Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The 3rd Slavic Universities Summit "Slavic Horizon 2025" was held at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The event brought together representatives of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the heads and staff of four Slavic universities from Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, as well as RUDN University and the Russian State University for the Humanities. Participants not only summarized the results of long-standing collaboration but also outlined concrete steps for creating a deeply integrated consortium.
"For the Polytechnic University, this isn't just an international project, it's the largest and most systemically important one. Over the past few years, we've held over 200 joint events, implementing around 20 major research areas and dozens of network programs," noted Dmitry Arsenyev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at SPbPU. "Our goal is to create synergistic projects that will unite all members of this community."
The practical part of the first day of the summit included a unique masterclass on the computer simulator "Lean Office at the University." The simulator is a powerful tool for training management teams. For three hours, summit participants experienced a glimpse of university life in a virtual environment, where every mistake is a realization, and every decision is a step toward development.
The summit participants placed special emphasis on working with young people. Maxim Pasholikov, SPbPU Vice-Rector for Information, Youth Policy, and Security, invited colleagues to a session at the historic Hydrotower: "My students and I 'took over' this building from the rector's office about seven years ago, and now it's our unified center. We'll be happy not only to present our practices but also to absorb yours."
Discussions on youth policy and student initiatives demonstrated that this block is a powerful tool for integration. It was proposed to go beyond one-time visits and organize summer and winter schools at Slavic universities, bringing together students from several institutions. Specific initiatives included creating a youth camp at one of the national universities and holding the Universiade at the Russian Agrarian University (RAU) with an invitation to all partners. It was also suggested developing student brigades, reviving the practice of organizing work semesters where students from different countries work together at Russian or national enterprises, similar to Soviet construction brigades. In the area of sports and creativity, the idea was voiced of holding regular joint Spartakiads and festivals, which would facilitate informal student bonding.
At the "Youth Policy" session in the Hydrotower, Maxim Pasholikov presented to his colleagues the system for organizing youth and student activities at the Polytechnic University. He discussed our university's approaches to creating an environment for developing student initiatives, supporting talent, and engaging young people in university life. Then, in the "Workshop of Practices" format, the participating universities presented their best systemic projects in the "Media," "Adaptation," "Creativity," and "Sports" tracks, exchanged experiences, and discussed the possibilities of implementing these practices at their universities. Maxim Susorov, Chairman of the Students' Union, also delivered a report on "The Structure of Student Self-Government at SPbPU." The session helped identify common challenges and promising areas for cooperation and served as a platform for developing a unified database of proven youth policy solutions.
We are currently working on a new methodology for creating a development program that will take into account the unique characteristics and maximize the strengths of each Slavic university, emphasized Anna Kalabina, Head of the International Cooperation Department in Higher Education at the Department of State Policy in Higher Education at the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.
The "Education" session at the summit featured an exchange of best practices between representatives from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The focus was on transforming university educational policies in the face of modern challenges and the drive toward technological leadership. Participants discussed the need to restructure the higher education system, combining the best elements of the Soviet system with the positive experiences of the Bologna Process. Particular emphasis was placed on the transition to single-cycle education, which ensures self-sufficient training of specialists without the need for additional master's degree programs, which is especially relevant for engineering fields. Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Lyudmila Pankova presented examples of the launch of five-year programs developed by Polytechnic University in collaboration with industrial partners.
A key topic of discussion was the implementation of a system for individual student achievement in assessing educational outcomes. Participants shared their experiences in incorporating extracurricular activities, such as participation in Olympiads or completing projects for employers, into ongoing academic performance and state final certification. They discussed approaches to developing digital student portfolios, which will enable the recording and assessment of students' diverse achievements and competencies. Issues of increasing the flexibility of educational programs and their adaptation to rapidly changing labor market demands, including the integration of digital competencies and artificial intelligence, were also touched upon.
Furthermore, the summit focused on practice-oriented education and university networking. Colleagues from Slavic universities discussed the possibility of jointly developing and implementing educational modules to pool competencies and enhance synergies. They also considered strengthening the position of the Russian language and preserving a shared historical and cultural heritage through joint educational and outreach projects. Another area of discussion was the development of university teaching staff, including the introduction of new career paths for faculty and the organization of internships to enhance their practical experience. Participants expressed their willingness to further collaborate, replicate successful practices, and collaborate on projects aimed at modernizing the educational process.
An important initiative was the proposal to hold summits in turn at the sites of all Slavic universities.
The discussion participants agreed on the need to go beyond bilateral ties and implement multilateral network projects. Regarding network and joint programs, the problem of regulatory barriers to launching full-fledged network programs between international partners was highlighted. A proposed solution is to actively develop the format of joint modules, where a professor from one university teaches a course at another. The idea of creating a unified platform where industrial partners could post real-world problems, and students from participating universities would form inter-university teams to solve them and present their results online was also proposed.
Following the meeting, cooperation reached a new level. As Nikita Golovin, head of the Slavic Universities project office and deputy head of the SPbPU International Cooperation Office, aptly noted: "The true value of this summit lies in its working and informal nature, in the atmosphere of open and trusting dialogue. It is in this unconventional environment that the most breakthrough ideas are born. The summit becomes the place where not only the agenda is set, but also responsibility for its implementation is assigned, and a roadmap for future joint work is created."
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