Priority directions of research work of the Department of international relations:
1. Public diplomacy as a tool of diversification of foreign policy.
2. Security challenges in Central Asia in the period of transformation of the world order.
3. Dynamics and problems of integration cooperation in the Eurasian space in the context of international economic relations of Kazakhstan.
The presented topics are key research topics for the faculty of the Department, individual research, the results of which are articles published in peer-reviewed international journals and in journals recommended by the MES. The Republic of Kazakhstan conducts active foreign policy, consistently defending their interests abroad. However, we are lagging behind the global best practices in the use of various tools of foreign policy. The use of public diplomacy as one of such mechanisms is a strategic goal that defines the positioning of Kazakhstan in the world. The current state, dynamics and problems of integration cooperation in the Eurasian space has also become a leading topic of research for the faculty of the Department in force unconditional relevance to the political, economic and foreign policy development. Economic, social and political potential of Kazakhstan urges to strengthen the important role of the state in economic integration processes in the Eurasian space. It should be stressed that the security challenges in Central Asia in the period of transformation of the world order also actualize the research staff of the Department on broad aspects of information, nuclear, environmental, economic and military-political security in the region. Overall, on this issue there is a solid scientific basis from the staff of the Department.
The Department of international relations planned and regularly conducts scientific seminars on actual problems of international relations, including in accordance to the priority activities of the Department. In the current 2017. were held scientific seminars: "Kazak kuresi zastarany Tauelsizdik ushin" (speaker Alpeisov A. K.), "Interaction of Kazakhstan with the international community in the fight against international terrorism" (Rapporteur G. M. Kakenova).
Teachers of the Department in the period from 2015 to 2017 work on topics of scientific projects in the framework of grant financing of MES RK. In particular, the project is implemented under the leadership of doctor of historical Sciences, Professor Esdauletova on the topic "analysis of the state expert assessment of the foreign policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the European academic community." The project aims to study the problems of foreign policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan through a prism of perception of the academic community of the European Union, especially Germany, France and the UK. The project is relevant in the context of international processes at the global and regional level, due to the strengthening of the economic, political and cultural relations between Kazakhstan and the EU. The project, under the leadership of doctor of historical Sciences, Professor of Kacanovas G. M., "Study of interaction of Kazakhstan with the international community in the fight against international terrorism", aimed at the analysis of conceptual bases of cooperation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the sphere of combating terrorism and religious extremism, a justification of the role of Kazakhstan in the formation and functioning of the system for countering terrorism at the regional and international levels.