For the first time, Kazakhstans name has entered the map of global journalism research.
Scholars of Abai KazNPU are bringing the country into the international WJS3 study.
The academic community of Kazakhstan has achieved a significant breakthrough: for the first time, the country has become a participant in the prestigious international project Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS). This news, coming from the Department of Humanities of the Faculty of History and Law at Abai KazNPU, signifies recognition of the role of Kazakhstani media on the global stage.
Focus on risks: WJS3 covers 75 countries worldwide.
The third wave of the project, WJS3 (2021-2025), conducted with the support of UNESCO and the International Federation of Journalists, is one of the worlds largest studies of the media sphere.
What is the study about?
WJS3 focuses on examining the risks and uncertainties that journalists face daily in the digital age.
Global scope:
The project has collected data from more than 32,350 journalists across 75 countries, documenting how the profession has transformed since 2007.
What do researchers analyze?
They assess how political, economic, technological, and cultural factors influence journalists safety, editorial autonomy, and working conditions.

Kazakhstans research team in this major project is led by Professor Gulmira Sultanbayeva (Abai KazNPU), Doctor of Political Sciences. Professor Sultanbayeva has been appointed as one of the WJS3 National Principal Investigators. This means that her team is responsible for conducting a representative survey of Kazakhstani journalists in strict accordance with international methodology.
Quote from Gulmira Sultanbayeva:
"For Kazakhstan, participation in WJS3 is more than just an academic project. It is an opportunity to integrate our media landscape into the global picture for the first time. We will not only be able to assess real risks, including online attacks and safety issues concerning women journalists, but also use this data to strengthen the countrys information resilience. Our task is to provide an objective snapshot of the profession to form a foundation for future reforms and training."
WJS3: Scientific value and accessibility.
The results of this work will have the highest scientific value, as the entire WJS3 dataset receives a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), making it a fully legitimate and citable academic source.
DOI for citation:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15280738
Participation in WJS3 confirms the strategic role of Abai KazNPU in advancing media education and strengthening information security in Central Asia.
Follow the official results on the WJS website:
WJS homepage: https://www.worldsofjournalism.org/