Mirfatyh Zakiev

Mirfatyh Zakiev

Zakiev Mirfatyh (Зәкиев Мирфатых) is a Türkology scholar, philologist, teacher, and a Tatarstan public figure, Doctor of Philology, professor, full member of Academy of Sciences of the Tatarstan Republic. M.Zakiev served as a Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Tatar ASSR (Chairman of the republican parliament in the Tatarstan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of the former USSR).

M.Zakiev conducted major scientific research in the field of the Tatar Linguistics, Türkology. fundamental research in syntactic architecture of the Tatar language. Academician B.A. Serebrennikov commented about the work on syntactic architecture: "This is the first most full and logically faultless monograph about the syntax of the Türkic languages".

Zakiev published five to six hundred scientific works, including thirty-five monographs, brochures, textbooks and instruction manuals for the Tatar language, history of the Tatar school of Türkologists, ethnic history of the Turkic peoples, inter-ethnic and interlingual contacts, bilinguality and multilinguality.

Zakiev served in a number of higher schools and institutes as a Rector, Director and Department Head (KGPI 1967-1986, IJALI 1986-1997), created Departments of Ethnography, Manuscripts and Textology, Lexicology and Lexicography, was instrumental in compiling a Collection of Monuments of History and Culture, creating of Tatar Encyclopedia. Zakiev headed the Scientific Commission of the Education Ministry of the Russian Federation for the philological sciences. M.Zakiev is a member of Presidium of AN RT.

Zakiev created scientific schools in the fields of language, interethnic and interlingual contacts, bilinguality and multilinguality. Zakiev prepared thirty Ph.D.s and Doctors of Science, twelve of his pupils became Doctors of Science and Professors. Under his guidance the Department of Linguistics in the IJALI created a three-volume Academic Grammar of the Tatar Language, prepared multivolume Tatar Lexicology.