ASU is Ready to Become an Integration Centre for Caspian Sea Universities

Konstantin Markelov, the ASU Acting Rector, delivered a speech at the international economic forum «Caspian Dialogue — 2018».

The event is taking place at MGIMO and involving representatives of international organizations, authorities, scientific and business community of Russia and Caspian states.

The ASU Rector addressed the audience with a report on integration initiatives in research, engineering and educational spheres of the Caspian Sea region. According to him, nowadays we observe a new geopolitical perspective of international relations forming in the macroregion, that is why accelerating integration processes on the basis of overall development of innovative infrastructure and research, engineering and educational platforms is an urgent task.

To address it, Rector Markelov proposes several strategies that can be implemented with an active support of Astrakhan State University. In particular, the university has initiated a project for consolidation of efforts of regional institutions and enterprises into a research and educational centre of advanced studies of the Caspian Sea macroregion called «Caspian». Its activities will be connected with top-priority spheres of the Russian research and engineering development, e.g. digital economy («digital Caspian»), oil and gas sector and electric power industry, transport and logistic infrastructure, shipbuilding development and integrated security.

In conclusion, the ASU Rector made several proposals on strengthening academic cooperation in the macroregion.