Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 3 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 3 (2023)

TRANSFORMING KSU INTO A CENTER FOR REGIONAL INNOVATION

The system of continuous education at Kursk State University is oriented towards proactive professional training of individuals capable of executing projects for the socio-economic advancement of strategic sectors in both the regional and national economies. At present, the Faculty of Advanced Qualification and Professional Retraining offers training across more than 300 supplementary programs in professional education, ranging from premedical first aid to mastering cutting-edge techniques in promoting handmade products and neural network technologies in machine learning. Continuous education programs cater to various age groups. For instance, during the 2022–2023 academic year, high school students were presented with a diverse range of additional general education programs, aiming to facilitate decision-making on future profession and preparation for university enrollment. Simultaneously, the older generation could participate in programs tailored to the competencies sought after by this age group, as defined by the WorldSkills standard. To facilitate the dynamic exchange of knowledge and the commercialization of scientific breakthroughs, the university has established a project office. This office formulates the regulatory framework for project management, provides expert assessments of project proposals, and uses The Boiling Point, KSU’s discussion club, to develop plans and outcomes associated with the commercial application of university competencies and technologies in industrial or consumer-oriented products and processes.

There are two primary avenues for engaging student youth into the socio-economic activity of the region. The first revolves around student project initiatives. Annually, the university sees students participating in around 150 projects of diverse formats, with many of these projects being student-initiated. The second avenue is the involvement of university students in volunteering and community service. More than 20 volunteer associations act under the university’s auspices, ready to provide assistance to various demographics in the region. These associations include the KSU Volunteer Center, the people’s volunteer brigade, a legal clinic, the Financial Literacy Center, the Family and Maternity Protection Center, etc. Moreover, students actively volunteer at nationwide and international events such as the World and European Championships, the World University Games, and various forums. Faculty and staff of the university participate in the activities of non-profit organizations spanning regional and national levels. They also have representation within the Kursk Region’s Public Chamber.

The university’s third mission serves as a conduit for positive changes within the regional community, achieved through active participation in the socio-economic life of the region.

The Strategic Development Program for Kursk State University is an evolving document, consistently updated to align with the prevailing challenges of the era and the inventive ideas from scholars, educators, and students alike. The university boasts an excess of 200 projects, with many transcending the initial two university missions. These projects reach out to involve residents of the Kursk Region, as well as individuals from other Russian regions and foreign locales. Some notable initiatives include:

• Hosting a variety of festivals (folklore, street art and culture, children’s creative contests, adaptive sports, and more);

• Conducting exploratory expeditions under the “Memory Watch” banner;

• Establishing an Adult Literacy Center, conducting expert evaluations of the operational effectiveness of regional development institutions;

• Producing annual Reports on the state of civil society within the region;

• Hosting an array of workshops (speech technologies, Russian language and culture, volunteerism, an online theological school, cultural-anthropological programs), and much more.

The work invested in these initiatives echoes the profound transformation of KSU into a university-based center driving innovative social and technological advancement within the region.