Public Diplomacy Centre of Nizhny Novgorod region opens at Lobachevsky University
On 29 May, the Public Diplomacy Centre of the Nizhny Novgorod region opened at Lobachevsky University. Taking part in the opening ceremony at the BiblioSphere hall of the university's fundamental library were Olga Guseva, Minister of International and Interregional Relations of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Sergey Malov, representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Nizhny Novgorod, Stanislav Korolev, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Analytical Centre, Director of the National Centre for Public Diplomacy in Russia, Oleg Trofimov, Rector of Lobachevsky University, Alexander Bedny, UNN Vice-Rector for International Affairs and Networking, representatives of Nizhny Novgorod universities, students participating in the project "Club of International Studies of the Nizhny Novgorod region".
"We are honoured that our university has been chosen as the platform for the Public Diplomacy Centre in our region. Indeed, we have a rich international experience, including the experience of public diplomacy. The university actively participates in international projects, cooperates with foreign universities. We have students from almost 100 countries of the world, together with whom we implement a number of successful cultural initiatives. I am confident that the opening of the centre will contribute to the development of international relations and strengthen the image of the region as an open and friendly one," said UNN Rector Oleg Trofimov addressing the guests of the event.
During the opening ceremony, Olga Guseva, Minister of International and Interregional Relations of the Nizhny Novgorod region, and Stanislav Korolev, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Analytical Centre, Director of the National Centre for Public Diplomacy in Russia, signed the Centre's action plan.
"Nizhny Novgorod has always been one of the main leaders in public diplomacy in Russia. Today it has become a fact, because the opening of this Centre marks a completely new era of public diplomacy development in the region. We are referring not only to Nizhny Novgorod, but to the entire Volga Federal District," Stanislav Korolev emphasised.
The document aims to develop public diplomacy in the fields of education, culture, sports, church and youth policy, thus contributing to the expansion of international humanitarian and business cooperation and the exchange of experience in these areas. The Centre will host meetings, lectures and conferences on the topic of public diplomacy. Training sessions will be available for school students, as well as for university students and postgraduates.
At the end of the opening ceremony, there was a musical number performed by UNN students Hamzeh Alkurdi from Syria and Shafik Mansouri from Algeria, which was followed by a lecture by Stanislav Korolev, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Analytical Centre, Director of the National Centre for Public Diplomacy in Russia.
