The Russian side was represented by leading specialists in the sphere of education. Minin University was responsible for the work agenda and inviting guests from the Russian side. NSPU delegation was represented by rector Alexander Fedorov, rectorate advisers Evgeny Zakablukovskiy and Olga Kim, professor and doctor of education Elena Ilaltdinova.
The aims of the first ‘Forum of Teachers and Education in Russia and China’ are exchanging experience in the sphere of raising teaching staff, assisting in reforms and developing pedagogical education in the context of tomorrow’s challenges in Russia and China.
The speech given by Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Fedorov, Minin University rector, was devoted to the front-running educational policy and open pedagogical university development of the future and tackled the system of education for teachers in China and Russia within the context of global educational agenda.
“We see the most significant state resource of creating the desirable, controllable future through raising new generations in the pedagogical education and the work of a teacher”
There were three important topics in the centre of the speech:
• ‘landscape of challenges’: problems, distortions and shortages of national and regional educational policies, that are common for different countries and without which it is impossible to make steps forward.
• the Russian viewpoint on the conditions of forming a new stage in educational system for teachers development.
• technologies and organizational solutions that are considered perspective in resolving the emphasized issues.
The rector of NSPU named after K. Minin represented the Open pedagogical education of the future model including the ‘teacher’ profession life cycle support programme, digital pedagogics, individual oriented programme in the educational life cycle, generations convention, a new type of pedagogical labour division, cognitive technologies.
Aleksandr Fedorov believes that a new division of the pedagogical labour and introducing new professions for teachers are the two most important and, obviously, inevitable tendencies regarding teacher’s profession transformation. The division of teacher’s labour will be connected with its growing complexity, a substantial increase in requirements to adulthood, receiving quality education and raising civic consciousness.
Minin University developed and conducted a successful practical evaluation of the e-service of postgraduate support for graduates to ensure cooperation between the mentor and the young professional. It includes resources for distant collaboration and support of young professionals and their mentors. This e-service is built on the concept of double mentorship, when a young teacher works both with the university mentor who used to guide him during university education and a school mentor.
In addition, Minin University took part in the ‘International Forum on the Interrelation between Education and a Happy Life’. The representatives from universities from China, Russia, Japan, the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and South Korea participated in this forum. Minin University took an active part in discussing the global educational agenda and the contemporary educational landscape.
The main aim of the second forum was to study the global experience and case-study on the topic of in-depth study of controversies between the growing demand for the adequate standard of living and uneven education development.
The forums were held for the first time. As a result of its work, it was agreed to hold such events annual.
Negotiations were held within the framework of the visit with the university-partner principals during which the current partnership projects results as well as scaling of students’ and teachers’ academic mobility programmes of ASPU and NSPU named after K. Minin were discussed: this year ASPU students are completing the double bachelor’s degree programme with defending their theses on June, 25th. The head of the Chinese language department of Minin University T.G. Charchoglyan has already left for Anhui. The work of summer school is planned for the August of this year. It is also planned that a group of teachers and the representatives of educational sphere from Anhui province from Anhui State Pedagogical University are coming to upgrade their qualifications in Minin University. Besides that, 20 students from ASPU are participating in the summer school. In addition, the delegation met a group of Minin University students, getting their double bachelor’s degree diploma in China.
Minin University is planning to expand its cooperation programs with Chinese partners next academic year.