Universities and industry join forces: panel discussion at KRSU
At the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, within the framework of the II Russian–Kyrgyz Educational Forum, a panel discussion was held on the topic «Economic needs and opportunities of universities: how universities and industrial partners can work together». The event was moderated by the rector of KRSU Sergey Volkov.
Representatives of government agencies, industry and leading universities in Russia and Kyrgyzstan took part in the discussion. Among them are — Deputy Minister of Science, Higher Education and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurlan Omurov, Chairman of the Board of the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund Artyom Novikov, Rector of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Andrey Rudskoy, representatives of the companies «Alliance Altyn» and «Gazprom Kyrgyzstan».
The main goal of the discussion was to build effective interaction between universities, the state and business. Participants discussed how educational programs can better meet the needs of the economy, and graduates — gain in-demand skills and real opportunities for professional growth.
Sergei Volkov noted that the university should become a link between student talent and the needs of the industry. «University — it's not just walls and schedules. It is a point of gathering talent, technology and the demands of the economy. University — is a bridge between the talent of a young person and the real economy. Our task —is that this bridge can be walked lightly, safely and quickly in both directions: from the classroom to the workshop and laboratory, from the production task to the training module and research», — he emphasized.
The head of the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund, Artyom Novikov, noted at the session that today the key challenge for the Kyrgyz economy remains the lack of qualified personnel. He emphasized that without close interaction between business and universities, the problem cannot be solved. «The main problem of business today — shortage of personnel. Education does not keep up with the demands of the economy, and therefore the dual system of training with practice at enterprises becomes the key to training in-demand specialists», — Novikov said.
Rector of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Andrei Rudskoy emphasized that cooperation with Kyrgyzstan is not based on a position «to teach someone», but on joint creation and exchange of intellectual resources. He noted the successes of Kyrgyz students studying at the Polytechnic, but drew attention to the need to develop the training of highly qualified personnel. «We did not come to teach, but to create together. Today we have talented students from Kyrgyzstan, but so far there is not a single graduate student. But it is the training of highly qualified personnel and the opportunity to award academic degrees —this is a unique prospect for our partnership», — Rudskoy noted.
During the discussion, participants discussed successful examples of cooperation between universities and enterprises in Russia and Kyrgyzstan, the possibility of introducing paid internships and internships for students, the creation of research and production associations and design bureaus. Particular attention was paid to improving the quality of applied research with the participation of industrial partners, the impact of digitalization and IT technologies on personnel training, as well as the potential of university consortia as a platform for large-scale interaction and exchange of experience.
It was noted that only the combined efforts of business, universities and the state can form a full-fledged career track for students — from the classroom to the laboratory and production sites, where knowledge is transformed into practical results.
Summing up the meeting, Sergei Volkov added: «We are ready to be the architects of such a bridge — with enterprises as equal partners, with the state as a co-founder, with the development fund as an organizer of starts. Our task —to ensure that students receive not only knowledge, but also real opportunities for professional implementation».
The panel discussion became one of the key platforms of the forum, turning ideas into concrete proposals for the development of the education system and the economy of Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
