UNESCO Chair in Sciences and Spirituality
Aim
Promote an integrated system of research, training, information and documentation activities in the field of history, linguistics, cultural, and religious studies; serve as a means of facilitating collaboration between high-level, internationally recognized researchers and teaching staff of the Institute and other institutions in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
History
The UNESCO Chair in Sciences and Spirituality was established in 2004 at the Institute for Oriental Studies, Kazakhstan.
IRD Activities
- General Program “Spiritual and Educational Principles of Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue”
The UNESCO Chair is implementing various projects under the general program - “Spiritual and Educational Principles of Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue” including conferences and various scientific projects
- Research
The Chair carries out research and application programs oriented to researchers, teachers, students, graduate students and other audiences who are interested in interfaith, intercultural, scientific and spiritual dialogue. The main activities of the Chair are devoted to development and conduction of new studies, including international joint research projects on intercultural, interreligious, scientific and spiritual interaction, creation of a database for researchers at regional and international levels and establishment of permanent working contacts with them, holding of conferences and workshops, creation of an open discussion forum, issue of print production. In particular, in 2009-2010 the Institute signed Memorandums of cooperation with Cambridge Central Asian Forum and Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (UK). As part of these agreements, in cooperation with scientists of Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies joint work is being undertaken on the international project “Ethnic, Confessional and Cultural Interactions in Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom: History and Perspectives” aimed at studying the interaction of cultures and religions in Kazakhstan and the UK
- International Project "World Religions in the Context of Contemporary Culture
New Perspectives of Dialogue and Mutual Understanding": The UNESCO Chair of the Institute of Oriental Studies participates in the international project "World Religions in the Context of Contemporary Culture: New Perspectives of Dialogue and Mutual Understanding" together with UNESCO Chairs, belonging to UNITWIN Network on Interreligious Dialogue for Intercultural Understanding. The project aims to develop the fundamentals of responsible and constructive intercivilizational, intercultural and interfaith dialogue in the context of present-day world with different spiritual and religious traditions. Today, collective monograph “World Religions in the Context of Contemporary Culture: New Perspectives of Dialogue and Mutual Understanding” has been prepared in Russian and English. The overall objectives of the monograph are examination of key challenges and most urgent prospects at the current stage of development, compilation and testing of best practices in this area, drawing up of practical recommendations, especially with respect to the students' interests and perspectives as well as the academic community at large.
Main Focus Countries of Activities
Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan - UK - Armenia - Azerbaijan - Belarus - Georgia - Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan - Moldova - Russian Federation - Tajikistan - Uzbekistan