The results of the international project: Polytechnic University teachers taught chemistry to over 550 people

Polytechnic University specialists are completing their work on a humanitarian-educational project to create and develop resource centers in partner countries. The full name of the project is “Creation and development of resource centers for children and teachers, providing popularization of learning general subjects (mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) at an advanced level (in Russian) in partner countries” and is part of the “Export of Education” federal project of the “Education” National Project.

The key goal of the project is to help talented students from foreign high schools to receive quality higher education in Russia. For this purpose, a consortium of leading Russian universities was created in 2019, which together with SPbPU (our specialists provided various events in the field of chemistry) included about 10 universities. 

The work on the international project proceeded in two phases. In 2019, resource centers were created at five Russian schools in Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Bulgaria. The second phase of the project is currently being completed. Despite the limitations associated with the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s program was more intense. During the second phase of the project, two more resource centers were established in Syria and Moldova. In addition, the number of activities has significantly increased. Besides the regular classes for students at two levels - basic and advanced - the Polytechnic held a winter school for students and a professional development program for teachers. 

The main task of the winter school was to prepare students who were getting ready to take the Unified State Examination in chemistry for the most time-consuming chemistry exams. Teachers showed students spectacular and safe experiments online, which they then had to repeat on their own, and also gave a course of lectures on ecology with an overview of global world problems.

The 42-hour Teacher Professional Development Program was agreed upon in advance by the participants through a preliminary survey. The organizers focused on three aspects: preparing students for project activities and independent presentations, working with available Internet resources in chemistry, and methodological aspects of difficult USE chemistry assignments.

Professor Dmitry ARSENIEV, SPbPU Vice-Rector for International Relations, is the project manager for the creation and development of the resource centers on behalf of Polytechnic University. The work is carried out in cooperation with the Higher School of International Educational Programs (HS IEP SPbPU) and the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Production (HS BTFP). Project coordinators are HS IEP Director Victor KRASNOSHCHEKOV and head of international students’ preparation programs Olga NOVIKOVA. Professor Yuliya BAZARNOVA is the head of the project group of the Higher School of BTFP.

“A total of 575 people were trained in resource centers in seven countries during 2019-2020. The most important thing we have achieved is that schoolchildren have a clear understanding of the attractiveness and high quality of the Russian educational tradition. And teachers expressed their deep gratitude to the Polytechnic for their work to develop their professional competences,” said the project coordinator, director of HS IEP Victor KRASNOCHEKOV.

Prepared by the SPbPU International Office