Master’s and doctoral students of the Bolgar Islamic Academy have returned to Kazan with new knowledge and unique experience after completing an intensive academic internship at Al-Azhar University in Egypt — one of the world’s oldest and most respected universities. The trip is presented as a practical step toward deeper humanitarian cooperation between Russia and the Islamic world, promoted by the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia–Islamic World” led by the Rais of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov.
The internship became possible following a key event in Kazan in summer 2025, when, in the presence of Russia’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov and Minnikhanov, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Bolgar Islamic Academy and Al-Azhar. The document laid the groundwork for student exchanges, the development of joint programs, and collaborative research.
“Returning to Russia, the students brought back not only new knowledge but also the status of living bridges between two civilizations. This internship is a concrete example of how education and personal contacts, initiated through the GSV, help build lasting cooperation between Russia and the Islamic world based on mutual respect and shared spiritual values,” said Marat Gatin, Aide to the Rais of Tatarstan and Deputy Chairman of the GSV “Russia–Islamic World.”
The program combined intensive academic work with direct dialogue. The delegation learned about the Faculty of Fundamentals of Religion and visited Al-Ibsar, a specialized inclusive unit for blind students. The academic component included special lectures by Al-Azhar’s leadership on Quranic studies and research methodology, a visit to the university’s renowned library with valuable manuscripts, and an introduction to the modern Marasad Al-Azhar electronic fatwa service, alongside deeper immersion in the university’s history and teaching traditions.
A major highlight, framed as bringing the internship to the level of global dialogue, was the students’ participation in the international conference “Fatwa and Contemporary Issues of Humanity.” There, together with muftis from Egypt, Kazakhstan, Moscow, Jordan, the UAE, Malaysia, and African countries, they discussed challenges facing contemporary fatwa-making in the digital era.
The culmination of the visit was a series of meetings with senior leadership. Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb emphasized the importance of the strengthening dialogue. A particularly symbolic moment was a meeting with Egypt’s Minister of Awqaf Osama al-Azhari, who recalled his participation in the ceremony to lay the first stone of the Bolgar Islamic Academy and confirmed his readiness to continue supporting its academic work.
At the end of the visit, Rinat khazrat Yafarov, deputy mufti of the Saratov Region and a doctoral student at the Academy, on behalf of Rector Farkhat Khusnutdinov thanked the hosts for organizing a substantive internship and expressed hope for further strengthening bilateral cooperation.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"