Scientists from Russia, Germany and Czech Republic discussed land conservation problems at ASU

14 November 2015 Public Relations Department

International Scientific and Practical Seminar “Land Preservation Government Policy: Problems and Solutions” was held at Altai State University. It was organized by ASU in cooperation with the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (Halle, Germany), Leibniz Institute of Country Studies (Leipzig, Germany) and Altai State Agricultural University.

The participants included scientists from Russia, Germany, Czech Republic; Altai Branch of Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Monitoring Service; farm business owners from different regions of Altai Krai; ASU Faculty of Biology students. The seminar presidium consisted of Vice-Rector for International Affairs Development Roman I. Raikin; Dean of ASU Faculty of Biology, Kulunda project coordinator Marina M. Silantyeva; Master of Leibniz Institute of Country Studies Andreas Wust; and Doctor of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg Ladislav Jelinek.

“The seminar came out to be interesting and enlightening. We were pleased to see so many students studying land management and land cadaster among the participants. Today they acquire knowledge, learn how to debate, and in future they will be involved into land resources management not only in Altai Krai, but throughout the country,” stated one of the event organizers, assistant professor of the Department of Recreational Geography of ASU Andrey A. Bondarovitch. “One of the seminar’s objectives was to tell the audience about the experience of European legislation in land-utilization. That is exactly why we invited our colleagues from Germany and Czech Republic (University of Prague). Interestingly, there is a current trend in Europe towards stimulation of farmers, who put the abandoned lands in proper trim and monitor their ecological state.”

The speakers pointed out that in Russia and Altai Krai many farmers monitor the ecological state of their lands. For example, in the framework of Kulunda project initiated by Doctor of Biology Marina M. Silantyeva a natural monument with unique steppe landscapes was opened at one of the farms of Mikhailovsky Region.

The results of the Altai Krai land market research were also presented at the seminar. They were prepared by sociologists, lawyers and economists of ASU. Besides the positive outcomes, they also dwelled upon the problematic sides of this economic area of the region and the imperfection of legislation.

Leibniz Institute of Country Studies was represented by Andreas Wust, who told the audience that their educational establishment had made firm contacts with Altai State University and worked hard on the Kulunda project. According to his words, this project is being implemented successfully by virtue of collaboration of two countries’ scientists.

“The seminar that took place in ASU is an effective site for sharing the opinions and experience,” stressed Andreas Wust. “It was interesting to learn how the land-utilization policy works in Russia, what barriers and solutions exist here. It was also interesting to listen to the expert from Czech Republic, who was speaking on the experience that was obtained by his country when it has become a part of the European Union. After the reports were over, there was a very useful and open discussion held on this issue. In my opinion, the experience exchange turned out to be exceedingly productive.”

All the reporters pointed out the great significance of the seminar as an international site for the discussion of relevant problems of land utilization and conservation, experience exchange between Russian and European colleagues, as one of the main aims of the seminar was discussion.

“The seminar was scheduled in 2014 in the framework of Kulunda international project implementation for the purpose of discussion of the work completed within a year. We thought it to be a live site with reports and debates, and, as the participants’ list and the topics of their reports show, we managed to succeed,” said Doctor Jelinek.

It remains to be added that in the framework of the seminar the participants also analyzed the problems occurring when implementing the land conservation measures in the region, particularly the steppes of Kulunda; compared the international practices in solving land conservation problems with the conditions in Russia and Altai Krai; discussed the directions of modernization of government policy in land conservation in Russia and its steppe regions.

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