From April 3 to April 4, professors from The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) held a professional development workshop at Minin University. The workshop was organized by Professor Lo Sing Kai. At EdUHK, Mr. Lo is Chair Professor of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Associate Vice President of Graduate Studies, and Dean of the Graduate School. Chin Chi On, PhD and John Trent, PhD also conducted training sessions during the visit. Mr. Chin is an Associate Professor in the Linguistics Department and Associate Dean of the Humanities Department, and Mr. Trent is an Associate Professor in the Department of English Education.
The event was attended by professors from Lobachevsky State University and from the Nizhny Novogorod State Technical University named after R.E. Alekseev. These universities, in addition to Minin, are centers of social, educational, and technological innovation in the Nizhny Novgorod Region.
Rector of Minin University, Alexander Fedorov opened the two-day workshop with a speech. He highlighted Minin University’s efforts to participate in the field of global education.
“The challenge we face is to find a balance between national interests and citizen identity,” said Fedorov. “It is a challenge for which our educational system and the mission of global education is well suited. The most important tool in this endeavor is the introduction of the English language into the educational process as a mediating language. The Education University of Hong Kong, a world leader in education, can certainly help us cultivate this tool.”
After Mr. Federov spoke, Mr. Lo gave a short presentation about The Education University of Hong Kong. The prestigious QS World University Rankings rates EdUHK as second out of all pedagogical universities in Asia and as ninth in the world. Additionally, in 2017, Hong Kong was rated as the best city for students to live in.
“We are very pleased with the cooperation between our universities,” said Mr. Lo. “Minin University is one of the few universities in Russia with which we have been able to develop such relations. The choice is not random; Minin University, like us, pays special attention to providing quality training for future teachers. We have had a productive meeting with Rector Fedorov and have come to a number of important agreements. I am especially pleased to say that our annual international summer school for scholars, which attracts 230 educators from all over the world, will have 10 guests from Minin University!”
After these opening remarks, the workshop then turned to a series of seminars. The topics included: “The Role of English in Non-English Speaking Communities” and “Strategies for Learning English as a Mediator in Communication.” Professor Chin and Professor Trent presented 18 strategies for developing academic speaking and writing skills. The speakers also presented research on the interaction between English and local languages in non-English speaking countries. They asked the audience about the impact of English on the Russian language in everyday life.
At the end of the course, participants received certificates from The Education University of Hong Kong.
Other outcomes of the meeting are listed below:
- Representatives from the universities discussed the development of a joint master’s degree program in English, in which students will study at both universities.
- PhD candidates at Minin University will be eligible to apply to complete their degree at The Education University of Hong Kong through a grant from the Hong Kong government.
- Plans were discussed for Stephen Y.L. Cheung, the president of The Education University of Hong Kong, to speak at an education conference in Moscow in October. The meeting is entitled “Education and Pedagogical Sciences” and will be hosted by the Federal Education and Methodical Association in the Field of Higher Education. These plans are not confirmed, however.