Round table “Belarusian Studies in the USA”

On January, 31, The International round table “Belarusian Studies in the USA and Polish experience: perspectives of development” was organized in the Belarusian-American enterprise “Aleksandrov Passazh” by Center for Intercultural Dialogue and Institute of Sociology of Belarusian National Academy of Sciences with the assistance of the US Embassy in Belarus and Polish Institute in Minsk.

 

Liubou Uladykouskaja, General Director of Center for Intercultural Dialogue, Director of the project:

 We had two main tasks: discuss the state and possible strategies of development of Belarusian studies in the USA and identify modern ways of spreading the knowledge about Belarus in the world. To ensure complex, systematic, practical approach towards these issues we decided to have professional debates between experts from the fields of science, culture, education, religion, who have worked in the USA, the heads of Belarusian business unions, general directors of Belarusian-American enterprises. It is very important for people from various fields to unite their efforts in solving vital problems of the society. Both economy and business play a significant role here, too. Through their professional activities, business community can and should disseminate the knowledge about Belarus in the world, including the USA. To extend the presence of Belarusian business in the USA, it’s necessary to employ the experience of the successful business projects as well as personal experience of entrepreneurs.

The issue of Belarusian studies in the USA is quite complicated, especially when you take into consideration the weakening of relations and connections between Belarusian and American science, education, culture, economy, and other fields. Nevertheless, we managed to identify the most significant but rare centers for Belrausian studies in the USA, to collect, systemize, and analyze the state of Belarusian studies in the USA today, which requires, however, further work in this direction. We are pleased to admit that Belarusian historians, philosophers, sociologists, cultrue experts, economists have already joint the efforts. We will for sure take into account the Polish experience regarding popularization of knowledge about Poland in the USA and would like to thank Prof. Aliaksandra Ahtelik for delivering a talk on that during the meeting.”