UNESCO Chair in the Comparative Study of World Religions
Aim
Promote a culture of peace by encouraging interfaith and intercultural dialogue in Central Asia; introduce new curricula and teaching materials in higher, vocational and secondary educational institutes of the Republic of Uzbekistan; promote research on comparative history of religions and comparative religious anthropology; contribute to the development of an international scientific network of cooperating academic institutions working on the interaction between different religions and cultures; undertake formal and informal research and training projects in this field for students, scholars, religious communities and ethnic groups in a spirit of tolerance and solidarity with the aim of fostering mutual knowledge among cultures, religions and spiritual traditions.
History
The UNESCO Chair in the Comparative Study of World Religions was established in 1999 at Tashkent Islamic University, Uzbekistan.
IRD Activities
- Research
Research activities of the UNESCO Chair comprised projects such as "UNESCO and Uzbekistan: Cooperation for the Sake of Religious Tolerance", "Formation of Religious Tolerance Traditions in Uzbekistan and non-Islamic Religion (Example of Christian Confessions)", "Quran - an Important Source of Studying the History of Islam Incipience", "The Fight against Religious Extremism and Terrorism", and "Actual Problems of the European Religion"
- Other Interreligious Dialogue Activities
The Chair organized trips to various religious institutions such as churches, seminaries, synagogues, Roman Catholic churches, Lutheran churches and other historical monuments of religions and religious confessions in Uzbekistan. In addition, various meetings are held with representatives of different religious faiths living in Uzbekistan in order to generate ideas about religious tolerance. On an annual basis, the Republican International Cultural Center together with the Committee on Religious Affairs and other public organizations conduct a scientific workshop on the theme: "Tolerance - a Guarantee of Peace and Stability." The seminar is attended by the heads of various religious confessions, as well as representatives of the diplomatic groups in Tashkent.
Main Focus Countries of Activities
Central Asia - Uzbekistan