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The meeting took place following a decision by the Presidium of the Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations and instructions in this area issued by the President.

Mr Magomedov noted in his opening remarks that national ethnic policy should be viewed within the context of national security in general. As far as education is concerned, the task is to train the needed professionals. This is one of the priority tasks for implementing the state ethnic policy through to 2025 programme, approved by the President.

Education and Science Minister Dmitry Livanov, Labour and Social Protection Minister Maxim Topilin, Rector of Lomonosov Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy and Rector of Saint Petersburg State University Nikolai Kropachyov all made presentations.

Mr Livanov noted in particular that there are now a lot more state-funded students enrolled in ethnology and anthropology courses. All educational programmes in the humanitarian and social sciences now include classes on conflict studies (ethnic conflict studies) to teach students how to build non-conflictual relations in modern society. 

The Government has proposed opening ethnic political science departments and putting them in charge of training and ongoing education in ethnology, state ethnic policy, and interethnic and interfaith relations for state agencies and local government organisations. These departments will open at Lomonosov Moscow State University and St Petersburg State University, with further plans to open similar departments at the federal universities.

Mr Topilin spoke about organisation of skills-raising courses in implementing state ethnic policy for civil servants and municipal workers. In 2011–2013, more than 2,000 civil servants completed such training courses. This figure will be increased next year. 

The meeting participants drafted recommendations that will be submitted to the Government and the relevant federal state agencies.