Диаспорология в современной России и Казахстана в мировом контексте науки

The paper considers issues of transformation of diasporic studies into a separate academic area caused, on the one hand, by unprecedented migrations of the population in the world, disintegration of federal states of the Eastern bloc, the Soviet Union being the first in this process and a rise of the ethnic self‐consciousness. Scholars in different areas of humanitarian and social sciences are taking greater interest in topical issues of emigrant communities in their new countries of residence. The most experienced of them managed to achieve the level of theoretical generalization and to reflect in their works the most substantial aspects of formation of ethnic diasporas, forms of its manifestation, its main features making it different from other ethnic communities; they works out the typology of diasporas and their functioning in countriesrecipients. One of the most relevant issues of the modern Diaspora Studies (д иапорология) is the interrelations between a Diaspora and its historical motherland. International aspects of Diaspora functioning are related to the prerogative of political sciences, although they are also studied by legal scholars, economists and demographers. Diaspora Studies in the modern Russia and Kazakhstan are in embryo and the development of this new academic area is following the way paved by the Western scholars, on the one hand, and on the other hand, some new approaches to diasporic topics can be traced. The Russian Diasporic Studies are taking the lead over those of Kazakhstan regarding both the coverage of different aspects of Diaspora life and the depth of the analysis. Diaspora Studies as a separate but undoubtedly complex area of academic studies in Russia has got a structured appearance and institutional form. At present in Moscow, St. Petersburg and many other big cities of Russia dozens and even hundreds of people are engaged in Diaspora research on the professional level. Diaspora studies are well manifested in sociology, ethnology, political sciences and history. Diaspora studies in Kazakhstan leave much to be desired. Diasporology should be one of the majors in university curricula. In one of the academic institutions there should be a department or section of Diasporology for training specialists capable of systematically researching issues having both purely academic relevance and practical importance for internal policy, everyday ethno cultural life and international ties.