UNN to play key role in training foreign trade experts
On October 21, Lobachevsky University and Linguistic University of Nizhny Novgorod, within the framework of the 6th International Foreign Trade Forum, signed an agreement with Just Logistics company to establish a consortium for advanced training and retraining of experts in the field of foreign trade.
The Consortium for Foreign Trade Training is a partnership of educational and business organisations of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Its goal is to improve the quality of training in this field and to integrate education with the labour market.
The Consortium aims to establish a modern education system that meets the needs of leading employers and reflects current international business trends. By combining the efforts of universities and businesses, an effective continuous learning model can be created that will support the national development goals and priorities of foreign economic relations in the Nizhny Novgorod region. This will also help to develop a talent pool of professionals for foreign trade.
"Foreign trade, or international business, is a growing area for Russian businesses and their foreign partners. Businesses need personnel who can promote products in foreign markets of friendly countries. Increasing exports, especially of non-energy goods, is one of the main goals of the national development of the Russian Federation. That's why the creation of a consortium in Nizhny Novgorod to train personnel for foreign trade is part of the federal agenda. The development and implementation of promising study programmes at higher, secondary, and additional education levels in the field of international marketing and logistics, international settlements and customs operations will provide enterprises in the region with a new type of personnel, from both Russian and international students," said Oleg Trofimov, Rector of UNN. "With the support of representatives from the Nizhny Novgorod Region Development Corporation, the Russian Export Centre, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in our region, experts from the real sector of the economy will give lectures, conduct master classes for students and also for university teachers in the region, take part in the expert examination of educational programmes, organise Olympiads and competitions for talented young people. This will contribute to creatig a sustainable ecosystem of personnel training in the field of foreign trade in the region, as stipulated by the region's Socio-economic Development Strategy."
The main objectives of the consortium are to create a school–university–enterprise career guidance system and to promote the popularity of professions related to international cooperation and foreign trade. The consortium will also develop and implement educational programmes for higher, secondary, and continuing education that focus on key competencies in foreign trade, such as marketing, sales, compliance, logistics, and international payments.
An important aspect of the consortium’s work will be the creation of a pool of teachers and their continuous professional development through the support of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Development Corporation, the Russian Export Centre, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In this project, the key role on the part of Lobachevsky University will be played by its Institute of Economics. The activities of the consortium will be coordinated by its Coordinating Council consisting of representatives from the participating organisations. The consortium is open to new members who share its objectives.
