Coordination Council of the Eurasian Network University holds its meeting at UNN
On 11 September, Lobachevsky University hosted a meeting of the Coordination Council of the Eurasian Network University (ENU). The event brought together about 50 participants in both face-to-face and remote formats, including representatives of universities participating in the ENU, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, the Eurasian Economic Commission and invited guests.
The session was opened by Irlan Iskakov, Chairman of the ENU Coordination Council, Rector of the University under the EurAsEC Interparliamentary Assembly.
"I am very pleased that our seventh meeting is taking place here in Nizhny Novgorod, within the walls of Lobachevsky University. This is one of the best universities in Russia and a key participant in the Eurasian Network University," he noted.
Olga Guseva, Minister of International and Interregional Relations of the Nizhny Novgorod region, took part in the event on behalf of the regional government.
"Eurasian integration is not just words, but real actions that are changing the world around us. We see how a new agenda is being formed, the EAEU regulatory framework is being strengthened, which means that new opportunities for cooperation and development are opening up before us. Education is the key to prosperity, and a barrier-free environment in this field is the key to a successful future. The Nizhny Novgorod region is an active participant in the Eurasian dialogue. Cooperation in education is a strategic advantage, a key point of growth, and this is where the huge potential lies. In 2023, the Nizhny Novgorod region presented its Programme for the Development of Cooperation with the EAEU Member States, a document with over 200 activities paving the way for a wide range of interactions in various areas, including education. We are confident that joint efforts will lead to significant results," the Minister said.
One of the items on the meeting's busy agenda was the presentation of the results of the first Eurasian Olympiad - the ENU International Student Olympiad, initiated by Lobachevsky University. As Oleg Trofimov, UNN Rector, noted, the Eurasian Olympiad launched in 2024 is the University's key project within the framework of the ENU activities. More than 1300 persons took part in the Olympiad, and its winners and prize-winners were admitted to the ENU universities for Master's programmes.
The Rector also underlined that it is a great honour and responsibility for the university to host the meeting of the ENU Coordination Council.
"The development of a barrier-free educational environment and joint research projects in the Eurasian space is one of our priority tasks. Despite the fact that our university became a member of the ENU fairly recently, in March 2023, historically we have had close ties with the academic and research community of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries. Our partners include 35 educational and scientific organisations from this region, " said Oleg Trofimov.
The Eurasian Network University was established on the initiative of the Kyrgyz Republic with the participation of universities from EAEU countries supported by the Eurasian Economic Commission. In May 2022, 12 leading universities of the EAEU signed in Bishkek a "Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Eurasian Network University", according to which the ENU was founded in the form of a research and educational consortium.
In the course of 2022-2024, the Consortium expanded to include 20 more HEIs not only from EAEU member states, but also from Greater Eurasia (Uzbekistan, Moldova). Currently, it is planned to expand the geography of the ENU participants. The universities of Cuba, Iran, China, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have shown their interest in working together.
