Prospects for Cooperation between PetrSU and the University of La Rochelle
The Humanities Innovation Park of PetrSU hosted a meeting between Marina Gvozdeva, the Vice-Rector for International Affairs of PetrSU, and Patrick Ancel, Special adviser in high school-university relations and student success of University of La Rochelle (France).
The event also featured Nadezhda Barymova, the senior teacher of the Department of the German and French Languages, Ekaterina Ivanova, the Head of the Protocol Division, and Natalia Karakina, the Head of the Academic Mobility Department.
The partners discussed potential areas for cooperation in research, from IT and electronics to biomedicine and ecology.
“Our university has chosen the issues of coastal territories as the priority research area. We wish to know what impact human activities have on aquatic ecosystems. PetrSU is a promising partner in the context of broadening the geography of our partner network, as the north of Europe has not been previously in the focus of the University of La Rochelle. Moreover, you are located on the shores of Lake Onega, which means we can cooperate in the framework of the project studying the coastal areas. I am sure that Petrozavodsk University has sufficient resources and developments for this collaboration,” said Patrick Ancel.
Marina Gvozdeva told the French colleague about the research activities of the Flagship University of Karelia, as well as presented the projects implemented by PetrSU.
“With a view to bringing our research to the next level, the university has established 5 innovation parks: Pedagogic, Biomedical, Humanities, Innovation and Technology, and Engineering. Moreover, we have the Youth Innovation Park that is responsible for the implementation of social projects. We also have the Nanocenter with a clean room, Institute of High Biomedical Technologies, and Research Center for Aquaculture. The university is also engaged in Arctic research since the Republic of Karelia is located in the Arctic region of Russia,” said the Vice-Rector.
Marina Gvozdeva also informed the guest that PetrSU is a participant of the federal project Export of Education aimed at the increase in the competitiveness of Russian education and the attraction of international students.
“This presents another opportunity for collaboration between our universities. Even more so since we have a solid basis for this, as Petrozavodsk and La Rochelle have over 45 years of twin-cities relations, while PetrSU has been cooperating with educational institutions of France, in particular with Lycee Jean Dautet, for over 35 years,” added Marina Gvozdeva.
At the meeting, the partners reached an agreement about a visit of Jean-Marc Ogier, the President of the University of La Rochelle, to Petrozavodsk State University in April.
