Future Russian doctors gather in Kazan to discuss priorities in education

“It is the students who say what is needed for development”

In 2021, an ambitious state programme Priority-2030 was launched in Russia, aimed at increasing the competitiveness of Russian higher education. And in order to keep up with this race for leadership, Kazan State Medical University decided to hold the first such forum within its walls.

One hundred people from 22 universities and 18 regions of the country came to the forum in Kazan. According to the rector of KSMU Alexey Sozinov, “they are the ones who say what is needed and what is not needed for development.” From 13-15 November, students had brainstorming sessions in three areas: youth and educational policy and research activities. The main message of the forum is simple: students are our everything.

“It is important for us that not only professors and experienced teachers generate ideas — students should also be involved. They are our future,” emphasised Rector of KSMU Alexey Sozinov.

Students need money

According to the forum participants, the state and universities need interested specialists who are ready to develop science. But students are practical people, they are interested not only in the idea, but also in its commercial potential.

“We are promoting science and are interested in our students developing their ideas and projects. In principle, the Priority 2030 programme is designed to ensure that the student does not just publish something, but that it is commercialised and receives money,” said a student at KSMU and Chairman of the University Scientific Society Council Ivan Kolpakov.

Together with his teammate, Deputy Chairman of the council at KSMU Anna Terekhova, he noted that the university already lays the foundations of entrepreneurial skills in students at the first stage of training. Both of the publication's interlocutors expressed hope that the forum will pay attention to the economic side of the projects, since students do not always have the necessary knowledge in this area.

Anna Terekhova stressed that it is important “to further present all this to students so that they can commercialize their ideas and engage in science from an entrepreneurial point of view.”

The young people admitted that at the first stages the results may be insignificant, but it is important to continue moving forward. Kolpakov also noted that even beginning scientists with experience (over 30 years old) are just building their teams and developing projects, and previously they did not have such an opportunity.

“We can say that students are now a real priority, because previously only university employees knew about this, and now it is reaching the level of an ordinary student,” Kolpakov summed up.

Additional 100 million rubles for the work of KSMU

Kazan Medical University started to participate in the programme last December, after two years in the status of a candidate. Along with it, educational institutions from Moscow, Tomsk, Kuban, Yekaterinburg and Surgut were also included.

“Kazan University was included in the programme by a large margin from other participants,” the university's press secretary Oxana Aganina assured the audience.

Every university participating in the programme receives about 100 million rubles. However, there are certain requirements for the development of scientific research, youth science and digital technologies.

“Such events are important for students so that they can learn from practicing specialists working in science and healthcare about real challenges and opportunities. This allows you to broaden your horizons both in the field of medicine and in the field of information technology, which, as Vladimir Putin highlighted, play a key role in education of any profile,” said Rector of the Higher School of Healthcare Organisation and Management, Doctor of Medical Sciences Guzel Ulumbekova.