A lecture titled “The Formation and Instrumentalization of National Identities (The Case of the Uyghurs)” was held at the Institute for Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies as part of a project supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation.

The speaker was Siarhei Bohdan, a researcher at University of Regensburg.

In his presentation, the lecturer examined key approaches to the study of national identity, the specific features of its formation and transformation, as well as the mechanisms of political and social construction of identities. Using the Uyghur community as a case study, he analyzed historical and contemporary factors influencing the development of national self-awareness.

The lecture also addressed issues related to the instrumentalization of identity in contemporary socio-political processes and explored various research approaches to the study of ethnic and national communities.

Following the presentation, a discussion session was held during which participants exchanged views on the topics raised, reflected on the presented approaches, and asked questions to the speaker.