Representatives of KBSU — at the youth seminar «The role and place of public diplomacy in the modern world»
The International Circassian Association (ICA) held a youth cultural and historical seminar «The role and place of public diplomacy in the modern world» in Nalchik on the basis of gymnasium No. 4, in which the diplomatic class project has been implemented since 2018. The participants in an interesting discussion were the heads of organizations, including foreign ones, that carry out joint activities within the framework of the ICA, as well as employees, students and pupils from educational institutions of Kabardino-Balkaria and the Stavropol Territory — Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H.M. Berbekov, Pyatigorsk State University, gymnasium No. 4 in Nalchik.
The director of the gymnasium, an honorary worker of general education of the Russian Federation, Rimma Nagoeva, told the audience that the traditions of the inhabitants of the Caucasus, one of the most multinational territories in the world, served as the basis for the opening of specialized diplomatic classes in 2018. This is the ability to find a dialogue with neighbors, representatives of different nationalities and faiths, respect for the elders, care for the elderly and younger, and so on. Speaking about the position of the leadership of the gymnasium, Rimma Artagovna noted:
All the peoples of the Caucasus have their own unwritten code. Adyge habze among the Circassians; Tau adet among the Balkars and Karachays; Adats among Ossetians; Ezdel among the Ingush… They have much in common. But isn’t public diplomacy, public or people’s diplomacy, the ability to live in difference and diversity, the ability to find a common language with everyone around you? Starting with a single family, even one’s own, and ending with peoples, people of different nationalities and cultures. Each person should be able to maintain a dialogue in different social environments.
We live in a global world. In 2018, it was this initiative that prompted us to open diplomatic classes, and then the idea was supported by our friends — Valery Evgenievich Egoshkin, a well-known Russian diplomat with the highest diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary; Anatoly Magometovich Kumahov — Executive Secretary of the International Advisory Council of Reserve Officers’ Organizations; ICA President Hauti Hazritovich Sohrokov, Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Hatuta Mutovich Berbekov, and in 2023 Kabardino-Balkarian State Agrarian University named after Valery Muhamedovich Kokov. The hall we are in is named after Yevgeny Maksimovich Primakov, an outstanding statesman who held high government positions, was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and in 1998-1999 was the Prime Minister of our country.
On March 24, 1999, he flew in a plane over the Atlantic Ocean to the United States to receive a financial tranche and, having learned that NATO countries led by the United States began to bomb Yugoslavia, turned the plane around. This is not only an act of a politician and a diplomat, it is an act of a real person. So he protested against NATO’s decision to bomb Yugoslavia, supported the people of this country. In memory of this respected person, his sculptural image is installed in our hall. This is the second bust in his honor, the first one was installed at MGIMO. The author is Ivanov Nikolai Alexandrovich, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts. Valery Egoshkin and Anatoly Kumahov sent this bust to us as a gift. This is known not only to students of specialized diplomatic classes, in which admission is conducted from the 7th grade and where there are always a lot of applicants. They all know about our position — we do not prepare students for admission to MGIMO, we teach them to negotiate, find compromises, that is, to be a diplomat in their family, in their city, in their native country.
President of the International Circassian Association, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution «Kabardino-Balkarian Reference Center of the Rosselkhoznadzor», member of the Board of Trustees of the KBSU Hauti Sohrokov in his speech gave vivid examples of public diplomacy, folk wisdom, reflecting relationships at the household level, in various social and business circles. Hauti Hazritovich addressed his colleagues involved in educational activities and youth:
We must carry out steady work to educate the younger generation, inculcating the skills of tolerant communication with representatives of different peoples, confessions, and social strata. That is, to preserve our traditions and customs. We need to actively introduce diplomacy among the youth. Schoolchildren, boys and girls, and adults too, need to learn to find a common language with other people. Today, we, adults, have already understood that when there is not enough people’s diplomacy, diplomatic language, there is no desire to hear the opinion, fear, warning of the other side, this brings death with it — what we are seeing now in connection with the events in Ukraine. NATO expansion to the east, eight years of shelling of the Donbass, preparation of the North Atlantic Alliance for a military confrontation with Russia and, in connection with this, the deployment of weapons near our country, non-compliance with international treaties — all this led to an armed conflict, loss of life. But any war ends sometime, life goes on. We need to educate the younger generation worthy people, patriots. The diversity of our peoples can unite. Our task is to preserve the best traditions of all peoples, to be able to enter into a new life. You young people need to learn to live in peace and harmony.
Tekueva Madina Anatolyevna, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Ethnology, History of the Peoples of the KBR and Journalism of the KBSU, speaking with a report, explained:
The coexistence of the ancestors of the Kabardians and Balkars with an environment that was heterogeneous in ethno-cultural and political relations, contributed to the formation of their developed diplomatic culture. International relations were regulated in the form characteristic of feudal treaties, within the framework of the traditional institutions of atalyk and kunachestvo, which were the most important form of political relations between the Caucasian peoples. and also through dynastic marriages. Back in 1840, the author of the book A Year Among the Circassians, a correspondent for the London newspaper The Times, Longworth was surprised that “in a country where every man is armed, there is unusual peace and order, and quarrels, skirmishes, bloody clashes are extremely rare.”
Many authors of the past, describing the Caucasians, noted that «they are gentle and peaceful in character» and only the desire to preserve their independence developed militancy in them. This is because in their culture, harmony is possible where people respect the peculiarities of other peoples and themselves, their family and Motherland, and the understanding that everyone has the right to the same feelings. Now it’s all invested in one concept of «tolerance». If we disassemble it into its constituent principles, then these are the traditions of peacekeeping and public diplomacy, the customs of reconciliation of enemies, hospitality, respect for the enemy, indulgence for the captive, etc. Through kinship, recognition, respect, kunachestvo, peaceful ties were established between the highlanders and other peoples. These are the mechanisms of interethnic relations that go through the whole life of individual families, reflecting on the fate of entire peoples.
Hyzyr Mashukov, head of the department for youth policy and educational work of KBSU, said that more than 17,000 students at the university receive pedagogical, medical, engineering and other professions, including those related to the use of the latest IT technologies, artificial intelligence.
15% of students are residents of more than 50 regions of Russia, 11% are citizens of 48 foreign countries, for whom the priority criterion for choosing our university is the high quality of knowledge, a wide range of professional competencies and flexible skills acquired during the years of study at KBSU. Important factors are the extensive infrastructure, the comfort of the university territory, the favorable climate of the resort town of Nalchik, the multi-confessionalism and goodwill of the local population.
Students from India and the Middle East live in hostels. We place them in such a way that they feel comfortable not only in everyday terms, but also psychologically — so that their confessional affiliation is respected and at the same time that they communicate with others, exchange their customs, traditions, and learn from each other. It is gratifying to note that our foreign students show more interest in learning than our compatriots. Because they understand the value of knowledge and do not want to waste time. They have parents and relatives left at home, so their goal is to quickly gain knowledge and go home. But at the same time, our curators always keep in touch with them and note that over time, former foreign students want to return. Because the level of knowledge and education that they see here, they often cannot find in their homeland. 22 youth club associations contribute to the development of diplomacy. The guys take a leading position, organize and conduct various events. Huge work is being done in the field of foreign students’ communities. About 2,000 events a year are held at KBSU, and representatives of different nations participate in each,
— said Hyzyr Mashukov.
Elena Sherieva, Deputy Director of the KBSU Campus for Work with Foreign Students, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Russian Language and General Education for Foreign Students, curator of the Indian community participated in the conference together with students from Jordan. She said that curators and other employees of the university introduce foreign students to the sights of Kabardino-Balkaria and other republics of the North Caucasus during excursion trips. They hold events during which they learn about the traditions, customs, culture of local residents, learn to comply with the norms of behavior and communication style accepted here.
Silva Arzumanova, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Constitutional and Municipal Law of the Law Institute of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Pyatigorsk State University”, spoke at the conference:
Theme of our meeting is very relevant. Every war ends in peace, and an agreement on its establishment must be reached by diplomats and politicians. It is no secret that people’s diplomacy is what allows you to maintain relations, develop them between people of different confessions, nationalities and states. It is very important for us not only to teach, but also to educate. Not a single process can do without education. There are a lot of holidays and dates at our university, for example, one of the brightest ones is the Day of Nationalities, when each student presents the traditional costume of his people, talks about customs, national cuisine, shows dances, performs musical works. It is very important to know each other, to know the people with whom you interact, study, work. This allows you to establish contacts and good neighborly relations.
According to the organizer of the conference, Honored Worker of Culture of the KBR Lera Nanova, the conference was attended by Dzasezhev Anzor Hazratalievich — head of the department for compatriots abroad of the Ministry of Nationalities and Public Projects of the KBR; Kushkhabiev Anzor Viktorovich — Head of the Center for Socio-Political Research of the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Barsik Arfan — ICA First Vice-President; Shogenova Aminat Topashevna — vice-president of the ICA; Tabishev Murat Arsenievich — member of the Executive Committee of the ICA, member of the NGO «Adyge Hase» of the KBR; Naguar Ziuar — representative of the NGO «Rodina», the Republic of Abkhazia; Zarahov Stanislav Harunovich — member of the Board of the Rodina Association; Tlemeshok Ramazan Mugdinovich — Chairman of the public movement «Adyge Hase — Circassian Parliament», the Republic of Adygea; Sonmez Zati — Vice-President of the ICA, Chairman of the Federation of Circassian Cultural Hasas of Europe; Hatam Necdet — Advisor to the President of the ICA; Tkhabisimova Lyudmila Aslanovna — Director, Head of the Department of Constitutional and Municipal Law of the Law Institute of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «Pyatigorsk State University», Academician of the AMAN, Honorary Worker of Education of the Russian Federation, Honored Lawyer of the Republic of Adygea, Professor, Doctor of Law; Aivazidis Akhilles Kiriakovich — Senior Lecturer of the Department of Constitutional and Municipal Law of the Law Institute of Pyatigorsk State University and students of this university — Asadov Vladislav Igorevich, Samarina Elizaveta Alekseevna, Narimanyan Marat Arsenovich.
Translated by Gekkieva J.A.