On May 17, a meeting of the Founders’ Council of the Bolgar Islamic Academy was held at the Academy’s representative office in Kazan. The session was chaired by Ilfar Hazrat Khasanov, Chairman of the Council.

The meeting was attended by:

  • Almaz Fayzullin, Deputy Head of the Department for Cooperation with Religious Organizations of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation;
  • Mikhail Gryaznov, Director of the Foundation for the Support of Islamic Culture, Science and Education;
  • Rushan Hazrat Abbyasov, Deputy Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia for International Affairs and Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Moscow Region;
  • Kamil Hazrat Samigullin, Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan and Mufti of Tatarstan;
  • Muhammad Hazrat Tadzhuddinov, Chairman of the Centralized Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Bashkortostan and Mufti of Bashkortostan;
  • Farit Farisov, Deputy Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia;
  • Rector of the Bolgar Islamic Academy, Farkhat Khusnutdinov; among other officials and representatives.

The key item on the agenda was the presentation and discussion of the draft Strategic Development Plan for 2026–2030. Rector Farkhat Khusnutdinov outlined the proposed strategy, highlighting the valuable experience gained by both faculty and staff in recent years—experience that should be leveraged to strengthen the Academy’s institutional performance and influence.

According to Aynur Sultanov, Vice-Rector for Development, the strategy draft was prepared following a series of productive consultations with representatives from academic and religious communities as well as public authorities.

Key conceptual points of the strategy include:

  • Strengthening the value-based (axiological) and research-oriented components of the Academy’s mission;
  • Refocusing from purely educational functions to theological and academic research;
  • Expanding the use of the Russian language in both educational and scholarly contexts;
  • Enhancing cooperation among core institutions within Russia’s Islamic higher education system.

In essence, the primary goal of the new stage in the Academy’s development is to significantly enhance the quality of its research activities. This will involve the optimization of academic departments, the dissertation council, the publishing center, and other essential research units within the institution.

The Founders’ Council expressed broad support for the proposed strategy, while noting that several provisions may be further refined following upcoming consultations prior to formal approval by the Rector.

Additionally, Rector Khusnutdinov introduced a proposed new administrative structure for the Academy.

During the session, Mikhail Gryaznov, Director of the Foundation for the Support of Islamic Culture, Science and Education, was approved as a new member of the Academy’s Board of Trustees.

To conclude the meeting, Rector Khusnutdinov presented a special edition of the Bulletin of the Bolgar Islamic Academy, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The issue features articles analyzing the patriotic role of Soviet Muslims during the war, coverage of Rector Khusnutdinov’s humanitarian mission to the Lugansk People’s Republic, and reports on the religious service experience of the Academy’s students in the context of current military operations.