and education.

Ükübayeva explained that Ishenaaly Arabaev prepared alphabets and textbooks to improve literacy among the Kyrgyz people, while Kasym Tynystanov conducted important studies on Kyrgyz grammar and vocabulary. She also noted that Tynystanov contributed to introducing Kyrgyz readers to world literature by translating various works into Kyrgyz.

Ükübayeva stated that the work of linguists constitutes an important legacy not only for their own era but also for subsequent generations.

“Now It Is Your Turn, Children”

In the final part of her lecture, Ükübayeva shared examples from works by Kyrgyz poets and writers on the mother tongue and discussed devotion to the mother tongue through the works of Alykul Osmonov, Joomart Bokonbaev, and Abdyrasul Toktomushev.

She stated that the value placed on the mother tongue in Kyrgyz literature has been reflected in the works of poets and writers from different periods and emphasized that literature has an important role in preserving and developing the Kyrgyz language.

Addressing the students who have begun their studies in the Kyrgyz Language and Literature Program, Ükübayeva said that they should learn and conduct research in the fields of language and literature and advance research in these areas.

Ükübayeva told the students:“Your purpose is to continue this path, take it further, and conduct new research in the field of science.” She encouraged the students to read, conduct research, and contribute to the development of the Kyrgyz language and literature.