St Petersburg University will conclude a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Preschool Education of Uzbekistan

Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, said that pedagogical fields of study have been actively developing at the University in recent years. In 2018, SPbU established the Institute of Pedagogy, headed by Professor Elena Kazakova, Chair of the Federal Educational and Methodological Association in Higher Education "Education and Pedagogy" and one of the most influential women in Russian education. Gradually, the new institution began to attract leading scientists and teachers in the country. According to Nikolay Kropachev, it is classical universities, which have more opportunities to train qualified teachers.

Modern teacher must be at the forefront of science. For that reason, we believe that graduates of programmes in history, philosophy and physics should work in Russian schools if they want. If they receive additional training for teachers, you will get a qualified teacher, who can easily work at school or training college.

Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University

During the meeting, at the request of the guests, Nikolay Kropachev spoke about defending dissertations following internal rules of SPbU. St Petersburg University was given the right to have dissertations defended according to its own rules in 2017. The Rector emphasized that complete openness and transparency of procedure of defending dissertations has increased its popularity among those who want to present their research results to the world and obtain fair evaluation of their findings. Initially higher standards for candidates for degree has decreased a number of defences by almost four times, but today the number of defended dissertations is twice as high as the initial level. Both Russian and foreign scientists consider it prestigious to gain an academic degree at St Petersburg University.

Dissertations sent by candidates for degree are published on official website, where anyone can read it. By doing so, St Petersburg University protects copyright of the candidates. The Dissertation Council is formed specifically for each defence; it consists of specialists who are nominated by the Faculty Deans. The list of the Dissertation Council members is available to the public so that other scientists have an opportunity to criticise or express their wishes about it. It is important that, each Dissertation Council includes at least one foreign scientist, SPbU staff (no more than two members of the Council) academic staff, while other members of the Dissertation Council should be representatives of other research and educational organisations.

SPbU does not impose requirements relating to the minimal volume of a dissertation, but students are obliged to write dissertation in Russian and another foreign language at the candidate’s choice. Defences are conducted in any language with a mandatory translation in Russian and broadcasted online. Viewers can ask candidate questions, if the Chairperson of the Council consider them relevant. Thanks to the online format of broadcasting, SPbU was the only university in the country that was able to conduct defences even during the lockdown period. Each member of the Dissertation Council shall provide his or her personal review on a dissertation. At the same time, during the voting each member has a right to give another review (positive or negative), if he or she believes that previous review was mistaken. After announcing of the Dissertation Council decision, everyone within two months has an opportunity to find full information about dissertations and their defences, and appeal the procedure of defending dissertations. If there are no appeals, a candidate receives an academic degree and diploma of St Petersburg University’s own design.

Nikolay Kropachev noted that regulations on the dissertation defences procedure were released for public comment, and more than 30% of all those who sent their proposals were representatives of other research and educational organisations.

Moreover, these regulations continue to be improved: the Order regulating the dissertation defences as any university’s document includes paragraph encouraging people to send proposals for changing or supplementing the Order.

Deputy Minister of Preschool Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan Uzokboy Begimkulov thanked Nikolay Kropachev for a detailed presentation and said that he had heard about high quality of education at St Petersburg University. He also said that he visited store of the SPbU Publishing House and noted that there are many good children’s books presented in the store. The diplomat agreed with the areas of cooperation proposed by SPbU representatives, including joint development of training materials and translation of researches of Russian scientist into Uzbek language. In addition, he proposed to conclude cooperation agreement between St Petersburg University and the Ministry of Preschool Education of Uzbekistan.

Following the meeting, it was decided to hold solemn ceremony of signing a cooperation agreement in Tashkent during the opening of a new branch of St Petersburg University.