30 years of international relations education celebrated at KFU
The University hosted a meeting of teachers, alumni and students of the Institute of International Relations, History and Eastern Studies (IIRHES) dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the international relations program.
The event was moderated by Andrei Bolshakov, Chair of the Department of International Relations, World Politics and Diplomacy.
Vice-Rector for International Affairs Timirkhan Alishev on behalf of the Rector congratulated all those present and thanked everyone who 30 years ago stood at the origins of the creation of the inter-faculty department of international relations at the university, emphasizing that great merit in this work belongs to Professor Yakov Grishin. He also emphasized the contribution of the department’s staff to the development of international relations at KFU.
“This area will always be one of the priorities for our university,” said the Vice-Rector. “Yesterday, during his big press conference, President Vladimir Putin noted the important role of Kazan in the development of international relations.”
Alishev said that Kazan University not only trains personnel for international activities, but also actively participates in them.
“Today we have big tasks to develop relations with the countries of the global south and BRICS countries. And Kazan University is faring very well. Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia, noted this when he came to visit us,” he informed.
Rail Fakhrutdinov, Acting Director of IIRHES, congratulated the audience. He recalled that the first enrolment of students to the International Relations Department was only 15 people, and said that during the next 30 years the University has graduated about 2,000 specialists in international relations.
“Out of 2,000 graduates, several dozen people work in the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, which is a very good indicator, which testifies to the level of training,” informed Konstantin Kolpakov, Advisor to the Secretariat of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russia, Head of the Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, a 2004 alumnus.
He expressed his gratitude to Rais (Governor) Rustam Minnikhanov and the Government of Tatarstan for the support of various initiatives in international relations in the province.
Radik Vakhitov, Representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kazan, thanked the University for training excellent professionals.
Professor Grishin told how things developed back in 1994.
After that, the attendees were congratulated by the Second Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Young Diplomats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2015 graduate Lilia Romadan; Charge d’Affaires of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Estonia, 2007 graduate Lenar Salimullin, and First Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2009 graduate Bulat Khaidarov.
Congratulations to the representatives of the Department of International Relations, World Politics and Diplomacy were also read out at the event; one of them was from Bulat Biktimirov, Senior Counselor, Head of the Personnel Reference Office of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN, a 2004 graduate.