The leap year 2020 is coming to an end - a year that has become a real challenge for millions of people around the world. Confusion before the coronavirus pandemic at some point swept across countries, organizations, and each person individually. The effectiveness of finding ways out of the crisis and new opportunities to continue a full life was predetermined by the existing experience and the willingness to introduce non-standard formats.
Vyatka State University was among the universities that managed to restructure the educational process very quickly without compromising quality: e-learning courses, developed here earlier in accordance with high modern requirements, became an excellent help. In the new conditions, the work was continued - and not only to achieve internal goals: VyatSU specialists provided consulting support to colleagues from other organizations. For example, they were among the founders of the Teacher Assistance Center for organizing online learning, providing advice on working with available platforms and tools for distance education.
The rapid transition of VyatSU to the remote format made it possible to fully implement the extensive plan of advanced training programs addressed to a wide range of Russian and regional partners. In December, VyatSU trained scientific and pedagogical workers and employees of employing organizations to implement modern continuing education programs within the framework of the federal project “New opportunities for everyone” of the national project “Education”. Employees of Vyatka State University, together with partners, have implemented seven additional professional advanced training programs on topical issues of science and education.
“Modern methods of bionanotechnology”, “Provisions of the rules of good manufacturing practice (GMP)”, “Biomonitoring as a means of increasing the environmental competence of educators in the natural science cycle”, “Technologies for accompanying persons with disabilities”, “Digitalization of education and e-learning methods”, “BIM-design of civil buildings and structures”, “Digital technologies of machine-building production”- almost 1,300 scientists, managers, specialists from almost 60 regions have been trained on the programs, a number of which are implementing accelerated development programs.
It is no secret that the restrictions caused by the pandemic have reduced the development opportunities of enterprises, primarily small and medium-sized businesses. Some companies had to suspend their activities, while others closed altogether - people who lost their jobs or faced this threat found themselves face to face with the problem of overcoming the professional crisis. Some of them managed to get help in the educational project “Start your own business” - a traditional event commissioned by the center “My Business 43”, implemented at the university's “Boiling point” by specialists from the Institute of Economics and Management of Vyatka State University. The program offered by them, in addition to the traditional topics, was filled with the proper requirements of the current reality - this allowed us to open new business horizons and develop fresh ideas. As a result, according to the organizers, 120 business plans were protected, more than 30 participants opened their own business. A similar effect was produced by the Successful Entrepreneur program, whose participants - experienced businessmen - were looking for the best options for restarting their companies.
The realities of the time stimulated the university to strengthen international contacts. Daffodil International University from Bangladesh has become one of the new partners of the largest university in the Kirov region. In December, VyatSU teachers held several webinars for foreign students, each of which was highly appreciated.
A bright achievement of the outgoing year was the university's participation in the VII annual national exhibition “VUZPROMEXPO”, where VyatSU presented a promising case in the field of inclusive higher education. A bright achievement of the outgoing year was the university's participation in the VII annual national exhibition “VUZPROMEXPO”, where VyatSU presented a promising case in the field of inclusive higher education. The development of “VR technology in teaching students with disabilities” has contributed to the expansion of the range of training areas available to applicants with musculoskeletal disorders, helping to overcome objective difficulties, providing opportunities for the implementation of adaptation, rehabilitation, compensatory tasks of special education. Thanks to the implemented case, twice as many students of the resource educational and methodological center for training disabled people and people with disabilities of VyatSU began to master the specialty “Engineering, technology, technical sciences”.
For exactly one year, the VyatSU Development Fund has been successfully operating. The first investor was VTB Bank, they contributed 3 million rubles to the endowment fund. in July the endowment capital managed by VTB Capital began to work. The income from the endowment fund will be used to support promising investment projects, research, scientific and practical activities of students and teachers of the university, to improve the material and technical base of the university. Cooperation with big business in the region will allow the university to create and implement strategic and long-term projects, to finance the participation of students in all-Russian and international Olympiads and conferences, and develop social, scientific and educational infrastructures.
2020 impressed with the success of students' project activities. Among the most striking are the anti-slip shoe spray for Anna Devyatkova and Ilya Basharin, the production of a new type of long-acting fertilizers by Anna Nelyubina, the introduction of modern forms of interaction with children with disabilities by Svetlana Klepikova. It remains to add that all three cases were supported by the project office of ASI-VyatSU.
Young professionals - these are graduates of VyatSU. Even at the university, they demonstrate a high level of professional competence, which was confirmed by the IV national interuniversity championship “WorldSkills Russia” (“Young Professionals”), held in early December. Two gold medals - this was the result of the participation of the VyatSU team in prestigious competitions. The winners were Maxim Zagoskin (competency “Laboratory chemical analysis”) and Igor Prozorov (“IT solutions for business on the platform 1C: Enterprise").
Speaking about the results of the year, it is impossible to tell about all of them; but it seems necessary to say a few words about the achievement of the VyatSU Engineering Center. Just a few days ago, the workers completed the work on a large-scale project, implemented by order of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Aviation Materials. This is a helical rolling mill designed to produce high-strength wear-resistant steel. The equipment is powerful, but at the same time it is much shorter and lighter than the standard one, therefore it can be placed in a fairly small area and does not require complex fundamental decisions. The implementation of this project was another obvious success of the specialists of the Engineering Center with the participation of machine-building enterprises of the region.
The positions of Vyatka State University at the federal and international levels are strengthening from year to year. So, according to the “National Rating of Universities” (Interfax) in 2020 VyatSU takes 59th place. In 2015, it was in 103rd position - thus, the positive dynamics amounted to 44 points. In the international ranking of educational institutions Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, VyatSU in the past year took 71st position among almost 1,100 Russian universities (including branches) that took part in the ranking. If we talk about the global ranking, which assessed about 30,000 higher educational institutions from more than 200 countries, then VyatSU was on the 3534 line. Since 2016, VyatSU has risen by 176 positions among Russian universities. The international ranking of universities SCImago Institutions Rankings 2020 is also indicative: 7026 universities and scientific organizations of the world are represented in it, including 136 leading universities in Russia. VyatSU ranks 31st among the strongest Russian universities and 783rd out of 7026 universities and research organizations in the world.
And finally, about the main intrigue of the year. Back in June, rector Valentin Pugach announced that Vyatka State University would cease to be a Flagship University. Indeed, the program for the development of flagship universities in Russia for 2016-2020 came to an end. New challenges are ahead - VyatSU is ready to answer!
Translated by Anna Dedjuhina
