TOMSK, Jun 10 –
RIA Tomsk. Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education
of the Russian Federation Dmitry Afanasiev praised the "Big
University" project; according to him, the association of local
universities and research institutes within the framework of the Big University
will allow Tomsk to claim global leadership in science and training, reports
RIA Tomsk.
It was reported
earlier that Dmitry Afanasiev, Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Science
and Higher Education, would visit three Tomsk universities - Tomsk State University (TSU), Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) and Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR) - on Thursday and familiarize
himself with the projects of Big University and international campus.
"We see the
idea of a Big Tomsk University as a model, a prototype, and at the same time an
opportunity to achieve great, world-class results. The project is not
developing without problems, as always, but it is important that there is a
common vision of tasks and understanding, and even unity of approach (to the
implementation of the project) among all its participants. It may ensure its
great future," said Afanasiev at the meeting with the heads of higher
school and research institutes.
According to him,
the founders of the Big University will have to overcome a number of problems -
organizational, legal, distribution and financial management issues. Tomsk
universities can be helped in solving a number of issues by participating in
the new Program of Strategic Academic Leadership (PSAL) Priority 2030, but the
Big University exceeds it in scale.
"The goal
of the Priority 2030 program is to create a world-class network of research
universities in Russia. And in this matter Tomsk universities have a huge potential,
both in cooperation and individually. And the idea of the Big Tomsk University
is a bid for global leadership," Afanasyev emphasized.
Campus as a good
feeling
During the
meeting, the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education
evaluated, in particular, the construction project of the inter-university
campus on the left bank of the Tom River.
"Developing
the campus project, we are designing a fundamentally new innovative quarter.
The campus itself is 54 hectares, and around it another 400 hectares are
development projects aimed at creating a new attractive environment that will
surround this technological core and create an environment attractive to young
researchers and entrepreneurs," TSU Rector Eduard Galazhinsky emphasized.
According to
him, today there are 86 campuses of such scale in the world that create a new
type of environment favorable for scientific discoveries and high-tech business
development. Tomsk developers are guided by these projects; the task of
creating such an environment is at the core of the terms of reference for
designers and architects, the TSU rector emphasized.
***
Earlier it was
reported that the scientific and educational complex of the Tomsk region is the
key one in the strategy of social and economic development of the region. One
of the first steps in achieving this goal was the creation of the Big
University, which will unite six universities and all Tomsk research institutes
while preserving their legal independence.
It was also
reported that in 2021, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the
Russian Federation launched a new program to increase the competitiveness of
universities - Program of Strategic Academic Leadership (PSAL) Priority 2030.
At the first stage, 120 universities will be selected to participate. The
members of the Tomsk Consortium of Universities and Scientific Organizations
declared their intention to participate in the competition for inclusion in the
program.