St Petersburg University scholars share their knowledge with the participants in the educational salon
Leading researchers of St Petersburg University, lecturers of the Russian Society "Znanie" have delivered lectures for guests and participants in the St Petersburg International Scientific and Educational Salon during the lecture session of the Russian Society "Znanie."
Elena Chernova, Acting Rector, Deputy Chairperson of the Academic Council, Academic Secretary of St Petersburg University was the moderator of the meeting on the topic "Partnership of Universities in Education: Traditions and Innovations."
In her speech, Elena Chernova addressed the history of the Russian Society "Znanie." She pointed out that the collapse of the USSR, which was a geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century, resulted in the disbandment of the largest and most effective educational public mass association in history. However, today, as Russia confronts new challenges, the Russian Society "Znanie" is undergoing a period of "reboot." This appears to be progressing well. According to a survey of the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre, 84% of Russians trust the organisation, with even higher levels of credibility reported among schoolchildren and students.
As Elena Chernova, Acting Rector of St Petersburg University, noted at the St Petersburg International Scientific and Educational Salon, special attention is being paid to the development of regional branches of the Russian Society "Znanie." Since 2022, regional models for the advancement of academic activities have been established in 89 regions across the country. Concurrently, the leading Russian universities serve as the foundation for the organisation development in all regions.
Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, Chairman of the St Petersburg Regional Department of the Russian Society "Znanie" identified the expansion of the regional team of lecturers as one of the most important tasks. "Today, it includes more than 150 lecturers representing St Petersburg University and the universities of the city," Elena Chernova said. "The University supports the implementation of federal projects of the Russian Society 'Znanie' in the region and collaborates with government authorities, cultural institutions, youth cultural and leisure centres, and educational organisations, thereby forming a partner network of educators."
The mission of the Russian Society "Znanie" for 2024 is defined as follows: "We are building a strong Russia and changing people’s lives through knowledge of the world." This aligns with the principles of the homeland university education.
Elena Chernova, Acting Rector, Deputy Chairperson of the Academic Council, Academic Secretary of St Petersburg University
During the session, Professor Pavel Skutschas, Head of the Department of Vertebrate Zoology at St Petersburg University, delivered a report titled "Dinosaurs of Russia: Recent Finds and the Latest Research," The speaker stated that, 66 to 200 million years ago, dinosaurs were abundantly present in what is now modern Russia. These ancient reptiles inhabited all latitudes and ecosystems. However, only a few remains have survived to the present day, preventing scientists from fully assessing the species diversity of dinosaurs in Russia. As Pavel Skutschas noted, most dinosaur bones have been discovered in Siberia and the Far East. For instance, in Blagoveshchensk, there is an extensive burial site of ancient reptiles within the city itself, and in the Kemerovo Region, a new species of predatory dinosaur resembling an ostrich was identified last August.
This year, St Petersburg University hosted the popular science exhibition "Dinosaurs of Russia," featuring real bones of ancient reptiles discovered across various regions of Russia. The exhibition also included replicas of individual bones, sculptures, and informational models that offer insights into the prehistoric fauna of our country.
Olga Korableva, Professor in the Department of Economics of Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at St Petersburg University, addressed the audience on the significance of creativity and flexible thinking within a knowledge-based economy. "On the one hand, creativity is the ability to innovate, characterised by the capacity to think outside the box, reinterpret knowledge and experience, and apply them practically. On the other hand, it encompasses applied skills, the relevance of which is continually increasing in today’s climate of uncertainty and fierce competition, thereby raising the interest of employers," the lecturer remarked.
Creativity, defined as the ability to generate new ideas and develop innovative solutions to problems, fosters the generation and management of scientific knowledge.
Olga Korableva, Professor in the Department of Economics of Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at St Petersburg University
The expert provided examples of the role of extraordinary thinking in the development of human capital and the stimulation of technological entrepreneurship. According to one of the models of the corporate life cycle, the creativity stage is crucial, as it focuses all efforts on creating a new product or market.
Furthermore, Olga Korableva reviewed examples of how a creative approach has been employed in the implementation of the national project "Labour Productivity," which aims at introducing lean manufacturing, continuous improvement of business processes, and the advancement of innovators and inventors.
Viacheslav Sukhanov, Editor-in-Chief of Smart Russia magazine, also delivered a lecture titled "How to Create a Successful Popular Science Project: A Guide to Action."