Working Meeting of the Representatives of the Association of Finno-Ugric Universities

Mari State University hosted a working meeting of the members of the AFUU.

The participants of the meeting were rectors and representatives of universities of Karelia, Mari El, Mordovia, Komi Republic, Udmurtia, and Yugra.

PetrSU was represented by the Rector of PetrSU Anatoly Voronin, the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Konstantin Tarasov, and the Head of the Education Directorate of PetrSU Marina Danilova.

The participants of the meeting discussed the organization and expansion of academic mobility of students, network cooperation with foreign universities and the AFUU members.

This meeting was the first in the series of events held within the 5th International Finno-Ugric Student Forum “Richness of Finno-Ugric Peoples” held in Mari State University in these days.

According to the Rector of Petrozavodsk State University Anatoly Voronin, “these meetings increase the efficiency of the Association of Finno-Ugric Universities that hosts over 50 events every year. Within the Association we hold summer schools for students, develop exchange programs for teachers, carry out joint research. All this requires coordinated work between all members of the Association of Finno-Ugric Universities. This is what makes these meetings significant.”

Background

On October 16, 2015, the members of the Association of Finno-Ugric Universities convened to elect the chairman of the Association. By the results of the meeting, Petrozavodsk State University was elected to head the AFUU for the next three years, while the Rector of PetrSU Anatoly Voronin became the Chairman of the Council of the Association of Finno-Ugric Universities.

The Association of Finno-Ugric Universities was established with the view to exchange experience, coordinate and organize joint activities of the universities in the areas of improvement of educational, research, cultural, and social work.

The principal areas of activity:

·         Development of integrated system of university education in high professional education, postgraduate and doctoral studies;

·         Study of the history, language, and culture of the Finno-Ugric peoples;

·         Creation of a single virtual space of the Finno-Ugric community;

·         Development of academic mobility.