Summer School "Biodiversity of Aquatic Resources and Water Quality Assessment" opens at UNN
On 22 July 2024, the international summer school "Biodiversity of Aquatic Resources and Water Quality Assessment" started at Lobachevsky University. The school is being held for the first time in the Nizhny Novgorod region under the project "Summer Multidisciplinary University" of the Russian-African Network University with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation,.
"During the summer school, international students will gain skills in studying and preserving the biodiversity of the planet's water resources. This work will become an excellent positive example of youth cooperation between Russia and African countries in the field of ecology. It will strengthen friendly ties and contribute to the development of science, education and culture at the international level," emphasised Oleg Trofimov, Rector of Lobachevsky University.
Attending the school are 15 foreign participants (students and graduates of Russian universities) from seven African countries: Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, Uganda, and Ethiopia.
Lobachevsky University is a member of the Russian-African Network University (RAFU), which comprises more than one hundred universities from Russia and African countries and was established to develop a common scientific and educational space. According to Alexander Bedny, UNN Vice-Rector for International Affairs and Networking, RAFU activities include new partnership programmes with African universities, network programmes, dual-degree programmes and initiatives such as summer schools.
"The summer school for international students is always a window to the university, it is an opportunity to present the university's educational and research potential, to show the city, the region, to tell about the history of Russia. It is also, of course, a great opportunity for international students to practice communicating in Russian," the Vice-Rector added.
During two weeks, the summer school participants will enjoy a rich cultural, educational and training programme. African students will get acquainted with the sights of Nizhny Novgorod and the region, will be able to improve their Russian language skills, and will attend lectures and master classes on the school's topics. The classes will be held in the laboratories of the UNN Institute of Biology and Biomedicine (IBBM) in Nizhny Novgorod, as well as at the university biological station "Staraya Pustyn" in the Arzamas district. The academic programme will help foreign students to acquire valuable skills that they can use to address biodiversity conservation challenges in their own countries. Programme participants will also be able to exchange experience and knowledge with their colleagues from Russia.
"The main advantage of such a summer school is that it will take place on the territory of a nature laboratory. The "Staraya Pustyn" biological station is an incredibly beautiful, unique place in our region. The theme of the programme is related to the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems and the assessment of their quality, and the biological station is located on a system of karst lakes. This is the best place where you can learn the methods of studying water bodies, study the organisms that live there, practice ecological monitoring and water quality assessment. We have all the necessary conditions for such work," said Ekaterina Vodeneeva, Head of the International Summer School and Head of the Department of Botany and Zoology at Lobachevsky University.
