Science about Religion: Dialogues of the Third millennium at the Russian Presidential Academy

On February 7, 2019 the experts took part in the World Week of Harmonization of International Relations organized by the Department of Government/Religion Relations of the Institute of Public Administration and Management, the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, held on February 1-7, 2019.

In the course of a lively discussion, Buddhism was presented by Geshe Ngawang Tugje, Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy and a teacher of the Center "Four Noble Truths"; Nadezhda A. Berkengeym, a tibetologist, Vice-president of Tibet House NGO; and Kirill E. Rybak, Doctor of Cultural Studies, a member of Likhachev Russian Research Institute for Cultural and Natural Heritage.

During the round-table meeting the participants together with William Schmidt, Director of the Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies and Expertise, Professor of State-Confessional Relations gathered together in search answers to such questions as: What is Buddhism ? What is religious phenomenon? Is it possible to consider religious that which a person traditionally calls a religion only because he has a belief, hope and dreams to create? What is Buddhist philosophy and foundations thereof?

All these and related issues have been discussed in the course of the meeting at the Department of Government/Religion Relations of the Institute of Public Administration and Management, the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

N.A. Berkengeym, Vice-president of Tibet House; K.E. Rybak, Doctor of Cultural Studies, a member of Likhachev Russian Research Institute for Cultural and Natural Heritage; Geshe Ngavang Tugdje, Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy of the Center “Four Noble Truths”; V. V. Schmidt, Director of the Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies and Expertise, Professor of State-Confessional Relations.