From August 17 to 20, Alissia Mongush, a postgraduate student in the Department of Russian Regional Studies, National and State-Confessional Relations at Altai State University, participated in the IV International Buddhist Forum in the Republic of Tyva as part of her research on contemporary ethno-confessional processes.

The International Buddhist Forum brings together representatives of Buddhism communities from around the world to discuss current issues concerning the development of Buddhism, Buddhist culture, philosophy, and practice, as well as to strengthen international cooperation among Buddhist organizations in different countries. The first three forums were held in Buryatia in 2023 and 2024, and in Kalmykia in 2025.

The event is attended by scholars, religious and public figures, government representatives, and experts from Russia, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. The program includes scientific, business, and cultural events such as a plenary session, academic platforms, panel discussions, master classes, exhibitions, as well as the Legends of the White Lotus Festival of Traditions, the Olchey Interregional Festival of National Cultures, and Buddhist film and street culture festivals.

Commenting on her participation in the Fourth International Buddhist Forum, Alissia Mongush said:

"This year, the central theme of the forum was Buddhism in the Dialogue of Cultures: The Future of Humanity. As in previous years, the forum was organized by the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, the Government of the Republic of Tyva, the Office of the Kamba Lama of the Republic of Tyva, and the Foundation for the Support of Buddhist Education and Research, with the support of the Roscongress Foundation, the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, and the Government of Russia.

The Buddhist Forum serves as a platform for strengthening trust between states and developing contacts among representatives of different religions and peoples across the world amid a complex geopolitical situation. Considerable attention is naturally given to strengthening interfaith and international dialogue. As a scholar of religious studies, I greatly appreciate the presentations in the section titled Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue in Russia and the World. Speakers and participants discussed the role of Buddhist philosophy in preserving moral and family values, as well as its potential to offer responses to contemporary global challenges. The forum promoted the values of patience, compassion, and respect for neighbors and the state. Participants focused on a well-known truth that the strength and unity of peoples lie in their diversity."

Alissia Mongush's academic supervisor, Professor Petr Dashkovsky, Doctor of Historical Sciences and Head of the Department of Regional Studies of Russia, National and State-Confessional Relations, noted:

"At the forum, Alissia presented her paper entitled Participation of Tuvan Buddhist Clergy in the 1946 All-Union Conference of Buddhists: Research Findings and Prospects. Her research focuses on the initial stage of state-confessional relations in Tuva following its incorporation into the USSR in 1944. It examines the role of Tuvan lama delegates at the 1946 All-Union Conference of Buddhists and the broader process of integrating the local Buddhist community into the Soviet Buddhist family.

This forum provides an excellent opportunity for testing her research findings. This is particularly important, as Alissia plans to defend her dissertation for Candidate’s degree on the history of state-confessional relations in Tuva during the Soviet period in December. Her dissertation examines the interaction between state institutions and the Buddhist community in Tuva during a rather complex and controversial period in our country's history. I would also like to note that the postgraduate student's research and the report presented at the forum were supported by an international Russian-Mongolian grant from the Russian Science Foundation on the topic of Sociocultural Adaptation and Interaction of Religious Communities in the Central Asian Borderlands of Russia and Mongolia in the Context of Modernization Processes from the Second Half of the 19th Century to the First Quarter of the 21st Century."

The forum also hosted the 3rd School of Young Buddhologists, which brought together students, early-career researchers, teachers, and representatives of Buddhist educational organizations from across Russia. Alissiya also took part in this event. The School of Young Buddhologists is an academic and educational project launched in 2024. Its main purpose is to create a platform for dialogue between emerging scholars of Buddhism and recognized experts, while also bringing together specialists from various fields, including religious studies, philosophy, history, anthropology, and philology. The project was initiated by Tuva State University (TuVSU) and is being implemented with the support of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Foundation for the Promotion of Buddhist Education and Research, and leading Russian universities: Moscow State University, Bashkir State University, and Kalmyk State University. This year, the school participants learned about Tuvan culture and the development of Buddhism in the region, attended academic discussions, and worked on research projects.