Intercultural Dialogue and Cooperation in the Modern World

With a critical view on social evolutionism, this program aims to study and foster intercultural dialogue between nomadic cultures and the rest of the world through respect and mutual understanding.

It has become more crucial than ever to promote and disseminate values, attitudes, and behaviors conducive to dialogue, non-violence, and the rapprochement of cultures in line with the principles of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. Thus, one of the institute’s main programs is concentrating on the “Intercultural Dialogue in the Modern World.” Intercultural dialogue is an open and respectful exchange of views between individuals and groups belonging to different cultures that leads to a deeper understanding of the other’s global perception. Current challenges, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, make us realize that while we are developing our human society, we should also pay attention to humans’ relationship with animals and the environment. Since nomadic people have a close relationship with the environment, sedentary civilizations would benefit from learning from and engaging with them.The IISNC would facilitate dialogues among researchers, politicians, and development planners to promote mutual, cross-cultural understanding and cooperation.

Ongoing projects

• The representation of nomadic culture in international art and culture (in the movies, museums and social media) (2022-) 

• Develop a research grant on “Unified values of nomadic culture” among researchers from Russia, China and Kazakhstan (2022-)

Past projects

• Central and East Asian Nomadic Civilizations (2018-2020): a joint project of the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Far Eastern Peoples of RAS, IISNC, and the School of Business Administration and Humanities of the Mongolian University of Science and Technology.

• The silk Road and Nomads (2018)

• Cultural Diversity of Nomads (2011): international conference on the cultural diversity of nomads was funded under UNESCO’s Participation Program.

• Dialogue between Civilizations and Intercultural or Cross-cultural Dialogue (in the Context of Nomadic Civilizations): in 2004, 2006, and 2008, international conferences on dialogue between civilizations were funded under UNESCO’s Participation Program.

• Dialogue among cultures and civilizations: present state and perspectives of Nomadism in a globalizing world (2004): an international conference held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia was held from August 9 – 14^th, 2004, with more than 100 Mongolian and foreign scholars from 12 countries having attended the conference. The outcomes included: “The Ulaanbaatar Declaration on Development Perspectives” and “The Global Declaration on Development Perspectives”. 

• A Comparative Study of Nomadic Pastoralism in Asia and Africa (2006-2008): this project (January 2006 – December 2008) aims to compare the development of nomadic pastoralism in Asia and Africa. The outcomes include: “Asian Nomadic Livestock Development Issues” (Ulaanbaatar, 2003), “African Nomadic Livestock Development Issues” (Ulaanbaatar, 2004), “World Nomadic Livestock Development Issues” (Ulaanbaatar, 2003), and “Handbook on World Nomadic Animal Husbandry” (Ulaanbaatar, 2006). 

• A Comparative Study of Minority Civilizations in the Northwest Region of China and Mongolia (in collaboration with Lanzhou University, P.R.China) 

• The Fifth International Symposium on Asian Folklore “The Harmony between Nomadic and Sedentary Civilizations” (2002): from August 13 – 15^th, 2002, more than 50 scientists from 9 countries including Japan, China, Russia, Finland, Hungary, Taiwan, Vietnam and South Korea visited Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The symposium discussed the interdependence of nomadic and sedentary civilizations, the development of nomadic culture in the 21^st century, and the essential conditions of peace and new trends in globalization process. 

• Dialogue among Civilizations: Interaction between nomadic and other cultures of Central Asia(2001): more than 134 researchers from 14 countries including Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Inida, Iran, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Poland, and Russia participated in the symposium in Ulaanbaatar between August 15 – 16^th, 2001. 

• The 4^TH East Asian International Symposium on the “The formation of an economic cooperation in Northeast Asia” (1999): the symposium was organized in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on July 26^th, 1999. More than 40 scholars from 4 countires (Mongolia, South Korea, Japan and China) attended the conference.