Minister of Science and Higher Education Mikhail Kotyukov - on new challenges that universities face.

The Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia Mikhail Kotyukov at the Eastern Economic Forum talked about the problems and prospects of higher education, shared his thoughts about attracting foreign students, brain drain, as well as state support for scientists.

— Mikhail Mikhailovich, how many freshmen have entered Russian universities this year?

— 715 thousand.

— Is it a big number or not?

— Certainly, the number is huge. In total, more than 4 million people study at our universities. This includes full-time students, part-time students, evening students, and those who receive a second degree. This year, out of 715 thousand freshmen, 465 thousand will study on a budgetary basis. In principle, this is the optimal amount for the development of the labor market. An important fact must be taken into account: getting an education once in a lifetime is not enough. Many people realize that technology is changing very quickly, competencies must be constantly updated. In this sense, the idea of continuing professional education is more relevant than ever.

Now universities are developing educational projects for adults, so any person can find the program they need for their careers. As part of the national "Education" project, we have begun to create a special information platform. It will work as a navigator, that is, a person can, upon request, find the necessary competencies and educational institutions that can offer these competencies.

The practical component is very important. This is a challenge for universities. Programs should be new and develop dynamically, follow changes in the labor market, and in some cases anticipate these changes and offer students the most advanced educational products.

— And which areas of education this year were the most popular among applicants?

— Previously, we counted that using figures of enrolment competition - how many applications were submitted. It was done this way when I myself entered the university. Today, these figures are not informative enough. Any applicant can choose up to five universities, and in each of them he or she can pick, let’s say, three areas - a total of 15 applications. Therefore, it would not be entirely correct to say that the more applications, the more popular is some specialty. Nevertheless, most people chose medical and pedagogical areas.

— For the first time, I presume?

— This is a trend of recent years. Every 10th person entering a university on a budgetary basis is somehow connected with pedagogy. We talked about these figures on the eve of the admission campaign, which was later confirmed. The economics and jurisprudence are traditionally popular, we see an interest in oriental studies and humanitarian specialties. In fact, this is great, because the spectrum is wide, and applicants can really choose interesting directions for themselves.

A curious situation is related to the winners of all-Russian educational contests for schoolchildren. There are not many of them, a little less than 2%. They usually prefer mathematics and computer science, physics, philology, economics, law and management, and software engineering. I am glad that not everyone went to Moscow and Petersburg. A very good indicators are in Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod. Education centers in many regions of Russia are developing quite dynamically.

— Does anyone leave Moscow to study at universities in other cities?

— We have not specifically monitored it, but if this happens, it is not in large quantities. But there is potential for regional platforms to work together with industrial and high-tech companies to offer a competitive educational program for children and the opportunity to find work on the spot.

For this, within the framework of the "Science" national project we are creating scientific and educational centers. The initiator of the project is practically a region itself, the governor personally leads both the application and the management system. A region forms a new interaction of science, education and production. In fact, training programs are becoming a real tool for training highly qualified personnel who already have a workplace. In general, it will lead to economic development of a region.

— What about the housing support for young academic staff of universities?

— I would expand state support not only to university employees, but also to all research and teaching staff. As part of the federal targeted programs, we are implementing a special subprogram to provide housing for young scientists. It has been working since 2011. Already more than 5.5 thousand families have received real help and improved their conditions. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev personally and very carefully monitors this issue. He proposed this solution in 2010, when he was president.

Now, my colleagues from the Ministry are preparing proposals for expanding the program. It should have various forms: the provision of state housing certificates, the possibility of developing official housing funds. The issue of academic mobility will not be left without attention, when young researchers can move from one region to another to participate in various projects.

Another component is the consolidation of people in the territory. For this we need housing cooperatives. We have accumulated experience and land that can be offered for such projects. Now the program will be designed to expand the scope of the provision of certificates. Next year, I think, we will be able to determine the list of additional measures for the construction of facilities and the development of cooperatives.

— It's about "keeping the brains”. But did you manage to solve the problem of "brain drain"?

— Today we do not have a real problem with the massive departure of promising researchers abroad. Moreover, for the development of international cooperation, it is important that our professionals work in the best organizations abroad, and then return.

We have been implementing a program of mega-grants for many years: laboratories are being created in Russian scientific educational institutions to educate young researchers, which are led by internationally recognized scientists. It may be Russians who have gone abroad, or citizens of other states. The task is to form new scientific schools and new teams in Russia under their leadership.

This year we announced the next stage of this competition. We have unprecedented indicators - 11 applications for one place. The interest of recognized scientists to work in Russia is obviously increasing, and this is a good sign. We believe that the task of the national project to attract young researchers to Russian science - 35 thousand people until 2024 - can be carried out taking into account such high pace of work.

— But in general, what is the influx of foreign students into Russian universities? They said that by 2024 there should be 425 thousand.

— This is the goal.

— What is the dynamics? Is the number of foreign students increasing?

— In recent years, dynamics is positive. The number of such students is growing. 425 thousand - a very high bar. By this indicator, we will be one of the leading states in the world. The figure is quite realistic. Today we have about 250 thousand foreigners at our universities, in this sense we see all the opportunities to expand the program.

— Are these students from neighboring countries or the whole world?

— The geography is wide, many come from countries that border Russia. Here we primarily identify promising markets - those countries where Russian companies and corporations plan to work. Training of specialists should be consistent with the implementation of investment projects and building economic and international relations.

— Are there many students from Far Eastern region? I recently flew from China, sitting next to a 21-year-old Chinese freshman, she speaks excellent Russian. I was surprised that she entered Moscow State University and flew there flying to study.

— They fly to Moscow, Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Vladivostok. We are now in the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University, and it also has serious plans to attract foreign students. The annual positive dynamics allows us to be sure that the quality of Russian education is improving, it is more and more in demand in the world. In this sense, we believe that the education export development project can certainly be implemented within the approved framework.

— What is happening with to the Megascience projects?

— This is a very difficult task. We must create a unique scientific infrastructure, the analogues of which are practically nowhere can be found. One of the projects should be implemented on Russky Island. We intend to create a scientific facility here - a synchrotron, which will allow us to conduct research in a wide range of areas. This material science, marine biology, the creation of new drugs and more.

The presidential decree sets clear deadlines and parameters, and a research program is being prepared by the government. It has two components. The first is a list of scientific problems and scientific and practical issues that can and should be resolved in Russia. The second is the technical parameters of those unique installations that need to be formed. The program has actually reached the final stage. We held several strategic sessions with potential users of the installations, determined the software component and are now concluding the discussion with technical experts.

— Let's get back to education. What principles the yesterday's school graduates follow to choose a university? Are they chasing fashion? And how to teach youth and their parents to choose not by brand, but by quality? Or can a brand in education be considered as a quality mark?

— This is a difficult question. It is not only about choosing a university. It is always better when choice is rational - but what is rational? This is a fairly relative indicator for each individual person. The brand plays an important role today. As consumers, we somehow respond to it. In this sense, we, of course, support the efforts of our universities to increase performance in both Russian and international rankings. Some success has been achieved here, but it is more important that the content of the educational program meets the needs of the labor market - current and promising.

Today 715 thousand freshmen have been enrolled and we understand that we need current programs. After four years of undergraduate program or five years of specialty program, upon entering the labor market, the knowledge and competence of graduates should correspond to the demands of time.

For this, it is necessary to increase the practical component in the implementation of educational programs so that industrial partners and employers will cooperate not only during entrance and final exams, but during the entire education process. It is very important. We believe that company employees can teach at universities and read part of the course. Students must undergo practical training in those production conditions that they will later encounter. Today, such programs will certainly develop.

Material by Izvestia 

A new stage of life for all the freshmen and first graders begins with the Knowledge day. Students of the Tomsk State Pedagogical University, also made the first step towards the successful teaching career. Filled with various events, the September holiday at TSPU was the day of the first impression into the university atmosphere for all the freshmen.

At the gala receptionthe rector of TSPU Andrei Makarenko was the first to meet freshmen at the university.

Graduates of TSPU, young teachers and heads of student structures of the university told about their personal experience of professional development and shared stories about student life, the opportunities that the university opens during training and after graduation. The dancing treams of the TSPU also greetd the freshmen with fiery numbers.

During the second part of the holiday, first-year students who came to study from other countries, cities and regions, have acquainted with the "Siberian Athens", its sights, memorable places, recreation parks and famous personalities who harmoniously entered their names in the history of Tomsk. The annual game "Tomsk Minibus" - a quest on Tomsk land helped guys to know our city. Having divided into teams, young representatives of all ten faculties of the university overcame routes from five stations, at each of which they performed creative, intellectual, and sports tasks. The first three teams that managed to outrun the rest received delicious and practical prizes. There were also awards for the most creative guys: pleasant gifts were presented to students who won in a special competition for the best team photo.

However, overcoming obstacles quickly and efficiently is not the main idea of the game. Its goal is to make friends with colleagues in the process of participation, to understand that the university is a large platform for useful and interesting communication, which is not limited to one building and one group. The students united thanks to a picnic organized in the park after the game, and a guitar concert from the students of TSPU and the city cover band Neorchestra.

Dear colleagues, dear students!

Let me congratulate you on Knowledge Day!
Today we are about to start a new academic year!
Each time this day opens the door to the world of new opportunities, exciting discoveries, bright achievements and victories.

Let this autumn day be a brave beginning and confident continuation of beautiful pedagogical journey, and the creative energy of education, openness and warmth of our hearts will be a reliable guarantee of great and small successes at the Tomsk State Pedagogical University!

I wish you good health, wisdom and patience in achieving your goals.

Happy holiday!

The Center for Additional Physics, Mathematics and Science Education of TSPU was visited by the famous popularizer, author and director of school and university physical experiments, the leading developer of university video tasks for students at the general physics course, professor of the Department of General Physics of Kazan Federal University Alexander Izrailovich Fishman.

At TSPU, the guest got acquainted with the activities of the Center and the organization of physical experiments at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics and told about the work of his department. The meeting was held with the participation of a Tomsk experimenter in physics, a teacher at the Department of General Physics, TSPU A.R. Arzhanik. In the course of fruitful communication, an exchange of ideas on the organization of university and school experiment took place, including the organization of an experimental tour of school competitions and the development of students' project activities.

Author's experience of A.I. Fishman was reflected in the creation of a modern school electronic textbook, which was presented to physics teachers as part of the "August.pro" pedagogical forum.

For the fourth time, a pedagogical camp organized by the Tomsk State Pedagogical University for schoolchildren of 8-11 grades from 15 educational institutions of the city of Tomsk took place at the "Solnechny" Center.

This time, cultural and educational events were associated with the Russian Schoolchildren's Movement (RSM) - "Develop! Move! Walk! ” Throughout the camp, the guys got acquainted not only with the directions and projects of the RSM but also with the pedagogical professions: educator, senior counselor, organizing teacher, social educator, commissioner for children's rights.

Following the plan of the camp, students were immersed in the history of pioneering organization and scouting. Every day was filled with professional tests, workshops, trainings, competitive events. One of the squad’s most useful activities was the holding of a competitive gaming program for the youngest of children, as well as a detective game.

As a result of two weeks of work, the guys defended their projects for organizing extracurricular activities for schoolchildren, the best of which were awarded with diplomas of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd degree.

“The camp was amazing: I liked everything, - the participants share their emotions. - I would like to experience this one more time. The Pedagogical Camp is an excellent project that helps to find oneself in pedagogical activity. With pleasure we attend lessons, participate in competitions and sessions. I wish there were more such events! ”

А new academic year is waiting for children, and in winter - a new opportunity to visit the TSPU pedagogical camp!

Members of the "Danko" pedagogical team of TSPU has started the last shift of the third labor semester of 2019 at the "Ogonyok" children's recreation camp. The start of the thematic shift “Athletes are changing their profession” will be remembered by the children thanks to vivid concert where the numbers by guides and pupils will be presented. “During their time in the camp, the children will learn the basics of cinema: how to create movie scripts, set frames, shoot videos", - says Taisiya Shutova, the TSPU student from the Faculty of the foreign languages.

In total, seven guides of the Tomsk State Pedagogical University work in the camp. “Hundreds of games, many serious tasks, liters of compote from the dining room and meters of adhesive tape are waiting for us ahead, - says Taisiya. - We, as future teachers, are ready to impress children with unusual quests, military tactical games and many other events that were prepared during the year.”

At the 18th of August in the city of Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Region, the fourth international sambo tournament was held in memory of the honored trainer of the USSR, founder of the Kstovo sambo school Mikhail Burdikov. The student of Tomsk State Pedagogical University Valeria Anisimova has successfully performed at the competition and won the silver award in the category up to 64 kg.

This time the International Olympic Sports Academy accepted sambo fighters from Russia, Belarus, Germany, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Romania. In total 18 sets of awards were given awat. “This tournament is special, because its opening coincides with the celebration of the 55th anniversary of Kstovsky Sambo, - the organizers say - In 2019, every academy competition is held under the auspices of this date.”

Tspu student, a student of the Tomsk regional sports school of the Olympic reserve, an athlete-instructor of the children and youth sports school "Rus" Valeria Anisimova showed an impressive perfomance durint all the stages of the competition. In the final, our athlete also showed a decent result and became the second in her weight category.

Employees of Tomsk State Pedagogical University became participants of the XIV interregional festival of the peoples of Siberia "Etudes of the North", which took place on the picturesque territory of the Oskie Lakes, near the village of Parabel. The holiday program included a theatrical concert of creative groups and conductors from all over the Siberia, an open-air museum Chumel Chvech, the contests "Narym fish soup" and "Beauty of the North 2019", national competitions and crafts and folk art fairs.

As usual there were Parabel local history (Selkup) readings “Preservation, development and popularization of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the indigenous population of the Tomsk Region”. The main goal of the anniversary conference was to discuss and find solutions for urgent problems of the saving and development of languages and cultural of Siberian people. Annually, specialists from the laboratories of the peoples of Siberia and the Department of Archeology and Ethnology of TSPU support the initiative associations of the indigenous peoples of Kolpashevsky, Parabelsky, Kargasoksky districts and assist in organizing and conducting such events.

The next year the festival, which gathers more and more guests and participants, students and young professionals from Tomsk Pedagogical, will celebrate its 15th anniversary.

According to the international agency Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Tomsk entered in the top 10 best cities in the world and took the 4th position in the price-quality ratio of higher education. A high level of education in Tomsk is provided by six remarkable universities, including the leader of pedagogical education in Russia - Tomsk State Pedagogical University.

Studying at the TSPU allows students to find their profession and test their strengths in research, creativity, sports, various social projects and areas of activity such as television, entrepreneurship, counseling and volunteering, stage performance and much more. The atmosphere of friendship and mutual respect helps students of different nationalities from different regions of Russia, countries of near and far abroad to achieve success in obtaining education and revealing their abilities. And open communication environment of the city and the university allows foreign students to feel themselves at home in a friendly environment.

"Tomsk has a large number of universities and research institutes, which makes it one of the largest centers of science and information technologies in Russia and proves the honorary title of Siberian Athens. Despite the long and extreme winters, this is a great place to study, as well as for skiing and other outdoor activities, in addition, there are several theaters and museums that allow you to spend your free time", - say experts from Quacquarelli Symonds about Tomsk.

According to the results of the regional competition “Sports Elite 2019”, Valeria Anisimova, the TSPU student of the Faculty of Physical Culture and Sports, the master of sports of Russia of international class in sambo, is included in the top ten of “Best Athlete in Non-Olympic Sports” nomination. Valeria is not only successfully undegoing the educational program of the university, but she is also a student of the Tomsk regional sports school of the Olympic reserve and an instructor of the children and youth sports school "Rus".

For the period from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019, the competition committee determined the best athletes, coaches and specialists in the field of sports who achieved high results and made a significant contribution to the development of physical culture and sports in the Tomsk Region in nine categories: “Best Athlete”, “The best sports team”, “The best coach”, “The best sports judge ”, “The best specialist of a sports team”, “For sport service”, “Popularization of sports”, “The best sports event”, “Patron of sports”.

The TSPU student was included in the list of the best, representing not only the university, but also the Tomsk regional branch of the Public Fund "All-Russian Sambo Federation".

The best results in the season 2018-19.

• World Championship among juniors in 2018, Tbilisi (Georgia) - 1st place.
• Women's European Championship 2019, Gijon (Spain) - 2nd place.
• Russian Championship for Women 2019, Kazan - 2nd place.
• Russian Championship among juniors under 23 years of 2019, Kstovo - 2 place.
• International tournament of category “A” Memorial Yu. Potapov, Vladivostok - 1st place.