On 17 December Saratov University hosted the Meeting of the Volga Federal District Union of Rectors. Its topic was the Digitalisation of Universities as a Part of Development Objectives of the Russian Digital Economy.
The meeting was attended by Governor of the Saratov Region and Chair of the Board of Trustees Valerii V. Radayev; Vice-President of the Russian Union of Rectors, Chair of the VFD Union of Rectors, and President of Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod Roman G. Strongin, and rectors of universities from the Volga Federal District.
The Governor welcomed the audience. According to him, the meeting topic corresponded with the goals set by the President.
‘President Vladimir Putin underlined that we need to develop the national economy, and it is important for our national security. Due to it we will be able to make a breakthrough. The research and professor community will definitely play a leading role. It is the biggest research schools that generate the new knowledge connected with using IT in all society spheres and sectors of economy. And university staff members and their teaching methodology must meet the modern requirements.’
The Governor reminded that four region universities had courses in information technologies. This year 500 students have graduated from those courses.
‘More and more people enrol to the courses connected with the digital sector. The government initiates many projects so that children will be able to find their career path due to qualified vocational education. We hope that that goal will be achieved due to the federal project on children technology parks – Quantoriums,’ highlighted Valerii Radayev.
Chair of the VFD Union of Rectors Roman Strongin thanked the Governor and SSU Rector Aleksei N. Chumahecnko that the meeting was held in Saratov on the Eve of SSU anniversary, one of the oldest Russian universities.
‘Computers play a significant role in the whole world. It can be compared with the fire many years ago, and today it can be found everywhere. Our goal is to develop the digital economy, we will improve the work with the help of information technology. However, we cannot do it without education sphere. Here I would mention two aspects – student teaching and the university work in terms of the digitalisation. The issues can be simple, e.g. those related to material objects, and more difficult, e.g. the document procedures involving enrolment, graduation, etc. of students. We have to discuss this matter as well,’ marked Roman Strongin.
Then the meeting members were welcomed by SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko.
‘The current topic is really remarkable. As for our university, we were among the first who started providing courses in IT in 1957 when the first Computer Service Centre was opened in the Volga District. And that event marked the era of specialist training in IT, cybernetics, and programming. We understand that it is not enough just to teach this category of specialists so that we will be able to achieve the goals set by our Parliament and the President. Speaking about the Digital Economy national project, which consists of a few federal projects, we must project its objectives to our policy and implement them,’ noted Aleskei Chumachenko.
He commented on the key issues connected with the digitalisation of universities, namely distanced learning, personnel training for the digital economy sector, seminars and master-classes for pedagogues to use digital education technology, education platforms for teaching programming, research using digital technologies, etc.
‘We started managing the university digitally in 2008 by creating the computer network containing all the SSU data. Nowadays the quality of programme products, which we use, has improved. We try to solve the problems with their help, and we are ready to share our experience. We know what we still have to develop so that we will become a digital university,’ concluded the rector.
Chair of the Permskii Krai Union of Rectors, Rector of Perm State University Igor Yu. Makarikhin reported on digital education in the Krai.
Appointed Rector of Samara National Research University Vladimir D. Bogatyryov spoke about the ways to change Electronic Information Educational Environment (EIEE) so that it would meet the requirements of a digital university.
Chair of the Penza Region Union of Rectors, Rector of Penza State University Alexander D. Gulyakov shared the experience of creating EIEE in his university.
The next report was devoted to the implementation of digital university environment project in Bashkir universities. It was delivered by Chair of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Rector of Ufa State Petroleum Technological University Ramil N. Bakhtizin.
Rector of Kazan National Research Technological University Sergei V. Yushko commented on resource integration and digitalisation principles of the universities in the Republic of Tatarstan.
The Union meeting members discussed on-line education in universities and the development of electronic libraries and virtual laboratories, personnel training for the digital economy, cybersecurity issues, etc.
In conclusion, Roman Strongin noted that the universities developed serious software.
‘We have to decide how to work with the university technologies. It is very difficult to implement it by universities alone only, therefore, we hope to form effective groups.’
He remarked on the university spheres where digitalisation and digital data processing were important. Thus, Roman Strongin said that in every university there should be established departments to reserve, keep digital data archives, and the document procedures involving enrolment, graduation, etc. of students.
