The program of the visit comprised a public lecture, giving out letters of appreciation, and a meeting with the academic community.
The meeting at Islamica Excellence Center started with Grand Mufti Rawil Gaynetdin handing a piece of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque to Rector Ilshat Gafurov. Rector was also informed of his official admittance to the editorial board of the Islam in the Modern World journal.
Grand Mufti presented his lecture Traditional Muslim Critique as a Driving Force of Social Progress in the 21st Century. He emphasized that new philosophical approaches in religion can help battle contemporary barbarian tendencies. It's important to place a personality in the core of religious ethics, said he.
Mr. Gaynetdin also noted the importance of collaboration between academia and the clerical community. He told the audience that there are many Muslim clerics today that have excellent academic background in Oriental studies and international relations, and they are open to contact with scientists and researchers.
Director of the Institute of International Relations, History and Oriental Studies Ramil Khayrutdinov, in his turn, thanked the guests for their contribution to the teaching of Arabic and Persian languages.
Three projects were presented to the delegation by Kazan University. The first is studies of the Qayyum Nasyri's book A Key to Quran (which was found in archives only recently), the second is a monograph by Alsu Arslanova The Description of Persian-Language Manuscripts of Lobachevsky Library, and the third is a research project entitled Tatar Muslim Culture of the Volga Region.