Kenzhegali Abenovich Sagadiyev (Kazakh: Кенжеғали Әбенұлы Сағадиев, romanized: Kenjeğali Äbenūly Sağadiev; 18 February 1938, Kostanay Region, Kazakh SSR – 25 July 2020^[1]) was a public^[2] and political figure in Kazakhstan, an Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan.^[3]

Kenzhegali Sagadiyev was born in the settlement of Akkol (Zhangeldi District, Kostanay Region) on 18 February 1938.^[4] Following graduation from Semiozernoye Kazakh Secondary School,^[5] he was admitted to the Dept. of Economics of the Kazakh State University named after Kirov in 1955.^[6] Having graduated with honors, Kenzhegali moved to Moscow to enroll in a postgraduate program at the Institute of National Economy named after Plekhanov.^[7] Sagadiyev defended his doctorate thesis at the age of 39 and had a Doctor of Economics degree bestowed on him by the Presidium of the State Commission for Academic Degrees and Titles of the USSR.^[8]

A year later he received the academic title of professor in the field of Economics of Logistics (1978). Sagadiyev was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR in 1989, and became а full member (academician) of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1994.^[9]

Kenzhegali Sagadiyev led 5 tertiary education institutions in Kazakhstan — Tselinograd Institute of Agriculture (1982—1990),^[10] Kazakh University of Economics named after Ryskulov,^[11] Kazakh National Agrarian University (1996—2001),^[12] University of International Business (2001—2004 and 2012—2016, since 2017 — President Emeritus),^[13] and International Information Technology University (2012).^[14] In his capacity as a President of the National Academy of Sciences (1994—1996)^[15] and Chairman of the National Agency for Technological Development (2012—2014)^[16] he made a considerable contribution to the development of Kazakhstani science.

He was elected to the 3rd (2004—2007)^[17] and 4th Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2007—2011),^[18] served as Chairman of Mäjilis Finance and Budget Committee (2004—2007)^[19] and played an important role in the improvement of taxation, financial and budget legislation.^[20] During these years, he emphasized the support of science and education as key sectors for human capital development in Kazakhstan.^[21]

Kenzhegali Sagadiyev established a modern university of business in Almaty,^[22] authored over 445 scientific publications, including 20 monographs and a dozen textbooks and manuals.^[6] His publications in Kazakhstani newspapers and magazines commanded a lot of attention.^[23]

Sagadiyev’s reputation as an economist was international, he was elected a member of the New York Academy of Sciences^[24] and American Economic Association, became an Academician of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (1997),^[25] an Academician of the International Academy of Higher Education (1997). As a member of Nur Otan party, Sagadiyev took part in its public initiatives.^[26]

Kenzhegali Sagadiyev died at the age of 81 on July 25, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[27] He was buried in the National Pantheon near Astana.^[28]

Keznhegali and his wife Nagytai^[29] brought up three sons. Their middle son Erlan Sağadiev is a statesman and former Minister of Science and Education of Kazakhstan.^[30]

Orders and medals

• Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1971);^[31]
• Order of Friendship of Peoples (1987);^[32]
• Order of Parasat (2003);^[33]
• Order of the Leopard (Kazakhstan) II class (2008);^[34]
• Order of the Commonwealth (IPA CIS, 2010);^[35]
• Order of Otan (2013);^[36]
• Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands" (1957);
• Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1970);
• Medal 10 years of the Constitution of Kazakhstan (2005);
• Medal of the 10th anniversary of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2006).

Honorary titles

• Honoured Worker of Science and Technology of Kazakhstan (December 16, 1998);^[37]
• Honorary Citizen of the Auliekol District of the Kostanay Region (1996);^[38]
• Honorary Citizen of Arkalyk (2007);^[37]
• Honorary Citizen of the Amangeldy, Nauyrzym and Zhangeldi Districts^[39] of the Kostanay Region (2008);^[40]
• Honorary Citizen of the Kostanay Region (2013).^[5][41]

• University of International Business (UIB) was established in 1992 to soon become the leading business school in Central Asia; later it was renamed Kenzhegali Sagadiyev University of International Business.^[42]
• A monument to Kenzhegali Sagadiyev was unveiled in Kostanay near the Big Bridge on the left bank of the Tobol River in 2021,^[43] and a commemorative plaque and another monument were unveiled in Almaty on the UIB campus.^[44]

• Kostanay Regional Universal Scientific Library named after L.N. Tolstoy. Information and bibliographic Department of Kostanay OUN (2012). "Sagadiyev Kenzhegali Abenovich". Calendar of Dates and Events of Kostanay Region: 36–39. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
• Ilyas Kozybayev (2022). Kenzhegali Sagadiev: The trajectory of fate. Almaty: Rarity Publishing Company. p. 504. ISBN 978-601-250-317-3.