Moscow Polytechnic University Brought Together Global Experts for a Dialogue on Culture and Hospitality

Moscow Polytechnic University Brought Together Global Experts for a Dialogue on Culture and Hospitality

The plenary session opened with a series of international teleconferences featuring leading international experts. Presentations were made by Iulia Dragut (Romania), President of the EURO EAST ALTERNATIVE Cultural Association and IGCAT expert; Domenico Maggi (Italy), Honorary Life Member of WorldChefs-WACS; Djordje Kostic, Founder of the Association of Chefs of Serbia; Iroda Dadajanova, Deputy Director of the Institute of Cultural Studies and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan; Akbar Umarov, Chairman of the Association of Chefs of Uzbekistan; and Gareth Jones (Wales), WorldChefs-WACS judge, Michelin star holder Cesare Ciui (Italy), leading researcher at the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan Nigar Akhundova, president of GastroMak Adriana Alachki (North Macedonia), representative of the Public Association of Professional Confectioners of Azerbaijan Ramin Binnatov, director of the Nonstop Education School Anastasia Nozdrin-Plotnitskaya (Belarus), deputy director of the Almaty Technological-Financial and Innovation-Technical College Sholpan Makulbekova (Kazakhstan) and director of the college Shahid Mahmood (Pakistan).

Of particular interest was the section "Industrial and Popular Science Tourism as a New Patriotism’’, moderated by Oksana Chekhovskaya, Associate Professor of the Department of Humanities at Moscow Polytechnic University. Participants discussed mechanisms for engaging young people in science through tourism practices.

The plenary session was chaired by Leonid Gelibterman, Chairman of the Russian Union of Travel Industry's Committee on Gastronomic Tourism and President of the International Center of Wine and Gastronomy, and Makhach Vagabov, Professor of the Department of Humanities. Leonid Gelibterman outlined plans for the development of gastronomic tourism in Russia through 2035 and presented his new project: the regional culinary laboratories "Gastrocamp".

Experts from around the world, including Italy, Romania, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Pakistan, and others, participated in the conference. Scientists, tourism specialists, teachers, and representatives of public organizations attended. Dmitry Zagranichny, head of projects for the Moscow Tourism Committee, presented a report on the career guidance project "Ticket to the Future," while Igor Vlasenko, historian and vice president of the Drobyshevsky Projects movement, emphasized the importance of scientific tours for promoting Russian achievements.

RUDN University representative Oksana Ashirova addressed the digitalization of education, presenting services for building individualized pathways for applicants. Representatives from Moscow Polytechnic University, the Russian Academy of Sciences, RUDN University, Volgograd Medical University, and other universities shared their experiences and research in separate sessions.

As experts noted, the conference confirmed the scientific and expert community's high interest in issues of civilizational self-determination, cultural heritage, and the role of hospitality traditions in the modern world, and also strengthened Moscow Polytechnic University's international academic and professional ties.

Reference: The event was organized by Moscow Polytechnic University, the Committee on Gastronomic Tourism of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, and the International Center of Wine and Gastronomy.