Academic Conference in Kyrgyz Republic Explores Philosophical Ideas of Chingiz Aitmatov and Daisaku Ikeda
The opening session at the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic in Bishkek
From May 20 to 22, 2026, an international academic conference titled “The Philosophy of Peace and Humanism of Daisaku Ikeda and Chingiz Aitmatov: Spiritual Foundations of Sustainable Development in the 21st Century” was held at three venues across the Kyrgyz Republic. The conference explored the philosophical ideas of renowned Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov (1928–2008) and Daisaku Ikeda (1928–2023) in relation to contemporary global challenges.
Organized by
the Bozjol Center for Philosophical Research, the Soka Gakkai and the Institute
of Modern Information Technologies in Education (ISITO), the conference was
made possible through the efforts of Professor Emil Kanimetov, who has
conducted in-depth research on Mr. Ikeda’s philosophy. A Soka Gakkai delegation
from Japan participated in the event.
Scholars from Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Germany and other countries presented papers and discussed humanism, intercultural dialogue, the spiritual crisis of the 21st century and the philosophy of peace. The conference sought to promote humanistic values and international exchange.
The opening session on May 20 was held at the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic (NAS KR) in Bishkek. Among those attending were Ulan Mamatkanov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, and Gulzat Isamatova, Minister of Science, Higher Education and Innovation. President of the National Academy of Sciences Bekmamat Jenbaev and other prominent scholars also joined the event.
Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov (left) and Daisaku Ikeda meeting for the first time. Their friendship deepened over the course of ten meetings. (October 1988, Shinanomachi, Tokyo)
Speaking on
behalf of Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev, Deputy Chairman Mamatkanov
extended congratulations on the convening of the conference “as we look ahead
to 2028, which will mark the 100th anniversary of the births of Mr. Aitmatov
and Mr. Ikeda.” Dr. Bektemir Murzubraimov, a friend of Mr. Ikeda, recalled
their encounters and described the lives of Mr. Ikeda and Mr. Aitmatov as
inspiring examples for people today and for younger generations.
Both Mr.
Aitmatov and Mr. Ikeda were born in 1928. When they first met in Shinanomachi,
Tokyo, in 1988, they immediately connected through their shared love of
literature. Their discussions culminated in the published dialogue Ode
to the Grand Spirit. In the preface, Mr. Aitmatov reflected on what his
encounter with Mr. Ikeda meant to him:
“I long dreamed about such a dialogue and waited for the right occasion. I knew that, at some time or another, a conversation embracing all my life experiences was about to take place. It would include recollections, analyses and confessions in one channel. Now I can say that fate predetermined and preordained it. I believe that Daisaku Ikeda and I have been walking towards each other for a long time.”
The second day of the conference, May 21, took place at Jusup Balasagyn Kyrgyz National University (KNU). Speakers included Savetbek Abdrasulov, director of the university’s Bozjol Center for Philosophical Studies, who stated, “In this turbulent 21st century, the radiance of humanity exemplified by these two figures should be the foundation of our society.”
The final session, held on May 22 in Talas, near Sheker, Mr. Aitmatov’s
birthplace, was attended by faculty, staff and students from local
institutions, including KNU’s Talas campus. ISITO Vice Rector Emil Kanimetov
expressed his hope for an era in which the dignity and worth of every person
would take precedence over national and ethnic boundaries, in keeping with Mr.
Ikeda’s philosophy.
A video
message from Soka University President Mika Suzuki was shown at each session,
and Hironobu Ito, a Soka University graduate who has taught at Bishkek
Humanities University, shared recollections of meeting Mr. Aitmatov as a
student. Hajime Mizushima, vice executive director of the Soka Gakkai Office of
Public Affairs, also spoke about the friendship between Mr. Ikeda and Mr. Aitmatov.
Prior to the
conference, on May 18, the Soka Gakkai delegation from Japan visited the
Chingiz Aitmatov House Museum in Bishkek and met with the writer’s sister, Roza
Aitmatova. The following day, the delegation visited Osh Technological
University.
[Adapted from an article in the June 2, 2026, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan]
