UNESCO – Page 3 – Кафедра юнеско по компаративным исследованиям духовных традицый, специфики их культур и межрелигиозного диалога

UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme in 1991 as an international action plan for academic solidarity to strengthen inter-university co-operation with particular emphasis on support to higher education in the developing countries.
The programme works towards establishing and reinforcing strong and durable linkages amongst higher education and scientific institutions worldwide and at facilitating the transfer of knowledge while combating the brain drain. Special attention is paid to providing assistance through inter-regional and (sub)regional linkages.
The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme encompasses a broad spectrum of activities requiring very flexible modes of action. It is based on genuine, equal partnership among the higher education institutions which initiate various projects within its framework.
Two types of closely interrelated and interdependent activities have emerged as the base for the major strategies for implementing the Programme: inter-university networks and international UNESCO Chairs. While individual chairs responding to specific needs are possible, the programme endeavours to create the proper conditions to allow each chair to be a focal point of a network or to be a part of a network.

The UNITWIN network on Interreligious studies

News

19 December 2019

Meeting of International Working Group ‘In Search of the Sun’

On December 25, 2019, International working group ‘In Search of the Sun’ met at Central Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (Baku, Azerbaijan), in order to sum up and present main results of its activities for years 2018–2019. Researchers from various scientific institutes, state officials, representatives of various non-profit associations took part. Inter alia, list of historical and architectural monuments that are to be preserved and restored, according to the research of the ‘In Search of the Sun’ experts, were presented. Our UNESCO chair serves as a scientific partner of this project. Final Report (In Russian)
12 December 2019

New book ‘Fifth Toksovo Readings: Origins of the Orthodox Community at the Toksovo District’

A new book has been published under the auspices of our UNESCO Chair (‘Fifth Toksovo Readings: Origins of the Orthodox Community at the Toksovo District’ / Eds. V.Kudriavtsev, UNESCO Chair on Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue. – St.Petersburg: Renome, 2019. 196 p., in Russian and Finnish). The book is based upon materials of reports of local historians, writers and educators, as well as memories of some local dwellers, who took part in an annual conference conducted basing on the facilities of the local Educational Centre, regarding various aspects of history and present-day state of Orthodox Christians in North-Western Russia and Finland, as well as some actual aspects of interfaith dialogue.
10 December 2019

UNESCO Chair took part in the 5th Open City Festival ‘Culture-Traditions-Education’ for school students in St. Petersburg

On December 7, 2019, the 5th Open City Festival ‘Culture – Traditions – Education’ for school students was held in St. Petersburg as part of a project of the UNESCO Associated Schools Network.
The festival was dedicated to the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures. This year the topic of the festival was: ‘World Open Air Museum – St.Petersburg: Intangible Aspect of World Heritage Sites – ‘Every House here sounds like Symphony’.
Fostering world culture of tolerance, basing upon cultural tradition of St.Petersburg, formed the focal point of the festival.
Secondary school #691, called “Neva School”, served as basic for the festival, accompanied by Committee on State Control, Use and Protection of Monuments of History and Culture of St.Petersburg.
The festival was attended by more than 110 students and 25 teachers, who represented 8 schools of the city of St. Petersburg.
The following nations were represented at the Festival this year: Germany, The Netherlands, India, Spain, Italy, Finland, France, Scotland, South Korea, Japan, and Russia.
Representatives of our UNESCO chair, A.Venkova and M. Stepanov, took part in the festival as members of the honorary jury.
6 December 2019

Prolongation of the activities of the Chair for the following four-year period

Having regarded and evaluated four-year activity report of UNESCO Chair on Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue, D.S.Likhachev Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritege Institute (Moscow-St.Petersburg, Russian Federation), accompanied by official letter of support signed by Director of the aforementioned Institute, V.V.Aristarkhov, UNESCO has taken decision to positively evaluate the activities of the Chair and to prolong it for the following four-year period, i.e. until November 2023. As it was emphasized in an official letter signed by Ms. S.Giannini, ‘…UNESCO Chair will continue to contribute to UNESCO’s priorities and strategy in intercultural dialogue, through its research, teaching, conferences and interuniversity exchange and partnerships. The Chair is invited to enhance its role in institutional capacity building, and to expand its collaboration with other institutions notably in the South’.
29 November 2019

The second annual national meeting of the Coordination Committee of UNESCO Chairs in Russia

The second annual national meeting of the Coordination Committee of UNESCO Chairs in Russia took place on November 29, 2019 at town Viatskoye, near the city of Yaroslavl, which forms an example of creative revitalization of a historical site. The program of the meeting was dedicated mainly to the discussion of applications for opening new UNESCO chairs, submitted by about a dozen of leading universities of the Russian Federation (Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technologies, High School of Economics, National University of Friendship of Nations, State University of Ryazan, State University of Yaroslavl, to name but a few). The intervention of Ms. I.Nichanian, a representative of UNESCO central office, who briefed the participants on basic results of the recent 40^thSession of UNESCO General Conference, formed a focal point of the meeting. Our UNESCO chair was represented by D.Spivak, Chair, who served as official reviewer of one of the applications, and took active part in general discussion.
25 November 2019

UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education Week

On November 25, 2019, a representative of UNESCO Chair on Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue took part in the opening ceremony of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education Week, which took place at the premises of State University of Aerospace Equipment in St.Petersburg, Russia.
In his introductory talk, D.Spivak, Chair, briefed the participants on the guidelines of the 40^thSession of the General Conference of UNESCO, which took place at that time in Paris, France, paying special attention to the issues of Inclusion and Mobility in Education, which are high on the agenda of the leading nations of the present-day world.
He also presented some key issues of another global Forum, dedicated to Internet Governance, which opened simultaneously in Berlin, Germany. In this respect, basic principles of internet governance, promoted by UNESCO (ROAM – rights, openness, accessibility, medium-size stakeholders) were regarded. The Week took place from November 25 till November 29, gathering students, academics, as well representatives of the global business community. The Chair has served as a partner of this important international event.
10 November 2019

Comparative study of basic psychological attitudes of Shiite Muslims and Suni Muslims in the Russian Federation

At the end of the month ofOctober, 2019, the Chair has started to publish basic results of its new project, consisting in systematic comparative study of basic psychological attitudes of Shiite Muslims and Suni Muslims, as well as Orthodox Christians, in the Russian Federation. The first paper (Spivak D., Seidova G., Venkova A. Psychological Peculiarities of Shiite Muslims in Russia: Basic Trends // International Journal of Cultural Research. 2019. № 3. P. 203–219. DOI: 10.24411/2079-1100-2019-00044) was focused upon psychological characteristics of Shiite Muslims, mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis, urban dwellers of the city of Derbent and its environs, at the South of the Republic of Daghestan, Russian Federation. The main blocks of the survey were dedicated to the degree of psychological tension / activation, and to psychological defense mechanisms and reserves, applied primarily in order to cope with stress. A hundred of practicing Shiite Muslims were questioned, both aged and young, female and male, in a protected environment, right after the Friday prayer at the historical Juma Mosque. In each case, the survey consisted of a written interview, comprising six standard questionnaires, as well as a form of informed consent. The basic result consisted in the fact that general psychological state of the respondents, as reflected by integral indices of short-term (reactive) inner tension / activation, long-term (personal) neuroticization, alertness of psychological defense mechanisms, as well as reserve mechanisms of the psyche, corresponded quite well to the norms, defined in the course of the earlier field studies of the urban population of the Russian Federation in general. This meant that the overall psychological state of our respondents was quite normal and fine. In a wider context, cultural differences, existing between the ethnoreligious group of the Shiite Muslims in Russia, and the urban population of this country in general, were definitely not crucial, at least in the realm of psychological states and processes regarded by us, which contributed in its turn to the psychological compatibility of both, as well as to interfaith dialogue and intercultural rapprochement. Psychological peculiarities, discovered by us, consisted primarily in rather high levels of intrinsic religiosity, and of social conformity. The former one should be regarded as quite natural for members of an influential congregation of practicing Muslims. The latter one, being characteristic only of women, both aged and young, could be tentatively regarded as testifying in favor of the fact that social norms and conventions, rigorously imposed upon members of the local female subculture, tended to induce a certain degree of psychological tension.
6 November 2019

Annual National Scientific and Practical Conference ‘Traditional Religions for Stronger Russia’

Annual National Scientific and Practical Conference ‘Traditional Religions for Stronger Russia’ took place on November 6, 2019, basing at the premises of B.N.Yeltsin Presidential Library in St.Petersburg, Russia. The conference was organized by Spiritual Administration of Muslims of St.Petersburg and North-Western Russia, acting in partnership with St.Petersburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, St.Petersburg Buddhist Temple, Big Choral Synagogue, as well as Administrations of St.Petersburg and of Leningrad Oblast, along with a number of leading state universities and scientific research institutes. UNESCO Chair on Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue was represented by D.Spivak, Chair, who gave an invited plenary talk entitled Actual Problems of Interfaith Dialogue in Cultural Strategy of UNESCO.
16 September 2019

Fifth International Symposium: West/East In the Chronotope of Cultural Memory

Co-organised by the UNESCO Chair on Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue, the Fifth International Symposium: West/East In the Chronotope of Cultural Memory explored intercultural dialogue, with a primary focus on the Buddhist world.

A number of prominent speakers from China, Korea, Mongolia and Russia were in attendance. To view the symposium program, click here.
6 July 2019

New Book: ‘Space of Wanderings’

A new book, ‘Space of Wanderings‘, dedicated to the creative productions of prominent Russian artist Alexei Smolovik, has recently been published under the auspices of the UNESCO Chair on Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue held by Dr Dimitri Spivak. The book is reflective of the on-going nature of intercultural dialogue.

Smolovik draws his inspiration from a wide range of traditions: The Byzantine icon, the traditional Russian icon, the Russian 20^thcentury visionary Nicholas Roerich, and Russian post-revolutionary avant-garde artists. Old Chinese masters, French Impressionists, as well as modern Dutch genius Piet Mondrian, have also been important influences on Smolovik.

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