23.06.2023

Dmitry Chernyshenko: the International Kant Congress Will Unite Scholars from around the World

On June 23 a meeting of the Organising Committee for the preparation and celebration of Immanuel Kant's 300th anniversary was held at the Baltic Federal University under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia:
The upcoming International Kant Congress, which is to be commemorated by decree of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, will be the key academic event of 2024. I am confident that the planning and execution of the forthcoming anniversary events will strengthen the reputation of Russian science and generate greater interest among foreign academics. We are developing a comprehensive event program with the goal of capturing the attention of the global scientific community. Among the upcoming key events are the International Philosophy Olympiad for Students, proposed by the Prime Minister, and the International Kant Congress, which will bring together scholars from around the world. We anticipate participants from China, India, Brazil, Iran, Turkey, and other countries friendly to Russia. The preparations for this milestone have already commenced, and the Organizing Committee meeting revealed great enthusiasm among all members to create a remarkable, ambitious, and striking event.

Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia:

The upcoming International Kant Congress, which is to be commemorated by decree of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, will be the key academic event of 2024. I am confident that the planning and execution of the forthcoming anniversary events will strengthen the reputation of Russian science and generate greater interest among foreign academics. We are developing a comprehensive event program with the goal of capturing the attention of the global scientific community. Among the upcoming key events are the International Philosophy Olympiad for Students, proposed by the Prime Minister, and the International Kant Congress, which will bring together scholars from around the world. We anticipate participants from China, India, Brazil, Iran, Turkey, and other countries friendly to Russia. The preparations for this milestone have already commenced, and the Organizing Committee meeting revealed great enthusiasm among all members to create a remarkable, ambitious, and striking event.

Governor of Kaliningrad Oblast Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Falkov, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Nadezhda Prevodobnaya, Head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation Evgeny Primakov, IKBFU Rector Alexander Fedorov, Director of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences Abdusalam Huseynov all took part in the meeting.

Governor Anton Alikhanov assured the members of the Organising Committee that with the support of the Russian Government, the anniversary celebrations will exceed all expectations He expressed confidence that regardless of the number of guests attending the celebration, Kaliningrad will be able to successfully host the planned event..

Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, outlined the initiatives the Ministry had specifically prepared for the philosopher's 300th anniversary.

During this and the following year, several events will take place, including the International Student Paper Competition, the International Summer School for researchers, young scientists, and students, and the International Philosophy Olympiad, which expects to have at least a thousand participants in 2024. A significant highlight will be the unveiling of the monument "Immanuel Kant's Three Critiques" in honour of the philosopher's intellectual legacy, scheduled for 2024.

Alexander Fedorov, IKBFU Rector, mentioned thirty events planned in 2024 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Immanuel Kant, the University's patron:
All that was planned is now taking shape. Unlike our foreign colleagues, we have a deep respect for the heritage that Western European civilization has created, and are not engaged in cancel culture. Kant is not just a symbol. He is one of the greatest figures that have made up the history of human ideas in general. To exclude him is unthinkable. Kant is multi-faceted.

The International Kant Congress will be held on 22–24 April 2024 in Kaliningrad.

Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko instructed the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Enlightenment and the Ministry of Culture to promote Kant's philosophical heritage among university students and to develop a Congress programme in cooperation with the leading universities of the country.

Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, IKBFU and the Government of the Kaliningrad Oblast will also propose their ideas on educational, public and cultural events in the region in preparation for the anniversary.