Rector Aleksei Chumachenko Delivered Annual Report at Academic Council Meeting
On 4 February Saratov University hosted the meeting of the SSU Academic Council with representatives of the academic councils of its faculties and institutes. The rector delivered the 2019 report and commented on the plans.
In the beginning, Aleksei Chumachenko pointed out that last year was special for our university as many big projects had been implemented, new monographies and research articles had been published, ceremonial meetings had taken place, awards had been given, and events devoted to the 110th anniversary of Saratov University had been organised.
Thus, last year we celebrated Karl Mufke Day, anniversaries of some faculties and institutes, we organised the professor meeting, the meeting of the VFD Union of Rectors, numerous festivals and many other events.
The last massive event became the university anniversary celebration in the Saratov Opera and Ballet Theatre on 20 December. It was attended by Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav V. Volodin, Minister of Science and Higher Education Mikhail M. Kotyukov, and Chair of the SSU Board of Trustees, Governor Valerii V. Radayev.
In 2019 the national research university programme finished in SSU which had lasted for 10 years. The rector marked that the university had achieved all the goals: the curriculums had been improved and some new ones had been developed, the research had been deepened and become world-class, the publication index had steadily risen, the cooperation with Russian and international partners had been developed, the positions in international ratings had been improved.
Also Aleksei Chumachenko added, according to the Order of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, all the subordinate research organisations and universities had been divided into three categories, and SSU had been included into the 32 universities list of the first category.
The rector commented that, having become a leading university, SSU would be able to concentrate on new priority tasks, namely to establish a world-class research-to-education centre within the Science national project and participate in the global university contest.
Besides, in 2019 the SSU team became one of the 100 leading universities and took part in the Island 10-22 intensive in Skolkovo; the Boiling Point was opened in the university; we joined to the network project on AI and established the CDO Project and Practice Centre, where 240 education managers studied; Saratov University implemented the re-training programmes for teachers and professors; the Young Manager School was held, etc.
Aleksei Chumachenko paid attention to the victory in the megagrant contest with the project titled the Discovery of Fundamental Sleep Mechanisms to Be Used in Breakthrough Technologies of Neuro Rehabilitation Medicine. The university won other contests as well. More and more research projects are implemented in SSU, and more and more young scientists participate in grant projects.
The university student community also achieved a lot last year gaining the victory in lots of All-Russia contests and competitions for student councils and movements.
The rector reported on the results of the 2017-2019 programme aimed to improve the accessibility of SSU infrastructure and services for students with special needs. Thus, create the barrier-free environment had been created, the professors had been taught to meet those students requirements, the topic-related events had been organised, and the volunteers had been trained.
At the end of his speech Aleksei Chumachenko commented on the 2020 plans. The university is going to found the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine and Medicine Technologies. SSU receives the majority of grants in that sphere, many university scientists conduct research and make discoveries in that field. Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin set that goal on 20 December, when we celebrated the SSU 110th anniversary.
“As we are going to open a new faculty, it means that new curriculums must be developed, and we are doing it because there muse appear new, mostly interdisciplinary, course. We must open the postgraduate course in that sphere. To achieve those goals we will modernise other faculties and research laboratories in the best way.”
The rector also talked about the plans to improve the SSU infrastructure, namely to reconstruct the dormitories and build the Student Club house and another Young Researcher House.
Aleksei Chumachenko thanked all the university staff members for their fruitful work in 2019, and then the speech was given by SSU President Leonid Yu. Kossovich. He reminded about the objectives the university had had 10 years ago, which had been successfully completed – the infrastructure had been developed, new faculties had been founded, and innovation work had been improved. The president commented that his team had started developing the research and innovation work at university, and now we had achieved a lot n those spheres.
Dmitrii I. Trubetskov was the next to speak. He said that the meeting where professors were given commemorative awards. Dmitrii Trubetskov underlined the importance of the connection of different periods in the university history.
Also Dean of the Faculty of Pedagogical and Special Needs Education Rail M. Shamionov delivered his report on the Counselling Centre for Families with Special Needs Children, while Associate Professor of the Department of Medical Physics Andrei P. Rytik paid attention to the Boiling Point which had been recently opened in SSU.
Scientific Supervisor of the Institute of Philology and Journalism, Chair of the Department of Literary Studies and Journalism Valerii V. Prozorov talked that we should overcome corporate barriers and said that 1st-year students were glad to study in our university.
Head of the Panfilov student brigade Julia Ilyashenko commented on the student achievements in 2019 and paid attention to the events devoted to the 75th Great Victory celebration this year. Director of the Institute of Pre-University Education Tatyana G. Zakharova spoke about the new work plans of the institute.
In his closing speech Aleskei Chumachenko expressed his gratitude to the university staff members and their work and thanked Chair of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and Governor of Saratov Region Valerii Radayev for their support and help.
The Academic Council approved the 2019 report.
