Saratov State University is hosting the 4th International Research-to-Practice Conference entitled The Development of Talents in terms of Big Challenges: Methodology, Projects, Technologies.
The forum was organised together with colleagues from Herzen University, Moscow City Pedagogical University, and Brest State A. Pushkin University. The participants were scholars from Russia, Turkey, China, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. Researchers from 12 Russian cities had applied to it.
The conference began with a greeting from Chair of the Department of Pedagogy, Head of the Centre for Support of Talented Children Ekaterina Balakireva. She hoped the participants would work productively, have important discussions and successful presentations during the breakout sessions that would take place over the two days.
Head of Priority Projects and Programmes Elena Yelina congratulated the colleagues on the opening of the forum. ‘It is always great when such a large-scale forum is held traditionally. Many people know that, since 2021, our university has been a participant of the Priority 2030 federal programme, one of its strategic projects is pedagogical. Of course, the issues that are discussed at today's conference are reflected in it. Th issues of children-prodigies and children with special needs have been going on for a long time, but from a scientific point of view, they are relatively new. Nowadays, it acquires a special meaning, because talents must be preserved, protected, and ways of their development must be sought,’ she explained.
In absentia, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology Lyudmila Aksenovskaya greeted the participants. ‘The topic of talents is one of the most amazing riddles for researchers. We owe all the best in our life to talented people, geniuses. In the modern world, quite difficult historical reality, we need such people with their innovative approaches and ideas more than ever.’
Vice-Rector for Research of Herzen University Svetlana Pisareva also marked the scientific significance of the forum. ‘You have been one of the first to address this issue. Many researchers discuss talents, there are special state programmes aimed at supporting this category of children. New generations are also of particular interest from a scientific point of view. Surely, we are waiting for new discoveries in this area.’
According to Acting Vice-Rector for Strategic Development, MCU, Roman Komarov, the agenda of the conference is harmoniously combined with modern challenges – the development of artificial intelligence, personalisation issues, as well as value and spiritual guidelines.
Associate Professor of the Department of Social Psychology, SSU, Aleksei Ponukalin in his report entitled Talented People in terms of the Non-Fulfilment of Their Talents spoke about the importance of using their potential. ‘The one who is able to give new sensations and help reveal the unconscious is a genius for us,’ the scholar commented.
Chair of the Department of General, Theoretical, and Computer Physics, SSU, Valerii Anikin tried to figure out the secret of the successful people. In his speech, he gave historical examples of the embodiment of talents in the discoveries of Russian scientists.
Kemahli Sevket Baser, an expert in education of talented children of the Republic of Turkey, reported on Russia's educational policy on working with talented children. The speaker touched upon the issues of training specialists in interaction with talented children in the school education system.
Head of the Galaxy 64 Centre for Identification, Support, and Development of Abilities and Talents of Children and Youth in Saratov Region Ella Zlobina introduced the audience to the regional model of the system of work with talented children.
During the breakout sessions, the participants will discuss the talents and big challenges, diagnostics and psychological and pedagogical support of talented children and youth, educational practices in working with talented children, the interaction of the environment, mentors, and technology, and other issues.
Find the programme here.
