On April 8, Saratov State University presented the SSU development programme and the key university policies as part of the implementation of the Priority 2030. The presentations were prepared for the participants of the project session, which is being these days at the university by the experts of the Social Centre. The commission is headed by Georgii Suvorov, Deputy Director for Science and Networking at the Social Centre.

The programme for the development of Saratov State University was presented at the session by SSU Rector Alexei Chumachenko. He commented on the dynamics that SSU had showed from 2010 to 2023.

In 2021, SSU entered the Priority 2030 federal programme. Today, the university is successfully working on key indicators set by the strategic academic leadership programme. An SSU important achievement is the active involvement of young personnel in academic affairs and research. Thus, 42% of grant managers at Saratov State University are young researchers under the age of 39. The university is improving its performance in academic affairs and science. For example, more than 2,5 thousand people have already completed their studies at the Digital Department. Eight SSU employees are among the 2 percent of the most cited scientists in the world.

Alexei Chumachenko drew attention to how approaches to the implementation of the target model of the SSU development had changed in terms of new challenges. The tasks that Saratov State University solves are related to improving the level of training of applicants, adapting to the development of domestic science, and digitalisation of business.

Rector Alexei Chumachenko explained the principles of forming strategic projects at SSU. ‘As a classical university, we cannot focus on one or two stratprojects – our scientists conduct research on a wide range of spheres. Thanks to the Priority 2030, we are harmoniously developing the university capabilities in various areas. In addition, we have managed to align the balance between fundamental and applied research – young people who are focused on achieving real results also help us.’

Turning to the review of the university achievements over the past three years, Alexei Chumachenko introduced the participants of the project session to the key indicators of the four SSU strategic projects – the Technologies of Personalised Medicine, ICT-Electronics, Chemistry and New Materials, and Teachers in the Educational Paradigm.

Thanks to the Priority 2030, institutional changes have taken place in SSU – equipment has been purchased, new laboratories and research centres have been opened.

According to the rector, the initiative of the university community is also important – young scientists are aimed at bringing their developments to the final product. Many of the researchers' proposals were supported at the first stage and brought to implementation – the university is ready to develop new promising areas.

The experts of the Social Centre Alexei Kuzmin, Alexander Fetisov, and Sergei Ryabchenko asked their questions and suggested their ideas on the SSU development programme and the implementation of strategic projects. The participants of the project session gathered in the hall and shared their vision, namely vice-rectors, directors of the institutes, the deans of the faculties, the chairs of the departments, the curators of the stratprojects, the scientists, and university professors.

In the second part of the meeting, the SSU staff presented the results of the SSU key policies and plans for 2024. Their speeches were devoted to educational, scientific, youth, personnel, campus, financial, and digital policies.

The speakers in each of the directions were Alexei Koronovskii, Vice-Rector for Research and Digital Development, the responsible executor of the Priority 2030 programme; Andrei Stalmakhov, Vice-Rector for Administrative Work and Personnel Management; Anton Golovchenko, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Organisational Work; Sergei Petelin, Vice-Rector for Campus Development and Maintenance; Sergei Udalov, Head of the Office for Education; Elena Ogurtsova, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, the curator of analytical and financial reporting of the Priority 2030 programme; Leonid Bessonov, Head of the Office for Digital and Information Technologies.

In conclusion, the expert of the Social Centre Alexei Kuzmin held an introductory session – he outlined the goals and objectives of the visit, as well as the requirements.

He noted that the Priority 2030 programme is designed to solve global tasks at the national and global levels. It is important for the university to work out its target development model – to understand the possible risks of work and identify problematic points of stratprojects. As the outcome of the meetings, organisational decisions that can affect the implementation of the Priority 2030 at SSU will be made.

At the end of the session, the participants were divided into six teams. They include both experienced and young employees from SSU, who lead the implementation of stratprojects, are engaged in management, financial, partnership, scientific, and academic affairs at the university.

This year, the experts of the Social Centre have offered to focus on the following areas – Partnership Management System, Scientific Policy: Research and Development, Strategic Projects: Impact on External Cooperation, Strategic Projects: Impact on the University, Educational Policy, and Target Model, Management System, and Financial Policy.

The members of the session will present their developments on the projects proposed by the experts in four cycles – Current Projects, Target Model, Problematisation, and Organisational Solutions. The expert groups of the Social Centre will last at Saratov State University until April 10.