Rector of Tomsk State University Eduard Galazhinskiy offered the Republic of South Ossetia assistance in staff training in materials science, chemistry and agrobiotechnology, and also shared his experience in introducing a new model of higher education. He stated this at a meeting with the participation of heads of leading Russian universities and research institutions in South Ossetia. The meeting was chaired by the head of Science and Higher Education of Russia Valery Falkov and the acting president of the Republic of South Ossetia Marat Kambolov.
The agenda of the meeting was focused on the interaction with the Republic of South Ossetia in three key areas: support for the South Ossetian State University, the development of agrarian science and agriculture in the republic and work with schools: training future teachers of physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology, as well as high-quality occupational guidance for schoolchildren. During the meeting, rectors of leading universities and research institutions presented their proposals for such cooperation.
— It is important to build effective cooperation with colleagues. This will require road maps in each direction so that cooperation is designed for several years and gives an understandable result for the residents of South Ossetia, – emphasized Valery Falkov.
TSU Rector Eduard Galazhinskiy proposed a number of areas for cooperation, one of them is the training of highly qualified staff. Now the university has 34 scientific journals and 28 councils for the defense of candidate and doctoral dissertations, and this makes it possible to build a staff training system.
Besides, TSU Rector shared his experience in introducing a pilot project on the modernization of higher education. This year, 5,500 people are enrolled in pilot programs of basic higher education at TSU.
— We can be useful in terms of methodological assistance for the transition to a new model of education. By presidential decree, we were one of six universities that piloted this model for three years, that is, we have accumulated vast experience – both methodological and didactic, – said Eduard Galazhinskiy.
Another option for cooperation with the Republic of South Ossetia is agrobiotechnology. TSU has the Higher Engineering School of Agrobiotechnology “Agrobiotech”, which trains specialists in agricultural areas to ensure the country’s food security.
Besides, TSU has world-class expertise in the field of chemistry and materials science. The university is the coordinator of the personnel center within the framework of the national project “New Materials and Chemistry” and has the necessary resources to update the curricula in these areas. In addition, computer science and artificial intelligence may become promising areas of collaboration. TSU develops educational online programs and introduces AI into the scientific sphere and the educational process.
Moreover, TSU acts as the federal operator of the Active Employment Promotion Measures project of the Personnel national project. The university has at its disposal budgetary funds and quotas for retraining specialists focused on the current needs of the labor market. TSU is ready to assist other universities in the implementation of such programs.