News in Press-centre

The 6th International APEC Education Conference gathered representatives of 13 countries of the Asia-Pacific region (APR) at Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU). On the margins of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), experts discussed the latest trends in the development of international education, noted the key role of universities in solving global problems. Olga Vasilyeva, the Minister of Education and Science of Russia and Nikita Anisimov, the FEFU Interim President, took part in the plenary session.

The main topic of the plenary session was the internationalization of the APR universities. Olga Vasilyeva said that the primary task for Russian universities was their promotion in the international educational market and competitiveness enhancement. This year, Russia launched the Export of Russian Education priority project, which will allow increasing the number of international students by more than three times by 2025.

Shinjiro Komatsu, the Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, noted that modern education in Japan is aimed at a significant increase in student exchanges, in particular, with Russia. For example, this year, within the framework of the EEF Youth Program in FEFU, the first Russian–Japanese student forum has been held, which will also be held at the University of Hokkaido next year.

General attention was attracted by the speech of Edmund Gerald Brown, the Governor of California (USA). According to him, global problems are increasing, and universities should play a crucial role in their solution. Of particular importance is the study of environmental and climate issues, the fight against the consequences of global warming, and the development of new technologies in energy industry and transport for the preservation of the environment. A significant contribution to these areas can be made by students from Japan, China, Russia, India, and other countries of the world.

The plenary session of the conference was also attended by Svetlana Lukash, the Deputy Head of the Expert Department of the President of Russia, Russian G20 Sherpa, Takashi Sekiyama, Executive Director of Universities Mobility in Asia and the Pacific, and other authoritative experts from the APR countries.

It should be noted that the 6th APEC conference has continued the series of international educational forums held in Vladivostok in 2012–2015 and is devoted to the integration of the educational systems of the APR, mechanisms for strengthening cooperation in education and mobility and the exchange of knowledge and information.