TOMSK, Nov 23 – RIA
Tomsk. Experts from Russia and five more countries will discuss the prospects
of development and urgent problems of the university cities. Why Tomsk became
the platform for the international forum and which forms of discussion will take
place – in material of RIA Tomsk.
"Clever" city is a university city
According to the region administration, the I
International forum of University Cities will take place in Tomsk on
November 23-26.
The head of regional Department of International and
Regional Relations Alexey Stukanov told journalists on Wednesday at the press
conference in the RIA Tomsk media center that interaction of a city and a
university will become a principal theme of discussion at the Forum.ъ
"University city is continuation of the subject
"smart city". Now only lazy person doesn't speak about SMART-city,
but it would be desirable to discuss, what is it. Tomsk, as far as I know, is
the only one or one of absolutely few cities of Russia, in which charter it is
written down that the scientific and educational complex is the city-forming
entity", – he noted.
© РИА Томск. Павел Стефанский
Head of Department of International and Regional of the Tomsk Region Administration Alexey Stukanov
According to the region administration, organizers of
the event is the
Tomsk State University (TSU), administration of the Tomsk
region, Embassy of France in Russia, consulate general of Germany in Siberia,
the German Society of International Cooperation GIZ.
"Tomsk always acted as an open university city,
and we are very glad that there are three Novosibirsk higher education
institutions and Irkutsk, Altai, and the Institute of Europe of RAS (Moscow) at
the Forum", – Stukanov added.
According to him, not only representatives of the
Russian higher education institutions, but also universities of Spain, France,
Germany, Great Britain and Norway also participate in the conference.
Planning of the future
As the head of the regional Department of Science and
Higher Education Nikolay Minayev noted at the press conference, wishes from
participants of all levels how to make the city more convenient for students
will become the main practical result of the Forum for Tomsk.
"There are territories, which gravitate to
universities, but are located in such a way that students visit them, use
infrastructure. And we want, development of the territories was based on a
system basis. And the Forum will help to deliver accent and to understand how
it is the most effective to use our resources", – he explained.
The deputy director of the Institute of Europe of RAS
Vladislav Belov considers that specific proposals on interaction of the power,
business and higher education institutions in "Tomsk as cultural and
historical, economic and political space" shall become the main outcome of
the Forum.
Vladislav Belov about the I International Forum of University Cities
In his opinion, Tomsk can use experience of the
European university cities, for example, Marburg, which has submitted the
application for inclusion in heritage of UNESCO. He suggested to carry out
"the exchange of contacts" within the Forum for exchange of
experience.
"I think that the Forum has to "sound"
not only in Siberia. It would be desirable that the Forum would get a federal
level. It can surprise many", – he told.
Open space and real experience
Officially the Forum will be opened on Wednesday.
Participants will discuss the main trends of development of university cities
of the 21st century at the plenary session.
According to the chief scientific secretary of TSU
Lyudmila Borilo, there are such prominent foreign experts as the specialist in
town planning Nicolas Buchoud and the head of the European program "City
Dynamics" Mineyro Mari José among the invited guests of the event.
Specialists in town planning and business development are among Russian
conferees.
Lyudmila Borilo about the I International Forum of University Cities
She specified that not only traditional round tables,
but also a big case conference will take place within the event, where
experience of several university cities – Lyon, Bath, Nantes, Regensburg and
Tomsk will be presented.
As Minayev noted, the competition of projects on
development of Tomsk campus will become one of the important stages of the
Forum. 10 works have been applicated, and two "most significant" will
be presented on Thursday within a round table.
"We will hear the direct speech of students and
we will understand what concerns them", – he emphasized.
© РИА Томск. Павел Стефанский
Head of the regional Department of Science and Higher Education Nikolay Minayev
In turn Belov reported that within the Forum the
discussion in a format of "open space will take place" – OpenSpace.
"We carried out a similar one in Novosibirsk.
(OpenSpace is a space), where the subject, trends of development of the cities
are set, where there are no speakers and moderators, and there is a community
of participants, who offer subjects, try to interest other participants. This
is an appeal to the creative potential of participants. It is unknown who will
head platforms. It is an experiment, and we hope for interesting results",
– he explained.
Belov added that the decisions developed at the Forum
need to be documented that they "haven't gone to sand", but work for
future practical result.