Development of the culture of interethnic relations among young people: opportunities of the university course

In the sphere of interethnic relations, young people are the most socially vulnerable. This is the most energetic, creative, promising part of society, which still has little life experience, material capabilities and social status can be used by destructive forces as a tool for creating conflict situations. Meanwhile, systematic work on the development of the culture of interethnic relations among young people, especially by including them in interesting, active, useful for personal and professional development activities is an effective mechanism for the implementation of state policy in the field of interethnic relations.

Students are the most advanced and most active, socially and intellectually advanced social group of young people. Today it is especially important that students actively engage in social work, show social responsibility, leadership qualities, and acquire skills of the XXI century during their years of study at the university. Such qualities of the new generation of students create favorable prerequisites for the implementation of state policy in the field of interethnic relations.

The analysis of university practice shows that the majority of students are limited to academic work, a certain percentage earns for their studies, and only a small part is engaged in social work. However, there is a positive trend of increasing the proportion of student volunteers. But even this is not a solution to the issue of the development of students' social activity, the formation of their social responsibility.

Kazakh universities are practicing a new approach to the development of social responsibility and increasing the social activity of students – the inclusion in the educational programs of the course "Service to Society". This course is notable for the fact that the student is involved in the development and implementation of social projects related to the academic program being mastered, the future profession. The knowledge and skills acquired in the process of studying university disciplines are realized by the student in real life practice, and thus he acquires valuable social qualities – responsibility, leadership, organization, decision-making ability, mobility, etc.

This practice has been launched in our country since 2015 – first at the Almaty University of Management and Management (AlmaU), then at the Caspian State University of Technology and Engineering named after Sh.Yesenov (Yessenov University, Atyrau) [1;2].

In the 2022/2023 academic year, an elective course "Service to Society" was introduced into the educational programs of five Higher Schools and faculties at M.Auezov South Kazakhstan University [3;4].

We proceed from the fact that the practice of teaching the course "Service to Society" can be a good basis for involving students in the implementation of state policy in the field of interethnic relations. Using the examples of projects of students of various educational programs, we reveal the possibilities of the course "Service to Society" in the organization of volunteer activities of students in the youth environment, in the direction of the development of interethnic relations.

Here are some examples from practice.

Students of the educational program "Jurisprudence" develop social projects on the issues of legal support for the processes of preserving peace and social harmony, launching legal mechanisms for strengthening interethnic relations in places of compact residence of ethnic communities. Law students can assist employees of local administrations, public organizations in their work towards the implementation of state policy in the field of interethnic relations. Projects can also be implemented to assist local authorities in providing legal and legislative solutions, in their actions to prevent crisis phenomena in the interethnic sphere, to monitor the preservation of legality in solving socio-economic issues.

Students of the educational program "Economics", during the implementation of social projects, study the labor resources of the district (village), the standard of living of the population, employment of the able-bodied population, the "economic moods" of people, and in the context of living ethnic groups.

It should be noted that many interethnic clashes in the world are based on economic problems. Students of economics, relying on the knowledge and skills acquired in the specialty courses, can make a feasible contribution to the collection of material, study and analysis of the economic aspects of preserving interethnic harmony in the region.

Under the guidance of the author, students of the Finance educational program of the Higher School of Economics and Management carried out projects: "Online course on financial literacy for students", "Professional orientation of schoolchildren to financial specialties", "Development of economic thinking of students and students", "Support for students to choose a profession of financier", "Improvement of the financial condition of students by improving their financial literacy," the developers of which are students of the educational program "Finance", performed by students."

These projects have also been implemented in educational institutions located in residential areas where ethnic groups live compactly. Student social projects, at least in a small way, serve to solve many economic problems, such as: the development of financial literacy of people, an increase in family income, an increase in youth unemployment, the orientation of young students to study and find work in other regions of Kazakhstan.

Service-Learning projects for students of philological educational programs will be no less interesting and useful. In the 2022/2023 academic year, teams of students of the educational program "Translation Business", under the guidance of the author of the article, developed and implemented social projects of professional content, such as "Conducting English classes in kindergartens for children from low-income families and with a shortage of teachers", "Motivating preschoolers' interest in learning foreign languages", "Providing assistance for English-speaking foreign students in obtaining medical care", "Teaching preschoolers English, Chinese and German", "Fingerless Speaking club" for students", "Teaching English to children from low–income families", "Additional English classes for students of non-linguistic specialties", "Organization of participation of schoolchildren in additional classes by an invited native English teacher", etc.

These projects are aimed at implementing the instructions of the President of the country Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the tasks set by the Head of State in the Messages to the people of Kazakhstan. Knowledge of the state language, the language of international communication and other languages is an important condition for the social success of modern youth, intercultural dialogue and exchange.  The development of multilingual and communicative competencies is a reliable and vital mechanism for integrating small ethnic groups into society, preserving peace and social harmony.

It should be noted that due to the growing number of students from Central Asia, India and other countries at the universities of Shymkent and Turkestan region, the problem of forming a culture of interethnic relations of students is particularly relevant. The attitude of foreign students and the local population, especially young people, should be built on the principles of preserving the rule of law, mutual respect for language, cultures and traditions, mutual support, traditions of humanity of our people.

Moreover, the projects of students "Assistance to English-speaking foreign students in obtaining medical care", "Familiarization of foreign students with the culture of the Kazakh people" are interesting in terms of adaptation of foreign students and migrant students to the social realities of our country, their inclusion in an effective intercultural dialogue, their awareness of highly moral ideas and the essence of Kazakh folk culture, customs and traditions of the Kazakh people.

In the educational programs of the pedagogical direction, the course "Service to Society" has not yet been implemented widely enough.

In our opinion, the most promising are the social projects of students of pedagogical educational programs, in such areas as: the development of multicultural education in preschool, general education organizations; support for multilingual education in schools with classes in the languages of ethnic groups of Kazakhstan; the study of culture, customs and traditions of the Kazakh people and ethnic groups of Kazakhstan in lessons and extracurricular activities; organization (or methodological support) of Sunday schools in the languages of ethnic groups living in the Southern region; informational and methodological support of the educational work of school teachers in the direction of fostering the culture of interethnic relations among schoolchildren; work with students and parents of classes with a multiethnic composition of students; diagnostics of the culture of interethnic relations among adolescents, etc.

Students of humanitarian educational programs within the framework of mastering the course "Service to Society" are working on projects on the following topics: explaining the state policy in the field of interethnic relations among the teaching staff of schools; promoting the Kazakh model of interethnic harmony and tolerance; participating in the organization of events of the APK of the City ofShymkent; collection of material and preparation of media materials on the international experience of the formation of an inclusive society; assistance to local authorities in monitoring interethnic situations in the region, conducting surveys, and measures to prevent interethnic conflicts.

Thus, the university course "Service to Society" has a huge potential in organizing the active activity of students in the implementation of the policy of our state in the field of interethnic relations. The connection of students' social projects, their volunteer activities with academic programs opens up favorable opportunities for both professional development and the development of social responsibility, student activity. The future specialist will realize his involvement in the preservation of peace and social harmony, develops habits of constantly engaging in professionally oriented volunteer activities, making his feasible contribution to the formation of an inclusive multi-ethnic society.

Literature

1. Students of Almaty will be taught to serve the interests of society // https://www.zakon.kz/4935698 sluzheniyu-interesam-obshchestva.html .

2. Almaty universities introduce a course of service to the interests of society into the training program // https://newtimes.kz/obshchestvo/77356-vuzy-almaty-vvodyat-v-programmu-obucheniya-kurs-sluzheniyu-interesam-obshchestva.

3. "Service Learning–kogamga kyzmet etu" pani boyynsha oku bagdarlamasy //auezov.edu.kz .

4. Almetov N.S. "To serve society!" - the motto of the future specialist // Rabat: Public Newspaper, June 8, 2023, No. 23.- p.11.