SUSU Rector Told Multimillion Audience about Features of Admissions Campaign

Aleksandr Shestakov took part in an online multimedia conference dedicated to the release of the annual research entitled Russian Universities: Navigator for the 2020 Applicant.

The online forum, organized by the MIA Russia Today International Press Centre, gathered a multimillion audience that included journalists, schoolchildren, teachers, university professors, applicants and their parents.

In a remote format, the rectors and vice-rectors of the leading humanitarian, technical and classical universities of our country discussed the main trends in the Admissions Campaign and further prospects for the development of the higher education system in the Russian Federation. The Rector of South Ural State University, Doctor of Sciences (Engineering), Professor Aleksandr Shestakov actively participated in the conversation and answered urgent questions related to the enrolment to SUSU.

Dormitory Will Be Replicated

"This year the Admissions Campaign is special. But I would like to note that remote accepting of documents is not exclusive," says Aleksandr Shestakov. "South Ural State University has been accepting documents via the Internet for more than a decade now. About 30 percent of applicants traditionally use this opportunity, and then bring the secondary school completion certificates to us. This system has been tried and tested, and it is infallible.

In general, traditionally, 50 percent of the total number of applicants enrolling in SUSU are from Chelyabinsk, about 25 percent are from the Chelyabinsk Region, and 25 percent are from other regions, from the westernmost territories of our country to the easternmost ones.

We have built a dormitory for one and a half thousand people. It is recognized by the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia as the best dormitory over the recent years. It is the level of a three-star hotel. The designing company was asked to waive its intellectual property rights. Our dormitory will be replicated throughout the Russian Federation. We are sure that its commissioning will finally solve the problem of accommodation of applicants from other regions and countries, and we will have not only 25 percent of non-resident applicants, as it was last year, but substantially more."

Programmes and Partners

"SUSU is preparing for the Admissions Campaign, focusing on launching new modern high-quality programmes at the university that meet the requirements of the economic and scientific development.

At the beginning of this academic year, we have opened a Master's degree programme called Data Processing and Artificial Intelligence Methods. This is the first programme in our country; Russian and world leaders in these fields participated in its development.

A very interesting Master's degree programme is the Internet of Things Technologies. As a result of work in this programme, this year our students have received the Grand Prix of the competition organized by the Samsung Academy, with which we cooperate. Much work is being done towards the Digital Industry - technologies related to the development of production. Our partners are Emerson Corporation, USA, the world leader in automation, and SMS-group, Germany, one of the oldest industrial companies in Europe.

We have a Master's degree programme related to the Smart City project, also one of the first ones in the Russian Federation, as well as the Digital Production of High-Tech Products Using New Materials programme. In this direction, we work with partners from the University of Leuven. This is one of the best innovative universities in Europe.

This year, we will have 20 programmes in English for international applicants; these are popular. The beginning of the academic year at SUSU will be marked by the launch of a Bachelor's degree programme in English called Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence Methods. Here, a significant part of the teaching staff are the leading scientists from Europe. We hope that the programme will attract not only Russian, but also international applicants. We have close ties with industrial partners working in the field of artificial intelligence and the digital industry. And this means that the SUSU graduates will be in demand. South Ural State University is a universal university. Natural sciences, large clusters of engineering and humanitarian sciences are presented here. In the conditions of the pandemic, communication with applicants has been transferred to remote mode. You can find a large number of videos containing answers to questions of interest, explanations regarding educational programmes on the university website susu.ru. Also there is information about all the institutes of SUSU."

International Students

Are you waiting for international students to come this year? Will they be representatives of the countries of the post-Soviet space or students from the Far East?

"We work with both of them. SUSU is a university that unites Europe and Asia, so we try to move in both directions. But, of course, Asia is a priority.

We work with two universities in China on two programmes that will be supported by the government of the Middle Kingdom (or China). I would like to note that we have also been engaged in the distance education system for about ten years and are constantly improving it. When our Chinese students were not able to return to study at SUSU after the celebration of the Chinese New Year, since the epidemic of coronavirus began, not a single student was left behind. We worked with everyone, held classes on schedule thanks to the technologies that the university is in command of. Such attitude attracts international students. And we expect that in the new academic year, their number will not decrease.

As for the Near Abroad, we have been preparing for the 75th Anniversary of Victory for a year. We united the historians from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and created a 500-page collection of scientific papers on the contribution of the former Soviet republics to our common Great Victory. The book was presented first at SUSU, and then as part of a large-scale online conference in Kazakhstan. The publication of the collection served as a catalyst for the image of our university in Asian countries, and we hope that our interaction will continue."

Popular Fields of Study and Large Scholarships

What if an applicant does not have the Internet at home, or there are problems with the equipment? In this situation, are there any opportunities to enrol?

"Today in our country, even rural schools have the Internet. You can always meet the requirements of Rospotrebnadzor (wearing a mask and keeping social distance), and the problem of submitting documents can be solved thanks to the school system of education. I think that schools are interested in helping children send documents for admission to higher educational institutions.

In general, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education is against the offline submission of documents. But following the regulations, it is impossible to provide for all contingencies; there are always exceptions. Admissions committees will still work. If an applicant comes and brings documents, we will find a way to resolve all issues in a safe-for-health manner. During the Admissions Campaign, consultation stations will function. New circumstances raise a large number of questions. Upon admission to SUSU, a system of support for applicants and their parents will be provided."

Many children have concerns that the winners of Olympiads will take all the budget places. Is it justified?

"No. Even taking into account the fact that the awardees of Olympiads were equated with the winners. This issue was discussed at the level of the Russian Union of Rectors and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. A decision has been made according to which additional budget places will be allocated for Olympiad winners."

Will the priorities change due to the pandemic? What fields of study will be in demand, in your opinion?

"The specializations related to information technology are becoming more and more in demand. A pandemic will not reduce the demand for these specialists, because they successfully work in remote mode. High technologies are being introduced more and more actively, and those specialties that are focused on training specialists in this field will also be in demand."

Is it true that especially diligent students receive a monthly scholarship of more than 20 thousand roubles at SUSU?

"Yes, these scholarships are awarded to students who went international. Students participate in the Olympiad movement, in creative competitions, in sports competitions. In general, the gradation is large. For the victories and achievements on the regional, Russian and international levels, scholarships are increased."

Will the tuition fee change?

"The tuition fee at South Ural State University will remain at the level of that as of 2019."

For Reference

South Ural State University is one of the leading multidisciplinary universities in Russia. It is famous for its scientific achievements, high level of training of specialists, and fundamental scientific base. In 2015, it was included in the number of Russian universities selected for participation in Project 5-100. SUSU is a national research university, strengthening its position in world and national rankings. The strategic directions of development are the formation of a world-class research university, the achievement of positions of a global leader in Russia in the field of the Digital Industry, Materials Science and Ecology.

 

Tatiana Stroganova; photo by Evgenii Zagoskin
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