More than 3,000 participants from 150 Russian and 60 foreign universities are taking part in the Altai-Asia 2022 Forum
The 5th International Forum "Altai - Asia 2022: Eurasian Educational Space - New Challenges and Best Practices" has started its work at Altai State University.
More than 300 representatives from 150 Russian and 60 foreign universities, as well as representatives of government and business, take part in the plenary part of the forum in person. In total, about 3,000 people will work at the forum sites, including online. This forum is the fifth, anniversary - for 10 years it has been held every two years. The forum has gained authority and recognition in expert circles, has become a solid foundation for cooperation in the field of education, the international environment of universities in the Eurasian space. The areas of the forum's work address the most acute challenges facing Russian and foreign universities.
Addressing the participants with a welcoming speech, Sergey Bocharov, Rector of Altai State University, noted that the forum is taking place at a difficult time of modernizing approaches and mechanisms for implementing the international educational activities of universities.
— We at Altai State University are proud that, more than 10 years ago, having relied on the development of international cooperation with a focus on the Central Asian region, becoming an active member of the SCO Network University, we were able to create an active international expert platform — the educational forum "Altai - Asia". The forum is aimed to create effective mechanisms for bringing together leading universities in the field of joint training of personnel, developing coordinated work approaches that take into account the national specifics of partner countries, consolidating the opinions of leading experts and creating international scientific groups and, of course, identifying new vectors for the development of cooperation in the context of global changes. The 5th Forum aroused great interest, as evidenced by the number of registered participants.
This year the forum is held jointly with the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. Rector of RUDN University Oleg Yastrebov addressed the forum participants with a greeting.
— Today, in an era of global change and unprecedented challenges, the training of highly qualified personnel for the whole world is of paramount importance, reaching a qualitatively new level. The Russian Federation, represented by the Ministry of Education and Science, makes it one of the priorities to attract foreign citizens to study at domestic universities, and is also actively involved in the competition for talented foreign applicants, who are traditionally provided not only with quality education, but also decent social and living conditions for them, comfortable stay in our country during the period of study. With the changing landscape of the global system of science and education, Russian universities are transforming their strategic approaches to working with foreign partners, making the development of new international digital services a priority. I am deeply convinced that the discussions that will take place within the framework of the forum will make it possible to develop a unified, consolidated approach to working in the scientific and educational space of Eurasia in the context of new global changes, as well as identify new vectors for strengthening cooperation within existing partnerships.
Vitaly Snesar, Deputy Chairman of the Government of Altai Krai, Head of the Administration of the Governor and Government of Altai Krai, congratulated those present on the opening of the forum on behalf of the Governor of Altai Krai Viktor Tomenko.
— We must pay tribute to the foresight of the leadership of Altai State University, which 10 years ago with the first forum "Altai - Asia" staked on the Asian vector of international cooperation, which is especially relevant today. For decades, people living and working on the territory of Altai Krai have maintained working, personal, creative relations with Central Asia. These connections still exist. The regional authorities are always ready to support with an organizational and administrative resource - everything that is at our disposal, so that this communication between scientists, between students is strengthened and continues to develop at an even higher, qualitative level.
Elena Gorozhankina, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, delivered a welcoming speech from the Ministry of Science and Education of the Russian Federation.
– The forum was organized by AltSU in partnership with RUDN University, the Association of Asian Universities and SCO Universities. Establishing global ties between leading Russian and Asian universities is one of the strategic directions for the development of international cooperation in the new geopolitical space. Network cooperation is an effective tool for integrating both science and education, increasing the competitiveness of universities and attracting the best foreign students. Over the 10 years of its existence, the forum has become a good tradition and has established itself as a leading expert and scientific platform that allows expanding the boundaries of cooperation in the Eurasian educational space. I express my confidence that the forum will continue to be a point of attraction for us and a strong foundation for the intercultural, scientific, educational and economic development of Russia and Asian countries.
Also, greeting letters were sent to the participants of the Altai - Asia 2022 Forum by Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Konstantin Kosachev, Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic Almazbek Beishenaliev, Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan Rakhimjon Saidzoda, Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Pavel Shevtsov, Rector of the Eurasian National University named after L.N. Gumilyova Yerlan Sydykov, Rector of the National Research Tomsk State University Eduard Galazhinsky, Professor, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, as well as the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan Abeivikrema Liyanage Janita, Deputy Elena Chepurnykh, editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group.
After the opening ceremony, the plenary session began. Today, the forum will also host the 5th Congress of the Association of Asian Universities. It will be attended by rectors, vice-rectors of the Association of Asian Universities, official representatives of universities - members of the Association. At the same time, a methodological seminar will be held on organizing monitoring of international cooperation (together with the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia). The working day of the forum will end with a concert.