A meeting between KFU and the Academy occurred on November 3rd.

The main point of the agenda was KFU's assistance and guidance for the newly established institution.

Rector Ilshat Gafurov said, “We suggest using the mechanism that has been used in the Federal Target Program for Islamic Studies. We have been working in it for several years, and there have been no hiccups yet. What we need is to create a technical draft and, more importantly, to present a comprehensive report afterwards. The project is implemented through KFU, so we are the reporting entity in the end.”

Aide to the President of Tatarstan Kamil Iskhakov, who headed BIA’s delegation, answered, “A new era of interaction with BIA starts now. State Duma has already discussed the budget, and it facilitates our further development. For me, this day is very special. First of all, this place [Kazan University] is my alma mater, and I find it to be a good omen. Secondly, we need to get acquainted with the heads of workgroups, get them together and kickstart a fruitful cooperation process. We want to work by rules. Our partner university is huge, and attention drawn to us is also huge.”

Director of the KFU Institute of International Relations, History and Oriental Studies Ramil Khayrutdinov was appointed as the manager in charge. He will handle the bilateral BIA-KFU cooperation and the creation of a unified scientific and educational space.

All the ensuing paperwork will be evaluated by the federal authorities. More decrees and orders considering BIA are expected to be signed before the end of the year.