unesco

6 June 2024

Panel Discussion on Intercultural Projects

On May 5 to 8, 2024, St.Petersburg International Economic Forum took place in St.Petersburg, Russia. The Forum is a global event, gathering more than 17,000 participants from about 40 countries, ranging from state leaders and politicians to academics and business tycoons (St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (forumspb.com). Our Chair was invited to take part in a Panel Discussion ‘Uniting Cultures and Traditions in Modern Intercultural Projects’, which took place on June, 6. D.Spivak gave a brief talk dedicated to ‘Actual Trends in Theory of Intercultural Rapprochement’, mostly centered upon intercultural issues in Medium-Term Strategy of UNESCO (2022–2029), and International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), and took part in a lively discussion.

Program: Business programme (forumspb.com) Photo by D. Spivak
22 May 2024

Conference ‘Promoting Traditional Family Values in Age of Globalization: Religious Viewpoints’

On May 20 to 23, 2024, National Scientific Educational Conference ‘Promoting Traditional Family Values in Age of Globalization: Religious Viewpoints’ was conducted in the city of Mahachkala, which is the capital of the Republic of Daghestan, Russian Federation. The conference was supported by Federal Agency for Ethnic Issues; Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences; State University of Daghestan, and a number of other state institutions and non-governmental organizations, primarily religious ones.

Three our fellows took part as speakers: head of our Affiliation in Northern Caucasus, Ms. G. Seidova (‘Traditional Family Values and Globalization’), professor Ms. A. Buttaieva (‘Peculiarities of Practicing Islam in Daghestani Families (Traditions and Innovations)’, and scientific consultant Mr. Sh. Kashaf (‘Participatory Projects of Muftiiyats of Northern Caucasus and of Ural-Volga Region in New Regions of Russia: Religious Axiological Foundations and Practices of Social Interaction’).

Attachmemt: Official program (in Russian). Photo: G. Seidova
27 April 2024

Conference Dedicated to I.Kant

On April 26, 2024, National Scientific and Practical Conference dedicated to the 300^th anniversary of the great German philosopher Immanuel Kant, was conducted, basing at the facilities of University of Science and Technologies in the city of Ufa, Bashkortostan. Local UNESCO Chair in Education in Multinational and Multi-confessional Society served as a co-sponsor of the event. The conference was attended by several dozens of local academics. Our Chair was invited by the organizers of the event to provide an opening address and introductory plenary talk entitled ‘Intercultural Dialogue in Present-day UNESCO Strategy’ (for Program in Russian, see Attachment).
29 March 2024

Spring Session of Coordination Committee of UNESCO Chairs

Spring session of the Coordination Committee of UNESCO chairs of the Russian Federation took place on March 28. 2024, in the city of Kazan, basing at the facilities of the local TISBI University. The session comprised talks given by Ms. T. Dovgalenko, CEO of the Commission for UNESCO of Russia, by Ms. I. Nichanian, a representative of the general staff of UNESCO, as well as a number of UNESCO officials and experts. Discussion of applications for the creation of new UNESCO chairs was conducted. This time two applications were presented, one by the Federal University of Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia), another by an affiliation of the National Academy of Economics and State Service (St. Petersburg, Russia). Our chair served as the official reviewer of the former application, and a participant of a rather detailed discussion of its details, which provided us with new insights into present-day UNESCO tactics and best practices in the realm of cultural diversity and inter-cultural dialogue, as well as World heritage (there are four objects of the official UNESCO list of World heritage in Tatarstan, i.e. Kazan Kremlin, historical island town of Sviyazhsk, historical city of Great Bolgar, and Astronomic Observatory of the Kazan Unibersity). We also took active part in the discussion on the latter application, which was centered upon cultural and creative industries in the framework of ‘smart cities’. The session resumed by discussion of our actions in the course of the year 2024.

Photo by D.Spivak
14 February 2024

International Scientific and Practical Conference ‘New Outlook for Regional Development – Incorporation into Eurasian Economic Perspective’

On February 8–9, 2024, 17th International Scientific and Practical Conference ‘New Outlook for Regional Development – Incorporation into Eurasian Economic Perspective’ took place in the city of Stavropol, in the South of Russia, basing at the facilities of the local Institute of Friendship of Nations of Caucasus. A number of scientific institutions, as well as business organizations, served at its co-organizers, ranging from the Eurasian Scientific Club to Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Stavropol region. About a hundred speakers took part in the rally, both from this country and from abroad. Our Chair served as a co-organizer of the conference. D.Spivak, Chair, gave an opening speech at the initial ceremony. G.Seidova, Head of the Northern Caucasus affiliation of our UNESCO Chair, served as a member of the Organization Committee, and as a moderator of Section 4 of the Conference, dedicated to the ‘Consolidating Mission of Moral Values for Nations of Eurasian Commonwealth’.

Official Program of the conference (in Russian)
20 November 2023

International Symposium ‘W(est) & E(ast): Ethnoculture and Ethnosophy’

7^th International Symposium ‘W(est) & E(ast): Ethnoculture and Ethnosophy’, which is co-organized by our UNESCO chair, would start on November 17, 2023, at the premises of Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, in St.Petersburg, Russia, as part of the scientific program of International Cultural Forum ‘Days of Philosophy in St.Petersburg 2023’. Professor of our Chair, A.Alexeyev-Apraksin, serves as the Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the Symposium. A number of prominent researchers from Russian universities and research centres are bound to take part, as well as colleagues from China, Korea, and Mongolia. Reports are dedicated to different aspects of intercultural dialogue between the East and the West.

Scientific program (in Russian)
16 October 2023

Renewal of our UNESCO Chair

It is a pleasure and an honor to announce that, following a procedure of rigorous checking, activities of our UNESCO Chair, undertaken in the course of the latest 4-year span, were assessed positively by UNESCO authorities. As a result, the mandate of our Chair has been prolonged by the Organization for the next 4-year period. It would be most important and valuable for us to continue working as integral part of the worldwide family of UNESCO chairs.
29 September 2023

International Forum on Cultural Heritage and Interethnic Understanding

9th International Forum ‘Cultural Heritage of Northern Caucasus as Resource of Interethnic Understanding’ took place in Kabardinka, a resort town at the Black Sea, Russian Federation, from September 21 till 24, 2023. Scientific program of the Forum started with invited plenary report given by D.Spivak, entitled ‘Cultural Heritage and Interethnic Understanding in UNESCO New Strategy’. Having reviewed four Strategic Objectives of UNESCO for the present eight-year span, and having presented comments on such novel categories of the Strategy as ‘the diversity of heritage’, the speaker assessed the new Strategy as most constructive and timely.

Photo by D/Spivak
13 June 2023

3rd National Conference ‘Cultural Heritage and Moral Values in System of Strategic National Priorities of Russian Federation’

On June 8, 2023, 3^rd National Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation ‘Cultural Heritage and Moral Values in System of Strategic National Priorities of Russian Federation’ took place, basing at the premises of Altay State Institute of Culture (Barnaul, Russia). About 60 researchers from the main Russian universities and/or research institutes part in the Conference, especially those from the Siberian region. Our Chair, D.Spivak, gave there an invited report entitled ‘Heritage Dialogue in UNESCO Cultural Strategy’.

Program (in Russian)

Photo by D.Spivak
25 May 2023

International Summit ‘Islamic Education in Present-Day World: Challenges, Trends, Possibilities’

From May 21 till 24, 2023, fellows of our Chair, Dr. Gulchokhra Seidova, and Dr. Asiyat Buttayeva, took part in International Summit ‘Islamic Education in Present-Day World: Challenges, Trends, Possibilities’, which was conducted in the framework of 5^th International Bolgar Forum ‘Theological Legacy of Muslims in Russia’ in the historical town of Bolgar, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation. Both of our fellows served as moderators of session meetings, as well as gave talks, dedicated to ‘Muslim Peripatetism in Context of Intercultural Dialogue’, and ‘Humanism as Paradigmatic Trend of Interfaith Dialogue’, respectedly.

Official site of the Forum (in English): International Forum “Theological Heritage of Muslims in Russia” (bolgar.academy).

Summit program (in Russian)

Photo by G.Seidova