Digital Projects Management Examined by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education

Today, on 25 June, Elena Druzhinina, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, and Denis Ashirov, Director of the Youth Policy Department of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, have paid a working visit to the State University of Management.

During the meeting, SUM Rector Ivan Lobanov and vice-rectors presented the university’s achievements and the latest projects created by its students and scientists to the guests. 

Ivan Lobanov spoke about the work of engineering centres in the SUM Innovation Centre which carries out the most advanced developments. There are two engineering centres at the university: the Centre for Interindustry Innovation Projects and the Centre for Digital Management Technology. The first one was created two years ago with support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education; the centre’s main areas of focus are power engineering and energy-efficient technologies. The second one was created in collaboration with Rabus LLC, developer of software platforms and supporting instruments for solving management tasks.

In the university’s Innovation Centre, the guests also got acquainted with projects conducted by the Research Institute of Digital Economy Transformation, and the work of Rosstat (Russian Federal State Statistics Service) project office, specifically expert and analytical support and monitoring of the preparation and organisation of the Russian 2020 Census.

‘The SUM Innovation Centre unites the most advanced and socially important projects that require drastically new approaches and development. Here we also work on innovative projects that are strategically important for the entire education system’, Ivan Lobanov said.

Another interesting question was the work of the ‘Societal, Legal and Ethical Frameworking of Knowledge Societies’ UNESCO Chair. The UNESCO Chair has recently launched the Digital Volunteers online educational platform which aims to make education accessible to all groups of citizens. The UNESCO Chair has already been commended by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: SUM has become a member of the Ethics Committee on Artificial Intelligence under the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO.

‘We are actively developing international partnerships and represent our university across international online educational platforms. We are already cooperating with 48 leading international universities and 74 international companies, acting as a platform for the effective work of researchers, professors, and lecturers from all over the world’, said Ivan Lobanov, SUM Rector and Head of the UNESCO Chair.

The pride of the university is the renovated Research Centre and Library. The centre opened its doors on 12 March. The library’s halls are designed based on the latest trends, which are embodied both in the construction of the social space and in advanced digital equipment. The university guests got to see a modern studio for recording webinars, online courses, and lectures. Here, university professors and invited experts can prepare or broadcast the necessary video material in a single click.

‘The library was last upgraded in the 1970s. A lot has changed and evolved since, including technologies and the library concept. Whereas previously the word ‘library’ meant a book depository with access to the required printed literature, today it is also a digital library with access to digital repositories around the world and a centre of social activity and communication. Today, the upgraded SUM research library meets all the above requirements’, the Rector said.

The SUM Pre-University – the School of Future Managers – was also unveiled; this September, the School will open its doors for 200 schoolchildren from 10th and 11th form. Their studies will fall into two main groups: socio-economic and technical (IT).

‘We will not just have classrooms but laboratories. The fundamental difference is that each classroom is fitted to perform scientific, technical, and other experiments and is equipped with transformable furniture – the best solution in today’s environment. Special attention is paid to IT equipment and the natural science laboratory’, said Pre-University Director Marina Grigoryeva. 

Meeting participants also discussed matters of youth policy development and character-building at the university. SUM has always been known for its expertise in these areas. Students are provided with self-fulfillment opportunities in a variety of different fields, from self-governance to creative projects and environmental initiatives. The university’s performance results are the proof of comprehensive work in this area. This year, the SUM KVN League has turned 20 years old. Over the years, it has become the starting point for many Moscow teams. And the university’s own KVN teams – Ryazansky Prospekt, Pervy Upravlenchecky, and My Way – are participants and finalists of Russian and international KVN leagues. Moreover, every year SUM creative teams become finalists at various all-Russian and international competitions.

Therefore, during the brief meeting, the university managed to introduce the guests to its main development vectors, as well as demonstrate its achievements and the effectiveness of the selected vector: SUM is a university of digital technologies.

Подпишись на тг-канал "Наш ГУУ" Дата публикации: 25.06.2020