INTERDISCIPLINARITY AS A METHODOLOGICAL BASIS FOR ANALYSIS OF CONFLICT PHENOMENON AND THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME “CONFLICTOLOGY”

Introduction: the article deals with development patterns and the process of institutionalisation of conflictology as an educational discipline. The special attention is paid to main features of the interdisciplinary analysis of the conflict. Difficulties and problems of political and legal space of conflictology education are given a thorough account. Materials and Methods: the interdisciplinary paradigm of conflict analysis is a methodological basis of the research, which implies its consideration not only as a source of destructions and dying but as a starting place of the society development. Saint-Petersburg State University’s practical experience in the implementation of the educational programme on conflictology was analysed. Results: the approval of the conflictology as a special area of knowledge is connected with theoretical understanding and practical application of the tools transforming the destructive power of conflict. Understanding of the conflict as a contradiction between struggle and peace is important heuristical instrument. Main characteristics and classification of hierarchically structured levels of functioning of the conflict theory and the educational program on conflictology are determined; the interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum and professional competences of the graduates are presented. Discussion and Conclusions: the problems, which restrain future development of conflictology as the institutionalised self-reflection of society about contradictions in Russia, are determined on the basis of the analysis of educated graduates’ adaptation practices. Main directions of integration of conflictological educational programmes for training specialists of high qualification in the field of conflict resolution and peace maintenance in organisational and management sphere are presented. This is achieved by organisation of peaceful social interactions and minimisation of the conflict potential of decisions in management. The research allows to state that the main content of conflictology is determined by the necessity to reach knowledge about the system and processes of conflict and peaceful interaction, institutions, means and humanitarian technologies of conflict resolution and peace maintenance. The authors believe that the programme should be implemented on the interdisciplinary ground, systematising knowledge about conflicts and developing templates of optimal behaviour in conflict or partnership situations

Accelerated glacier shrinkage in the Ak-Shyirak massif, Inner Tien Shan, during 2003–2013

The observed increase in summer temperatures and the related glacier downwasting has led to a noticeable decrease of frozen water resources in Central Asia, with possible future impacts on the economy of all downstream countries in the region. Glaciers in the Ak-Shyirak massif, located in the Inner Tien Shan, are not only affected by climate change, but also impacted by the open pit gold mining of the Kumtor Gold Company. In this study, glacier inventories referring to the years 2003 and 2013 were created for the Ak-Shyirak massif based on satellite imagery. The 193 glaciers had a total area of 351.2 ± 5.6 km2 in 2013. Compared to 2003, the total glacier area decreased by 5.9 ± 3.4%. During 2003–2013, the shrinkage rate of Ak-Shyirak glaciers was twice than that in 1977–2003 and similar to shrinkage rates in Tien Shan frontier ranges. We assessed glacier volume in 2013 using volume–area (VA) scaling and GlabTop modelling approaches. Resulting values for the whole massif differ strongly, the VA scaling derived volume is 30.0–26.4 km3 whereas the GlabTop derived volume accounts for 18.8–13.2 km3. Ice losses obtained from both approaches were compared to geodetically-derived volume change. VA scaling underestimates ice losses between 1943 and 2003 whereas GlabTop reveals a good match for eight glaciers for the period 2003–2012. In comparison to radio-echo soundings from three glaciers, the GlabTop model reveals a systematic underestimation of glacier thickness with a mean deviation of 16%. GlabTop tends to significantly underestimate ice thickness in accumulation areas, but tends to overestimate ice thickness in the lowermost parts of glacier snouts. Direct technogenic impact is responsible for about 7% of area and 5% of mass loss for glaciers in the Ak-Shyirak massif during 2003–2013. Therefore the increase of summer temperature seems to be the main driver of accelerated glacier shrinkage in the area