On January 30, there was held meeting of the Council of Academic Councils, SSU. Rector Alexei Chumachenko made a report on the main results of Saratov State University in 2023 and outlined the staff’s plans for the future.
In the report, he called 2023 an eventful year. In the Year of Teachers and Mentors, the university presented the full range of interests in general and higher education. The staff continued working intensively on strategic projects of the Priority 2030 programme. The chosen areas of work and research have become the key to the successful implementation of all declared indicators. The university focused on youth policy. Thus, the issues of patriotic education have acquired a special meaning, as well as social aspects (work with orphaned students, people with disabilities, support for students – children of the participants of the SMO).
In 2023, the rector election took place. Alexei Chumacnehko’s candidacy was supported by the university staff, the regional government and the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. Alexei Chumachenko thanked the colleagues for their trust.
In the report, the rector highlighted the key events of the year. One of them, undoubtedly, was the visit by Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia Valerii Falkov, who on the eve of the Professors Day awarded the Ushinsky medal For Merits in Pedagogy to the oldest teaching staff members of the university, Professor Olga Sirotinina.
During his visit to SSU, the minister attended the research laboratories and centres, found out about the latest developments and the progress of the Priority 2030 programme. He highly appreciated the work of the entire university. Interested in the Virtual Pedagogical Classroom, Falkov invited SSU to a meeting on the preparation of schoolchildren in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology, which was held at Lomonosov Moscow State University with the participation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education and the Minister of Education, representatives of the Federation Council and the State Duma, as well as the rectors of the leading universities.
As one of the most important events, Alexei Chumachenko called Vyacheslav Volodin’s speech dedicated to the strategic programme for the development of the region, separately outlining the plans for the development of the SSU facilities. The fact that SSU would be included in the three-year programme of major reconstructions was also announced by Minister of Science and Higher Education Valerii Falkov. Thus, already in 2024, it is planned to carry out major repairs in Dormitories No. 2 and No. 3, repair the assembly and sports halls at Geology College, the roof of Bldg. 12, and the gym in Bldg. 18. The rector hoped that, in 2024, the staff would prepare the design and estimate documentation for repairs and other facilities requiring repair. The arrangement of the SSU Botanical Garden would also take place.
In 2023, SSU entered the top-20 universities for the implementation of the Priority 2030 programme. Due to its results, the funding for the Priority would be increased – in 2024, the university will receive 139.8 million roubles for its development programme. As part of it, the university continues implementing four strategic projects – Technologies of Personalised Medicine, ICT-Electronics, Chemistry and New Materials, and Teachers in the Educational Paradigm. As Alexei Chumachenko noted, ‘in the reporting year, most of our initiatives turned out to be related to the Priority 2030 programme’. ‘In my opinion, over the entire period of the Priority 2030 programme, we have managed to do the most important thing – to achieve qualitative changes in the ratio of fundamental and applied research at the university,’ he pointed out.
The rector also reminded that as one of the 2023 important achievements the eight SSU scientists had been included into the top-2% of the most cited in the world, a significant increase in the potential for interaction with industrial partners, the development of a number of technologies, methods and devices that were going to be used in clinical trials. The university has attracted interested customers to its developments, including KAMAZ, Apatit, Gazpromneft, Rosatom, and the Russian Railways.
Alexei Chumachenko emphasized the role of youth in SSU. The young people are involved in all the processes taking place at the university. This feature of the university work has already been noted twice in their reports by the experts of the Social Centre responsible for the Priority 2030. The number of young teaching staff members at the university has increased by almost 1.5 times compared to the previous reporting period.
In 2023, four new bachelor’s and master’s courses appeared at the university; SSU entered the list of pilot universities that were implementing the Devotion Training programme; the Institute of Physics developed and implemented a professional training course in operating ground-based unmanned aerial vehicle; the university students were taking courses taught by the Digital Department.
The Institute of Continuing Professional Education, SSU, plays an important role in continuing professional education, retraining specialists in the real sector of the economy, social sphere, and management. The results of participation in the Employment Promotion federal project were highly appreciated. More than 70% of the total number of citizens who had been trained in the institute were employed. This is one of the best results among all universities participating in the project. Due to this, SSU has been given the opportunity to teach students from other regions.
The SSU scientists continue delighting with their achievements. For the first time, two world-class laboratories received support as part of the RSF contest for Conducting research by world-class scientific laboratories implementing the priorities of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation of the Presidential Program of Research Projects implemented by leading, including young, scientists (project managers Oksana Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya and Maria Morozova). The volume of non-contractual research papers has increased, and the amount of funding as part of the RSF grants has raised significantly.
According to the rector, in the scientific field, it is necessary to increase the number of grants won, develop interdisciplinary research with product potential, and expand the network of university research consortia. In the field of digitalisation, we should continue the integration of university databases and services based on 1C platform solutions.
Organisational work with students is beginning to play a special role. At Saratov State University, it has always been at its best, and, today, the university successfully continues university projects in this direction. The proof of our effectiveness is the high SSU position in the rating of the Ministry of Education and Science, which assessed the implementation of youth policy and academic affairs. Among the 590 Russian universities that were represented in the monitoring, Saratov State University took the 9th place. As for another important indicator, seven SSU student initiatives won the All-Russian contest of youth university projects.
One of the main directions of organisational work is patriotic education. SSU has the Patriotic Club entitled I Am Proud, which, in particular, has held 30 open lectures for students. The #WEARETOGETHER humanitarian aid collection centre continues its work. In total, over 95 tons of humanitarian aid has been collected from Saratov State University for the SMO participants and their families.
Speaking about the youth events, Alexei Chumachenko noted the largest event in 2023 – the PRO100 All-Russian Student Forum and recalled that SSU remains the main regional platform for the movement of student brigades. In addition, at the university, there was opened the primary department of the Movement of the First Russian Movement of Children and Youth.
In autumn, SSU took part in the University Shifts federal project. For 10 days, fifty schoolchildren from the PRD actively rested and learned about various fields of science.
Concluding the topic of youth policy, Alexei Chumachenko listed the significant victories of the students and the young staff of SSU, as well as paid attention to the achievements in sports and arts.
As for the international sphere, the rector marked that the share of international students in the total number of SSU students had increased by more than 1.5% compared to last year. Nowadays, the university is a member of eight international associations. In 2023, a full-fledged student exchange programme was implemented for the first time with a partner university from China. The work on the social and cultural adaptation of international students had been significantly developed. Alexei Chumachenko named the RFL in SSU festival among the landmark international events at the university. In his opinion, the importance of teaching Russian as a foreign language is increasing.
As part of the university social work, special attention was paid during the year to the students-children of the participants of the SMO. They have been provided with social and psychological support at SSU, as well as financially supported.
The first Meeting of Inclusive Volunteers was a landmark event for our university. The 2023 achievement was the fact that the Accessible University project got into the finals of the 3rd All-Russian Competition of Practices of Inclusive Higher and Secondary Vocational Education. The shifts began at the Chardym Camp – the summer educational schools worked there, the PRO100 forum was held. 400 students and 260 employees with their family members visited that unique recreational area.
In addition to organising the social well-being of students and staff and creating a health-saving environment, social work at the university focuses on correcting work trajectories and promoting employment. The SSU Career Centre has found staff for about 900 job requests, conducted almost 400 events, and a lot of work is underway to reduce the shortage of teachers in the region.
The last thematic block of the report was the media work of Saratov State University. ‘I have no doubt that by joining, adding to the university accounts and being active there, we can be closer to our students, applicants, and each other,’ Alexei Chumachenko addressed the members of the Council of Councils.
Concluding the report, the rector thanked the deans of the faculties, the directors of the institutes, their deputies, the chairs of the departments, the heads of research laboratories and centres, the vice-rectors, the heads of the offices – all employees for the dedicated work.
The reports were also presented by Dean of the Faculty of Psychology Lyudmila Aksenovskaya, Head of the Office for Social Work Marina Kabanova, Chair of the Department of Radiotechnology and Electrodynamics Olga Glukhova, Principal of Gymnasium No. 7 Irina Orlova, Chair of the Department of Meteorology and Climatology Maxim Chervyakov, Director of the Institute of Continuing Professional Education Yurii Golub, and Head of the Office for Patriotic Education and Preventive Medicine Sergei Kulik.
Lyudmila Aksenovskaya noted in her speech that each structural unit of SSU had made its tangible contribution to the implementation of the tasks set by the university management. The Faculty of Psychology has developed the Positive Psychological Counselling programme, which is in demand by applicants. It is focused on the needs of psychological assistance to the SMO participants. The Cross-Cultural Psychology programme responds to the challenges of the time related to interethnic and interreligious relations.
In her speech, Marina Kabanova emphasized the increasing importance of social work at the university. Psychological assistance comes to the fore. The students who find themselves in difficult situations are of special attention – the children of the SMO participants, low-income citizens, orphans, and students with disabilities. The direction of work to promote the employment of graduates is developing.
Olga Glukhova spoke about the work of her research group. The scientists are searching for new nanomaterials to solve applied and fundamental tasks of electronics, photonics, and biomedicine. All the activities of the scientific group are united by the Kvazar digital platform, which includes several unique software and information complexes. Olga Glukhova proposed to refine the Kvazar-S digital platform focusing on the schoolchildren interested in physics. And at SSU, it will be possible to conduct master classes for teachers.
Maxim Chervyakov commented on the work with schoolchildren. The university has initiated and participated in many pedagogical and educational projects aimed at close interaction with future students. Schoolchildren are involved in the work of the Pedagogical Classroom, attend classes at schools of young researchers at the faculties and the institutes, listen to lectures by the SSU teaching staff, as well as at the Constellation Camp and the Galaxy Centre.
The CONSILIUM successful project for young teachers was touched upon by Irina Orlova. It is implemented at Gymnasium No. 7, which is a long-term partner of Saratov State University.
‘Since 2021, the relations between SSU and Gymnasium No. 7 have reached a new level – the school has joined the implementation of the Priority 2030 programme. More than 100 young teachers gather at Gymnasium No. 7 every month and gain important knowledge – novice teachers conduct master classes and listen to lectures by experienced university mentors on topical issues of education,’ she noted.
Irina Orlova added that the principals of Saratov schools support all the initiatives of the university to work with high school students and thanked SSU for the teaching staff. ‘Over the past five years, more than 30 graduates and undergraduates have been working in our schools in various subjects. Of course, I mean primary schools, these are philologists, mathematicians, physicists, computer science teachers, and physical education teachers. It is great that they are motivated and willing to develop in the teaching profession. And we are not ashamed of the graduates who are working with us.’ The principal cited as an example one of the SSU graduates, Daria Kachkayeva, a teacher of Russian language and literature. She has received a federal award – the badge For Youth and Professionalism. Irina Orlova recalled that the Department of Childhood Pedagogy was opened at the gymnasium, and invited all students to have internships at the gymnasium.
Sergei Kulik commented in detail on the university participation in humanitarian and social projects aimed at supporting military personnel, the mobilised, their families, as well as citizens from new regions. This is the work of the #WEARETOGETHER headquarters, the Letters to Defenders of the Fatherland project, and the On Top with RSB project, the University Shifts project, etc.
Yurii Golub concluded that the university is on the trajectory of sustainable development, continues to increase its educational, scientific, and innovative potential. He marked that the rector's corps has been rotating at the higher school for more than one year. Therefore, the trust of Alexei Chumachenko’s next rector's term can be regarded as recognition by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of his effectiveness in this position.
The participants of the discussion suggested that the rector's work should be considered satisfactory. The proposal was adopted unanimously. In his reply, Rector Alexei Chumachenko thanked his colleagues for their support and stressed that the SSU successful work in 2023 is the merit of everyone.
