Series of Meetings on Ethnic and Religious Relations begins at SSTU
A series of meetings has started at the Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov. The aim of the meetings is to improve relations between different ethnic groups and to stop extremist ideas, religious and ethnic tensions among young people.
The event was attended by representatives of government agencies, law enforcement agencies, the region's Public Chamber, as well as national, cultural and religious organisations in the region.
Tatyana Kasaeva, Vice-Rector for International Relations of SSTU, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. She emphasised the importance of such initiatives for strengthening inter-ethnic harmony. The meeting was moderated by Timofey Leshchenko, Deputy Minister of Internal Policy and Public Relations of the region, who focused on current issues of state national policy in his speech. He also informed students about the key areas of work to preserve civil unity in the region.
Foreign students actively participated in the discussion, asked questions and got comprehensive answers, which was a vivid example of constructive intercultural dialogue.
During the discussion, representatives of religious denominations and national-cultural organisations in the region emphasised the importance of preserving common traditional spiritual and moral values. They pointed out the need to maintain dialogue between cultures and religions, and emphasised the unacceptability of using religious feelings to provoke inter-ethnic and inter-confessional hostility.
The series of meetings will be an important step in forming students' sustainable ideas about harmonising interethnic relations, as well as in preventing extremist ideologies among young people.
