Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
A meeting of the Council of Vice-Rectors for Youth Policy and Educational Activities of Universities of the Novosibirsk Region was held at NSU on March 18. The meeting discussed current issues of volunteer work, military-patriotic education, and the development of youth entrepreneurship.
In his welcoming address, NSU Rector and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Dmitry Pyshny noted that youth policy has recently become increasingly important, acquiring national significance. Vice-rectors for youth policy and educational activities are at the forefront of student engagement. Universities in the Novosibirsk region have accumulated extensive experience in this area.
"You are now becoming not only the organizers of the educational process, but also the force that determines youth engagement policy. For this work to be effective, it's important to view young people not as objects of influence, but as full partners, engaging the active student body in your work. It will be much easier for them to work with their peers than for older generations, because they understand what we might not expect, and they are the ones who will be able to find the right words and the right approaches to their peers," Dmitry Pyshny told the vice-rectors.
Svetlana Korolkova, Deputy Head of the Youth Policy Department of the Novosibirsk Region (NSO), spoke to those present about current youth policy challenges. She explained how volunteer and volunteer activity is analyzed on the platform. Dobro.rfCurrently, 17 Novosibirsk region universities are registered on the platform. Their activity on the platform is assessed based on three key indicators: the number of events organized, the number of volunteers involved, and the number of hours volunteered. Svetlana Korolkova noted that the platform is currently imperfect, as it does not allow for a comprehensive analysis of university activities in this area, and assessing only three key indicators is insufficient.
She also emphasized that achieving high results in the development of volunteer and volunteer activities by universities is difficult without building effective channels: no matter how active the volunteer corps is, achieving high efficiency without the participation of department heads is problematic.
Svetlana Korolkova proposed that the vice-rectors focus their efforts on developing student tourism. The first introductory webinar was held in March of this year, attended by nine universities in the Novosibirsk region. It was noted that the strongest tourism clubs are organized at Novosibirsk State University and Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University. A proposal was made to organize an inter-university event as part of this effort. The next webinar will take place in the coming days. The information presented during this training session will help those interested in starting a student tourism club from scratch.
In her speech, Svetlana Korolkova mentioned the large-scale project "Yunost.art Art Residency," which received support from the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) as part of the national project "Youth and Children." It was made possible by the region's victory in the All-Russian competition for comprehensive youth policy development programs, "Region for the Young." This offsite event will be held from April 18 to 22 at the Oleg Koshevoy Educational Park. Young people aged 18 to 35 are welcome to participate. The program will cover several areas: theater, music, fine arts, architecture, photography, video, and art management. The best projects emerging from this session will receive comprehensive resource support for their further implementation. Applications will be accepted until April 5, and NSU students are invited to participate in this creative event.
Tatyana Lukina, Vice Rector for Youth Policy and Educational Work at Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, discussed tools for developing volunteerism at a higher education institution. She believes that successful development of the volunteer movement at the university requires creating a supportive environment where everyone feels part of a team. This can be achieved by holding events that foster connections between volunteers and create a comfortable working atmosphere. It's crucial to establish a clear organizational structure and formulate clear rules. It's crucial to provide volunteers with a variety of job openings and opportunities so they can choose a direction that matches their interests and skills. Young people should also be provided with opportunities to participate in regional and national projects and build a system of support and recognition. Developing leadership and initiative also contributes to the effectiveness of this work.
Elena Vovk, Vice Rector for Youth Policy at the Siberian University of Consumer Cooperatives, shared her experience organizing a military-patriotic club. The "Bars" military-patriotic club opened at the university last November, but its cadets have achieved remarkable results in such a short time thanks to their participation in a number of military-patriotic and military-sports events at both the city and interuniversity levels.
"The club's main focus is law enforcement. This is not surprising, as our university's law faculty is the largest, and the largest number of students are enrolled in the Law Enforcement program," said Elena Vovk.
Vyacheslav Gorchakov, curator of the federal youth entrepreneurship development program "I'm in Business" in the Novosibirsk Region, spoke about the implementation of the federal youth entrepreneurship development program at Novosibirsk universities. This program aims to create and nurture a new generation of leaders, mentors, and individuals who will create projects and develop businesses within the region.
"Seventy-two regions of the Russian Federation are participating in the program, with the Novosibirsk Region being a key one. The importance of our large-scale project is demonstrated by the fact that 47% of young people under 25 want to become entrepreneurs, but only 27% positively assess the opportunities for self-fulfillment in their region," explained Vyacheslav Gorchakov.
He also discussed the program's implementation logic, key events, and educational tracks for Season 9, which includes a four-week module for project team mentors, an educational entrepreneurship game at universities, an eight-week training module within the federal "I'm in Business" program, and other activities aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills and creating successful commercial projects.
Vice-Rector for youth policy and educational work of NSU Olga Yakovleva invited the International Friendship Clubs of Novosibirsk universities to participate in the annual International Youth Forum "Interweek," which will be held at NSU in late April 2026.
"The forum's events, held during the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, are aimed at fostering youth in the spirit of interethnic friendship, as well as fostering dialogue and mutual understanding. Possible formats for participation include organizing an interactive platform in the tent city and participating in the concert program on the International Arbat, as well as university sports teams participating in the InterGames Student Sports Festival," explained Olga Yakovleva.
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