On May 11 this year, the Chairman of the Board of the N. Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Intercivilization Dialogue Bulat Sarsenbayev held a working meeting with the Chairman of the Congress of Religious Studies Kairat Kurmanbaev.
Noting the strategic directions of the N. Nazarbayev Center activities, Bulat Sarsenbayev shared plans for holding international events of the organization dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's Independence, the progress of preparatory work for the XIX Secretariat of the Congress in 2021 under the leadership of the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev, as well as for the next VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which will be held in 2022.
In addition, the Head of the N. Nazarbayev Center emphasized the importance of the work of the Institute for Analysis of the Religious Situation and Religious Expertise, operating on the basis of the N. Nazarbayev Center in the preparation of scientific and practical religious studies and religious studies expertise.
For his part, the Chairman of the Congress of Religious Studies Kairat Kurmanbaev expressed support for further interaction with the N. Nazarbayev Center in the framework of preparatory work for the upcoming events, as well as in conducting research and expertise in the field of religion.
In order to strengthen cooperation, the parties agreed to organize joint events aimed at maintaining interfaith dialogue and strengthening the secular principles of state development, developing new approaches to deradicalization, rehabilitation and integration into society of citizens affected by the influence of extremist ideology, identifying innovative ways to improve the quality of educational programs in the specialties «Religious Studies», «Theology» and «Islamic Studies».
