SUSU Rector Aleksandr Shestakov delivered his report at the Second Forum of the Association of Universities of Belarus and Russia, which was held online on December 14th.
In the course of the Forum, university rectors from Russia and Belarus delivered reports and presentations, exchanged opinions, and discussed the main strategic paths for further development of the bilateral cooperation in education and science.
In his speech, Aleksandr Shestakov expressed the intent to develop collaboration with universities in Belarus, announced the elaboration of electronic courses in the nearest future, which would be aimed at improving the quality of education in the field of engineering, and also shared on how our university had coped with the pandemic.
Among the most important issues in the Forum agenda were: the social and humanities potential of the higher school within the frameworks of the Union State, as well as the digitalization of education, and the experience in organizing university activity in the epoch of the COVID-2019 pandemic.
Recommendations were worked out on the further enhancing of the social and humanities potential of the higher school, developing the digitalization of education, improving the efficiency of remote interaction, and elaborating new pedagogical technologies. Relevant issues were also discussed with regard to the dialogue in the academic community, and to youth collaboration between Russia and Belarus.
The Forum participants highlighted the urgency of developing the following fields of cooperation:
- preparing and implementing joint Double Degree programmes;
- exchanging the experience in developing the digitalization of institutions of higher education;
- creating interactive educational content in order to improve the quality of in-class and distance learning;
- further building of a constructive dialogue between young scientists from various educational institutions through organizing joint scientific events; and
- developing the bilateral humanities, cultural, and youth cooperation based on the common historical heritage of Russia and Belarus.
Today, more than 2300 international students from 56 countries from around the world are obtaining their education in various programmes at SUSU. Among them are 7 students from Belarus. In addition, 155 international academic and teaching staff members from 35 countries are working at South Ural State University. And also 8 senior research fellows from the Republic of Belarus are distance working at SUSU.
South Ural State University is collaborating with 6 universities in Belarus:
- Belarusian State University
- International University "MITSO"
- Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno
- Vitebsk State Order of Peoples' Friendship Medical University
- Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics
- Brest State A.S. Pushkin University
Since 2016 SUSU scientists have been conducting research and publishing papers jointly with their colleagues from universities in Belarus. The collaboration is carried out in the following fields of science:
- Materials Science
- Physics and Astronomy
- Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences
- Immunology and Microbiology
- Chemistry
Following the results of the Forum of Rectors of Belarus and Russia, 4 agreements will be signed by SUSU. Thus our university secures the many-years' collaboration already in progress by signing memoranda of understanding with the Scientific-Practical Materials Research Centre of NAS of Belarus, with Vitebsk State Order of Peoples' Friendship Medical University, with Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, as well as with Brest State A.S. Pushkin University.