Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
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Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and the St. Petersburg Regional Public Organization "Association of Veterans of the North Caucasus Military District 'Defenders of the Motherland'" signed a strategic cooperation agreement, laying the foundation for the further development of their partnership.
Under the leadership of Vice-Rector for Continuing and Pre-University Education Dmitry Tikhonov, representatives of SPbPU held a working meeting with the chairman of the regional public organization "Association of Veterans of the North-West Military District "Defenders of the Motherland" of St. Petersburg, holder of the Order of Courage Georgy Zhuravlev, and the head of the organization's district branch in the Kalininsky District, a participant of the North-West Military District, Andrei Goncharov.
The partners discussed key issues of cooperation in the areas of patriotic education, social rehabilitation, continuing education and professional retraining, as well as the development of a volunteer movement to support veterans of the Soviet Military District, opening up new prospects for collaboration between the university and the association. Polytechnic University staff shared their comprehensive experience and plans for working with military personnel and residents of new regions. Participants in the dialogue included Natalia Chicherina, Director of the Humanities Institute; Anna Rubtsova, Director of the Higher School of Linguistics and Pedagogy; Tatyana Savekina, Director of the Center for Corporate and Network Continuing Professional Programs; and Tatyana Nam, Director of the SPbPU Dobro.Center.
Georgy Zhuravlev discussed the association's activities, including assistance to veterans of special military operations and their families, patriotic education of children and youth, basic military training, preserving military-historical memory, social adaptation of military personnel after injuries, education, employment, and more.
The Polytechnic University is consistently and systematically building support for participants and veterans of special military operations. Cooperation is developing both large-scale project of SPbPU — from identifying educational needs and building a partner network to designing digital tools and implementing adapted retraining programs. Coordination is carried out by the Directorate of Continuing Education and Industry Partnerships, together with the university's specialized institutes, ensuring the integration of engineering and humanities training with social support mechanisms and creating conditions for veterans' professional and personal fulfillment.
The signing of the agreement was a logical continuation of the active volunteer work that Polytechnic has been conducting for three years with the state foundation "Defenders of the Fatherland" in St. Petersburg as part of the All-Russian campaign
Volunteers at the Harmony Center provide comprehensive support to SVO participants and their families.
Humanitarian aid: collecting, delivering, and assisting with loading humanitarian aid for children, residents of Donbas, and those at the front; assembling tactical first aid kits and holiday gifts; making tactical bracelets, plush amulets, and talismans. Work in the regional headquarters warehouses. Cultural support: organizing concerts in military hospitals, providing excursions and escorting participants of the SVO to cultural events. Patriotic education and mentoring development: meetings between students and SVO veterans in the "honest conversation" format; organizing courage lessons for schoolchildren in the Kalininsky district with the participation of veterans. Social assistance: accompanying the families of SVO participants, organizing family lounges. Meeting at the train station and accompanying children from the new regions on vacation in the Leningrad Region. Escorting soldiers to medical examinations in city medical facilities. Hospital supervision: since April 2025, the SPbPU Harmony Center has been the supervisor of the military hospital at the L. G. Sokolov North-West District Scientific and Clinical Center.
The agreement will strengthen cooperation in educational and social spheres, providing veterans of the North Caucasus Military District with opportunities for professional development and participation in addressing key issues in the country's technological development. This initiative is fully aligned with the goals of the federal program "Priority 2030" and aims to unlock the potential of veterans for the benefit of Russia's technological leadership.
"We believe the discussion about the various training options for special military operation participants and veterans should be more active and systematic. In this regard, cooperation with the association will allow us to more accurately define training formats, program topics, and required modules. And most importantly, to present a model that works at the regional and federal levels," noted Dmitry Tikhonov, Vice-Rector for Continuing and Pre-University Education at SPbPU.
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