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Sochi Hosts the ‘Priority 2030’ Program Workshop

On June 2–4, The scientific and practical workshop for educational establishments participating in consortiums formed under the “Priority 2030” governmental university support program on tourism, ESG and agriculture development was held at the Russian International Olympic University (RIOU).

The event was attended by the key experts from MGIMO, Sochi State University (SSU), Russian International Olympic University (RIOU), Southern Federal University (SFU), Astrakhan State University (ASU), Stavropol State Agrarian University (StGAU), Kuban State Agrarian University (KubSAU ), Pyatigorsk State University (PSU), the Institute of Geoecological Engineering of the Russian State Hydrometeorological University (RSHMU), Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management (NSUEU), Innopolis University, and also by the representatives of the Federal State Budgetary Institution Agroexport, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, the Russian Union of Tourist Industry, the Federal tourism agency, the Committee for Tourism of the Moscow Region, the Center for Pedagogical Excellence and Sberanalytics.

The main goal was to discuss and identify effective educational tools and methods for enabling students with skills and abilities necessary for contemporary labor market, further scientific and technological progress in tourism, agrisector and ESG (environmental and socially oriented development). The participants have already done a lot within the strategic projects of the “Priority 2030”. On analyzing the related achievements and challenges, the experts reassured that cooperation is to go on and specified the next steps to be taken.

“MGIMO has been in touch with Russian universities, and the workshop is reinforcing the process. The meeting in Sochi is combining various missions – expert discussions and personal opinions, visits to Sochi schools and universities. The congregation is sure to entail a series of summer classes to be held in Pyatigorsk, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, and two other big events. At the forthcoming ESG conference we are going to present our vision of the ESG rating for Russian regions, whilst additional education seminars, which we are elaborating in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agroexport, are on the schedule of the Stavropol Agrarian University and Astrakhan State University”, – declared Artyom Malgin , Vice-Rector for Development, Head of the MGIMO Rector’s Office.

Sessions and round tables were aimed at training personnel and implementation of R&D activities in tourism, agriculture and sustainable development. The experts discussed the current educational system, remastering of the related infrastructure and essential operating tasks for the next decade. The academic officials also shared their insight of the VR technologies and digitalization of educational process, including the “digital department” programs. At the tourism sessions the participants appealed to the most crucial challenges of the industry – lack of hi-perf personnel, deployment of the inbound tourism and new promising areas, such as ecological and educational tourism. The “tourist atlas” initiative was also in point, because using such a tool, the investors should be able to appreciate the real advantages of any region to make correct investing decisions concerning particular territory.

The presentation of the master’s and bachelor’s programs for the management and students of Sochi schools and Sochi State University was among the event’s headlines as well. Artyom Malgin overviewed the MGIMO scholarship, presented the joint MGIMO programs, SSU and RIOU undergraduate and graduate programs “Tourism and Hospitality Industry” and the master’s program “World Agricultural Markets”, which is being implemented in partnership with SSAU and KubGAU, and answered students’ questions.

“Cooperation works rather than competition does. We need more consortiums and joint programs to be set up. Each university has excellent practices, and the academic exchange offers very effective pool of brand-new educational programs, which should promote training highly qualified specialists to be welcome on the labor market”, — summed up S. Grinenko, Dean of the SSU Tourism and Service Faculty.