Ambassador Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç, Director General, IRCICA, participated with a scholarly address at the International Online Conference on the theme “Neighborliness of Cultures in the 21st Century of Central Asian Countries” which was coordinated by the N. Nazarbayev Center for Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue, Kazakhstan. Following the opening speech of Ambassador Bulat Sarsenbayev, Chairman of the Management Board of the N. Nazarbayev Center, the conference was addressed by Mr. Anuar Khatiyev, Deputy Chairman of Religious Affairs Committee, Ministry of Information and Social Development of Kazakhstan; Ambassador Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç, Director General of IRCICA; Prof. Muhammad Zia ul Haq, Director General, Islamic Research Institute at the International Islamic University of Islamabad, Pakistan; Dr. Shoazim Minovarov, Director, Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan; Dr. Elmira Sadykova, Head of the Center for Interreligious Dialogue, Bolgar Islamic Academy, Tatarstan, Russia; the representatives of Muslim, Catholic and Lutheran religious administrations and the UNESCO Cluster Office in Central Asia.
In his scholarly address, Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç reviewed the establishment and growing importance of the concept of “cultural proximity” of countries in global diplomacy in one hand, and international management studies on the other during the recent decades. Prof. Kılıç analyzed the significance of the cultural neighborliness features of Central Asian countries as references and examples within the framework of efforts aimed at strengthening inter-religious and intercultural understanding around the world.
The N. Nazarbayev Center and IRCICA are jointly coordinating inter-faith and intercultural platforms. The two institutions’ precedent joint activity was the Round Table on the “Significance of the 7th Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions” held at IRCICA, on 26 April 2023.
