Институт Устойчивых Инноваций

Yaroslavl State Technical University

Yaroslavl State Technical University

Since 2010 magistracy “Environmental engineering and water use” under the leadership of doctor of geographical sciences, professor G.A. Fomenko functions in Yaroslavl state technical university with support from “Cadaster” institute. From the very beginning training of holders of master’s degree is performed according to ESD approaches. It envisages familiarization of future holders of master’s degree with basics of Sustainable Development theory, relevant conceptual framework and terminology, methodological aspects of analysis of territorial development that facilitates formation of an integrated environment-socio-economic oriented approach to integrated environmental engineering of trainees. Basic provisions of the given training course can be spread also on other specialties within the framework of the curricula. It is necessary to mention that the federal state educational standard of higher professional education (FSES HPE), approved by the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation of 14 January 2010 № 26, allows to realize such approach and to integrate the majority of training courses in scientific and designing activities of “Cadaster” institute. It results in raising the quality and relevance of master dissertations that should have concrete results — practical introduction, innovative solutions, etc. During the period since 2010 to present time “Cadaster” Institute and Technical University performed big joint work.

Improvement of methodological support for educational process and increase of quality of training. Being a socially oriented non-commercial organization, “Cadaster” Institute envisaged additional employment of its staff members during working hours, thus ensuring teaching of new disciplines at high professional level, new for the board. Within the framework of master of science, bachelor and specialty programmes highly professional specialists, holding degrees of professor and docent, doctor and candidate were attracted. They have rich experience both in implementing research work, designing and consulting, and in teaching of special disciplines within the framework of post-diploma training. In the course of master programme training innovative interactive forms of teaching of professional competences are applied.

Agreement of academician Renat Perelet, Honorable member of the Roman Club, one of the leading, internationally recognized experts in the field of sustainable development to participate as an opponent at thesis of master degrees definitely raised their quality. Specific classes of magister programme are held in the premises of “Cadaster” institute. It allows to use information-analytical capacity and material and technical foundation “Cadaster” Institute more efficiently: innovative means of teaching, the most recent programme complexes, access to specialized library funds and archives of the Institute, efficient consulting with profile specialists, etc. 17 students of the board did production practical work on the basis of “Cadaster” institute. Staff members of “Cadaster” Institute perform additional teaching in specialized practical skills on using GIS within the framework of master and bachelor programmes. We have transferred a set of textbooks on the subject of master's program to the library fund of the Yaroslavl State Technical University. The books include the manual “Function Graphics. Advance Trigonometry Course” by the talented teacher and mathematician E.M. Elkina. This manual reveals the necessary formulas and theoretical information on trigonometry, non-standard methods for solving trigonometric inequalities with analysis of specific examples. It is essential tool for mastering the topic.

Of great benefit was also participation of specialists, lecturing within master programme, in meetings of the Public Chamber on issues of sustainable development (May 2012), in expert meetings under the auspices of the Minister of natural resources of Russia, in scientific-technical councils and working groups of federal level (Minprirody of Russia, Rosstat, Rosprirodnadzor, etc.). Materials of international thematic conferences and meetings, in which lecturers of master programme participated, are actively used in the process of teaching: Among them: (1) High-level UN summit on sustainable development “Rio+20”, 20-22 June 2012 and thematic meting “Education for Sustainable Development”, June 20, 2012; (2) The third working meeting on water resources and adaptation to climate change in transboundary basins within the framework of UN ECE activities, 25-27 April, 2012; (3) 7th “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference, Astana, 19-23 October, 2011; (4) expert seminar on issued of transfer of knowledge and technologies, University of Kassel, 7-10 December, 2011; (5) Joint meeting of the UN ECE working group on environmental monitoring and accounting from 2011 to 2015; (6) The Eighth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference (June 8-10, 2016, Batumi, Georgia); (7) OECD Forum on Green Finance and Investment (November 13-14, 2018, Paris, France); (8) Joint OECD / UNECE Seminar on the Implementation of SEEA (2015-2019, Geneva, Switzerland).

Interaction of undergraduates with researchers of the Institute “Cadaster” allowed to identify promptly main (from the point of view of employers) merits and drawbacks in competences obtained by graduates at the earlier stages of training, identify gaps that need to be removed for successful work on their specialty, as well as to timely correct educational programmes that take into account new required competences of specialist in the field of nature developments and water use..;

Development of the joint research potential — 36 articles (including 17 — in abstracted journals) with description of results of joint studies with participation of lecturers of the board were prepared and published. 5 educational-methodological aids containing materials of projects implemented by “Cadaster” institute were prepared and published. Participation in 5 contests on implementation of research works were organized during the period of cooperation.

Several joint research works were implemented. The most important topic — scientific substantiation of designing zones of sanitary protection of objects of water use; analytical substantiation of methodology of collection and publication of data on the state and ecological vulnerability of various components of the environment at contemporary level of anthropogenic load; development of constructive approaches to generalization and analysis of primary statistical data, administrative data and data of other open sources of for formation of information data bases on rational water use, etc.

In order to fasten skills for scientific research and presenting obtained results all undergraduates participate in design and research works of ANO RDI “Cadaster”, including visiting of industrial objects and participation on additional educational programmes and trainings. Such intensive training made it possible their participation in scientific research of “Cadaster” institute in Krasnoyarsk krai, Kamchatka, in Yaroslavl, Orenburg and Novgorod oblasts in order to fasten obtained knowledge.

Strengthening material and technical base of educational process. Renovation of premises of the board of hydro-technical and road construction of YSTU was made at the expense of “Cadaster” institute along with technical, computer and software equipping of educational-research laboratory of nature development and water use.

Holding of special scientific workshops, conferences, contests aimed at providing support for sustainable development with participation of interested representatives of knowledge-intensive businesses. In order to stimulate students, undergraduates and postgraduates for raising the quality of research and their practical importance within the framework of annual All-Russian scientific-practical conference of YSTU with international participation “Cadaster” institute organized and finances since 2014 the contest named after L.A. Knyazkov, Laureate of the Prize of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, Honorable chemist of Russia, who worked in “Cadaster” institute since its founding. Dr. Knyazkov provided invaluable input in increasing sustainability of development and organization of rational natural resource use of Yaroslavl oblast. Already the first experience of holding the contest demonstrated that ideas of sustainable development, on which it was based, echoed response and raised interest of students of other universities of Yaroslavl oblast and the Russian Federation.

Participation of undergraduates in scientific seminars, conferences and contests with participation of interested representatives of knowledge-intensive business resulted in providing additional chance for the most prominent ones to come into view of employers and to get favorable employment proposals.