How has the Bolgarian Islamic Academy changed in 5 years? How many Masters have already graduated? What are the topics of the main scientific works of students at the Bolgarian Islamic Academy? These and other questions about the activities of the Academy, which is located in the ancient city of Bolgar, were answered at a press conference by its Rector Aynur Timerkhanov and by its teaching staff.
‘Despite the restrictions and the pandemic that lasted a long time, we managed not only to maintain the positive progress, but also to achieve significant results for the past year 2021. For instance, the Academy has successfully passed its first licensing process by Rosobrnadzor. We have also accredited a new Master’s program in theology with the profile ‘State and religious Relations in Islamic Theology’. Thus, for the first time, we have launched a program in a secular field of study. We have already produced two enrolments, and at the end of the year there will be the first graduation of Masters in this field,’ Rector of the Bolgarian Islamic Academy Aynur Timerkhanov explained.
Now, according to the speaker, those who studied religious and secular sciences at the same time will receive two degrees, which will increase competitiveness in the labor market. However, it is worth noting that about 91% of the Academy’s Masters and 100% of the Academy’s doctoral students find work in their specialization.
Also over the past year, the teaching staff has been enhanced with the help of invited experts, including in the field of languages. At the same time, a ‘visiting professor’ project has been implemented for several years. Over the past two years, the Bolgarian Islamic Academy has been visited to give lectures by over 10 specialists – Islamic scholars and theologians of Russian and global levels.
‘Unfortunately, due to the restrictions, our internship program for students has moved to an online format. In the past academic year, with the help of the teaching staff, the Academy’s students did internships at Damascus University and the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts in Cairo,’ Timerkhanov added.
Speaking about the activities of the Bolgarian Islamic Academy over the past five years, the Rector of the educational institution stressed that the main emphasis and priority of the Academy was to develop and complete tasks in the field of education and research activities. In addition to it, apart from the main educational program, the Bolgarian Islamic Academy implements summer school for applicants, conducts professional development and retraining courses for journalists, employees of spiritual administrations and teachers of religious educational institutions.
The laboratory for restoration and digitization of manuscripts, which opened last year, is of particular interest.
Ruslan Sayakhov, Vice-rector for Scientific Activities and Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, spoke in more detail about the areas of doctoral and master’s degrees.
‘Islamic worldview, law, Hadith and Quranic studies are the four main areas of study here. Of course, we are working on expanding these as we can see the demand from the students themselves. For instance, up to 2/3 of all graduation papers are devoted to theological textual analysis,’ Sayakhov said.
According to the Vice-Rector, by reviving the richest theological heritage of the Muslim peoples of Russia, we are acquiring the reference points our ancestors left us.
Sheikh Adham Tammam Faraj spoke on behalf of the faculty, who described the mission of teaching at the Academy as spreading moderation and contribution to stability and security of society.
‘We, as teachers, help to understand religion properly, because the main cause of extremism lies in ignorance of one’s own religion, in its misunderstanding. Our task is to give students an understanding of our theological heritage, to teach them how to use this knowledge in life. At the same time, we try to update the traditional sciences, i.e. to show how information learned long ago can be applied today. As a rule, we put the focus of our training on those issues that are relevant to society,’ the Sheikh concluded the press-conference.
Ilmira Gafiyatullina