Heads of Regional Universities Discuss Topical Issues at ASU

The Council of Rectors has taken place at Astrakhan State University; university management shared their ideas and plans to develop the general strategy of further cooperation.

The most remarkable event of the meeting was presentation of a distinguished award of Astrakhan Region to Professor Alexander Lunev, Research Supervisor and ex-Rector of ASU. For his professional merits and continuous work in Astrakhan Region, Prof. Lunev received the insignia “Honor & Glory” of the 2nd degree.

Ms. Olga Kaverina from the Antinarcotic Commission at the Governor of Astrakhan Region gave a speech at the meeting. She pointed out that Astrakhan, as Russia’s southern outpost, has always been in danger of narcotic drugs promotion and sale; it implies that regular and continuous work must be carried out to prevent it. Every single year situation concerning narcotics is monitored in our region; events aiming to prevent consumption of drugs are held for all the categories of population on a regular basis. For example, a new form of such events is the Student Day of Health, which is arranged at six educational institutions of our city, including ASU. It was a test model of complex interaction between various authorities and institutions of Astrakhan Region. Besides the police and educational institutions, the regional Healthcare Ministry and the local Youth Affairs Agency participated in that event actively. Similar events will be arranged as well. Ms. Kaverina emphasized the fact that interaction with universities is crucial to provide security in our region and thanked ASU for cooperation.

Ms. Ekaterina Zubkova, a senior officer of the Regional Police Directorate for Drugs Control, assured that each initiative of educational institutions in the field of antinarcotic activities would definitely be supported. “We are ready to take part in any project; we shall back any initiative”, she said.

The next item on the meeting agenda was the recently held 11th Session of the Russian Union of Rectors; Dr. Konstantin Markelov, our Acting Rector, was present there. He told about the outcomes of this large-scale meeting and about the main fields of work that Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, identified in his speech given at that event. The main task for the national higher education is to preserve the high quality of training future specialists in natural sciences, as well as development of the humanitarian sphere to make the Russian language play a larger role in the world. Nowadays development of universities is impossible without their participation in tackling strategic tasks of macroregions; efficient networking is necessary to meet this goal. According to the Russian President, the model of a university consortium is viable; universities ought to become centers of know-how and HR development, real intellectual driving forces for various industries and areas. University networking proved its efficiency. It implies a number of fields of joint development, including interuniversity courses, faculty and student exchanges, and solution of research tasks together. Creation of a university consortium would be beneficial for the national development in general and for each and every student in particular, having opened new prospects to them.

Prof. Alexander Treshyov, our Vice Rector for Academic Activities, informed his colleagues of the main outcomes of the meeting of the Union of Rectors of Southern Russia that took place in Rostov-on-Don. The meeting concerned important issues of operation and development of the system of higher education, as well as ideas of further interaction.