International Student Gathering

The Russian State University for the Humanities was the venue for the meeting, which was sponsored by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs. Dr Uryvski, a senior lecturer at BNRU's Department of International Relations, Foreign Regional Studies and Political Science, is originally from Turkmenistan. Along with him were fellow Turkmen Yevgenia Grigoriants, Armenian Hripsime Davtyan, and Afghan Sajid Kadiri, who are all organisers for the students from their native countries. Raed Hammoud, the representative for Arab students, and Rossana Flores, who leads the Latin American students, were joined by Polina Yashnikova, Anna Rudchuk, and Alina Timoshenko, all active in the BNRU branch of the International Section of the Russian Union of Youth.

The gathering was a chance for students and activists from across Russia to meet up and discuss issues of inter-cultural relations. Russia's broad policy in dealing with diverse cultures in one geographical space goes along the lines of cultural preservation with mutual understanding, and students were given the opportunity to hear from the heads of the organisations tasked with promoting harmony and respect among the communities. Three days of lectures and seminars were given by Federal Deputies, Members of the President's Office, and even businessmen, all of whom were in some way connected with inter-cultural projects. All those who participated, were impressed with the event, and came away with a better understanding of the processes that shape their lives as welcome guests in Russia.