ASU hosted an international conference on ethnocultural and ethnosocial processes

International Youth Scientific Conference “Ethnocultural and Ethnosocial Processes in Trans-Border Territory of Russia and Central Asia” took place at Altai State University on 27–28 October 2016.

The conference was organized by Asian Expert-Analytical Center of Ethnology and International Educational Cooperation with active participation of the faculties of history, sociology, economy, mass communication, philology and political science. The event was conducted in the framework of ASU Student Associations Development Program for the year 2016.

The attendees included more than 100 researchers from Russia, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia, the majority of them being students, postgraduates and young lecturers.

At the plenary session the international conference participants were welcomed by such experts as ASU Vice-Rector for Scientific and Research Work, Candidate of Geography Evgeniy S. Popov; Dean of the Faculty of Sociology, Candidate of Sociology, Professor Olga N. Kolesnikova; Consultant of the Internal Policy Department under Altai Krai Administration Oksana E. Noyanzina; Head of the Department of Political History, National and Religious Relations, Doctor of History, Professor Petr K. Dashkovskiy.

Academic Secretary of Mongolian National University, Candidate of Pedagogics, Professor Navaanzoch Tsedev took the floor on behalf of the foreign guests:

“Dear colleagues! Let me thank the conference organizers for the invitation and note the importance of the subject matter. We have been cooperating with Professor P.K. Dashkovskiy and Altai State University in the area of academic grants realization for over 10 years. Our current work on ethnical, religious, cultural and social processes occurring in the border territories of Russia, Mongolia and other Asian countries is also funded by a grant. I wish the conference participants to have interesting speeches and discussions!”

After the welcoming part the attendees proceeded to the plenary session. P.K. Dashkovskiy delivered a report, which threw the light on key directions of cooperation between Asian Expert-Analytical Center of Ethnology and International Educational Cooperation and foreign organizations, partners in science and education. Further, Doctor of Sociology, Professor Svetlana G. Maksimova touched upon the peculiarities of ethnic identity and interethnic relations in the border areas of Russia. Representing Altai Krai Administration, O.E. Noyanzina gave an interesting speech on the special aspects of modern national policy.

The next to speak were the foreign guests in the person of L.V. Savinov (Tomsk, Russia), N. Tsedev (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia), N. Tsogzolmaa (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia), V.V. Podolko (Omsk, Russia). At the end of the plenary session Candidate of Science, Assistant Professor, Head of the Department of Empirical Sociology and Conflictology V.V. Nagaitsev presented his report dedicated to the nature of ethnic tension in the region.

Besides the plenary session, 4 following workshops were organized in the framework of the international conference:

• Ethnocultural and Religious Processes in Russia and Post-Soviet Countries of Central Asia;
• Social Processes in the Border Areas of Russia;
• Mechanisms for Economic Development of a Region under the Conditions of Trans-Border Cooperation;
• Modern Ethnopolitical Processes in Central Asia and Russia’s Image in Post-Soviet Countries.

All foreign guests had an opportunity to go on a small cultural tour on 28 October. Visiting ASU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography was one of the program items.

The collective volume containing selected reports was published before the beginning of the international conference thanks to the efforts of the Organization Committee. The book is listed in RSCI (Russian Science Citation Index) and will be distributed in 9 countries represented at the event.