Nikolai Sherstnev met with students and faculty of PSU named after P.M. Masherov
It is symbolic, as emphasized by the university's rector, Valentina Bogatyreva, that the meeting between the head of the region and the youth active of the university took place on the International Students' Day and on the eve of the celebration of the 110th anniversary of the founding of the educational institution.
– Our university has come a long way from a teacher's institute to a classical university with various faculties, areas of scientific development, and educational and organizational plans, – noted Valentina Vasilyevna and shared the achievements of recent years.
In 2018, PSU named after P. Masherov was recognized as the best in Belarus in the sphere of export of educational services, and in 2019, it was inscribed on the Republican Board of Honor for achievements in scientific work. The current year is marked by the opening of a stadium, which has no equal in the region. The other day, at a university academic council meeting, the creation of what the rector called a "cosmic" research laboratory for complex analysis and modeling was discussed. New specialties have been opened. For example, the Faculty of Mathematics and Information Technologies for the first time this year announced enrollment in the specialty "Information Resources Management," and the Faculty of Philology – in "Linguistic Support for Intercultural Communications" and "Russian Language and Literature. Foreign Language (Chinese)." In the second cycle (master's degree), the opportunity to improve in jurisprudence and art management has appeared. A new direction is software for information technologies in healthcare. This specialty is at the intersection of two different faculties – chemical, biological, and geographical sciences, and mathematics and information technologies.
– Collective centers for the use of IT and chemical-biological equipment have been created at the university. In recent years, four new laboratories have been opened, including the only artificial intelligence laboratory in the country, – explained Valentina Bogatyreva.
Vitebsk State University named after P. Masherov ranks second only to Belarusian State University in terms of the number of foreign students, with 1.5 thousand representatives from different countries studying in Vitebsk. It is important to offer specialties that are needed by Belarus and Vitebsk region in particular. This was discussed at the meeting with the head of the region.
– It is important for me to understand who graduates from the university, what kind of people and specialists they are, and whether they can be entrusted with the fate of the region and the country, – Nikolai Nikolaevich addressed the students and shared his vision of the educational and upbringing process in modern society.
The conversation immediately shifted to a confidential tone. The youth were interested in what qualities, according to Nikolai Sherstnev, a leader should possess, how the head of the region manages to pay attention to sports and set world records despite his busy schedule. The students also asked about the values that guide their interlocutor in life.
– When entering the classroom, every educator, in addition to knowledge, sows the good and the eternal. There are laws that should not be leveled. This is mutual respect between teacher and student, between younger and older generations. Every professional community has its own level of culture: economic, legal, juridical, artistic. But the main thing is the level of universal human culture, the law of morality within each of us, – emphasized Valentina Bogatyreva and quoted Immanuel Kant: "Two things fill the mind with ever new, ever more astonishing admiration and awe, the more often and more persistently reflection dwells on them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me."
The head of the region also spoke about the importance of adhering to moral principles, about raising a citizen of the country, responsible for the fate of their homeland.