At Saratov State University, there was launched a new course on September 5 at the SSU Boiling Point Centre. Saratov State University was included into the list of 126 pilot universities that have started implementing the federal course at their sites.
It was launched by Deputy Prime-Minister of Saratov Region – Minister of Education of the region Mikhail Orlov, SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko, and Head of the Youth Plus Resource Centre for the Development of Volunteering and Children-to-Youth Movement Darina Romanova. The opening ceremony was attended by Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Igor Malinskii, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Organisational Work Anton Golovchenko, Head of the Educational Office Sergei Udalov, the teaching staff, students, and volunteers. The event was conducted by Maria Chevtayeva, a specialist in youth work at the Department for the Development of Youth Initiatives, SSU.
SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko congratulated the participants on the opening of the project. ‘Today, we are launching a new educational module and opening a series of lectures and seminars. That is why the meeting takes place in the classroom of our Boiling Point. We are very proud that we are among the pilot universities of the project. At the end of the year, we will have to evaluate our capabilities, methodology, the content of the course, and what else we will have to improve.’
According to the rector, the course will become a significant component of the educational process. ‘The idea of creating the project appeared due to the current social and economic situation in the country. We are simultaneously experiencing a special operation, an economic war for resources, and a war for the minds of young people. And the Education via Devotion module in this regard has an important function – the education of patriotic thinking and social activities,’ the rector explained.
For SSU, participation in the project is also a social order of the region as part of the university third mission. ‘We have a lot of developments, as well as experience in implementing a regional project of the SYM, a volunteer centre, student brigades, and youth communities. All of them will become a platform for the implementation of new innovative socially significant projects,’ Aleksei Chumachenko emphasised.
Deputy Prime-Minister of Saratov Region – Minister of Education Mikhail Orlov outlined the needs of the region in qualified specialists. ‘The student pool is the potential for the development of Saratov and the region. In this regard, organisational work is as much important as education. A minimum of theory and a maximum of practical component are concentrated here. Professional skills tend to become obsolete, they need to be constantly developed and improved, while social competencies remain with you forever and serve as an integral basis for building relationships in a team, family, or at work. It is social skills that bring up a socially mature personality.’
Darina Romanova, Head of the Youth Plus Resource Centre for the Development of Volunteering and Children-to-Youth Movement, spoke about volunteer project in the region. ‘About 19% of the population are involved in volunteer movements, most of them are young people. With the advent of the Education via Devotion project, this activity acquires a special, more significant status. And for the participants, this is a great opportunity to gain teamwork skills, find new people, and create new social products.’
According to the commander of the Staff of the SSU Student Brigades, the commander of the consolidated student brigade under the Governor of the region Sergei Kulik, the course makes it possible to increase the number of social projects in which university students can be involved. ‘Here they will be able not only to show themselves, but also to help underprivileged communities,’ he pointed out.
The second part of the event was devoted to practical work and social design. The students were divided into teams and solved issues on the stated topic. The training was conducted by Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Organisational Work, an expert of Rosmolodezh.Grants Anton Golovchenko.
The Education via Devotion project has been launched at Russian universities since September 2023. It combines the study of academic disciplines and the development of soft skills in accordance with the professional competencies obtained at the university, as well as theoretical training and practical socially significant activities at once. Due to it, each student will be able to gain professional experience by implementing public projects.
It involves students in solving social issues as part of the training course, internship, writing term or graduation papers. Also, the universities together with social partners will be able to improve the world, help society to develop and improve the quality of life.
It is important to note that project training with a social effect will cover different groups of specialties. Thus, humanities specialists, physicists, future engineers, marketers, managers, and IT- specialists will solve socially significant tasks.
