Yerlan Karin was born on May 26, 1976, in the Turkistan Region. He holds a PhD in Political Science. Over the years, he has worked as a lecturer, head of analytical centers, secretary of the "Nur Otan" party, director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KISI), and chairman of the board of the "Kazakhstan" national TV and radio corporation. Since 2022, he has served as the State Counsellor of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Education: In 1997, he graduated from Aktobe University with a degree in History and Geography Teaching. In 1999, he defended his PhD dissertation on national security at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.