MINSK, 15 December (BelTA) - Cooperation between Belarus and Russia in education is systematic and vibrant, Belarus' Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko said as he met with Russia's Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov and Russia's First Deputy Minister of Education Dmitry Glushko, BelTA has learned.
“Cooperation in education between our countries is systematic, vibrant and effective. The most important form of work is direct contacts between the regions. Every agreement with Russian regions, which the Belarusian government signs, contains an educational component. We have a number of intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements and programs that help us develop cooperation. There are direct agreements between our universities. Our students go to Russia, yours come to us,” Igor Petrishenko said.
According to the deputy prime minister, Belarus and Russia have joint approaches to the development of educational programs. “This is important as working together helps us to defend our competitive advantages,” he stressed. “I want to thank you for assistance in promoting cooperation in science and technology and developing the common educational space.”
Valery Falkov drew attention to the need to expand cooperation between Belarusian and Russian universities, to implement joint youth projects. He also noted that favorable conditions have been created in Belarus for the branches of Russian universities: the Russian State Social University and the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. "They work in close cooperation with the Education Ministry of Belarus because training should match the prospective needs of the country,” he added.
Minsk will play host to a joint meeting of the collegiums of the Education Ministry and the State Science and Technology Committee of Belarus, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Education of Russia on 15 December. The parties are set to discuss cooperation in education, science and youth policy, to review of the programs of the Union State of Belarus and Russia and to sign bilateral documents on cooperation.
Photos by Andrei Pokumeiko
