UNN Vice-Rector Mikhail Ivanchenko takes part in ESG conference
Mikhail Ivanchenko, Vice-Rector for Research of Lobachevsky University, took part in the conference "Universities in the ESG Agenda: Challenges and Opportunities" which was took place in Rostov-on-Don.
The event was held in a mixed format: some of the speakers gathered in the studio of Yuzhny Region-DGTU Media Park, while others made their presentations via videoconference. The participants discussed the educational and scientific missions of Russian universities within the sustainable development agenda, promising research in the field of innovation and technology as well as the participation of universities in the Priority 2030 programme. The prospects of networking in the field of education and the formation of communities in the field of sustainable development and ESG were also explored. Among the issues discussed were employers' requests for accessible training and retraining practices.
Mikhail Ivanchenko outlined the University's focus on national goals and objectives. According to him, the programme of Lobachevsky University’s development is in tune with the sustainable development ideas.
"During the next 10 years we will be focusing on national goals and objectives (which also take into account ESG factors), Ivanchenko said. - Our university conducts world-class research in such fields as mathematics, physics, chemistry, IT, etc. However, the challenges facing Russia, and indeed the whole world, today require an interdisciplinary approach, combining knowledge from all subject areas.
"Such projects as "Healthy Generation", "Creative Personality", "Comfortable Environment" are being successfully implemented at Lobachevsky University. They are aimed at solving tasks that are important for our country: increasing life expectancy, extending working activity, developing creative abilities and others. According to the Vice-Rector for Research, it takes skilled professionals to solve problems in a competent way, and their training requires improvements in educational programmes.
"We consider our university one of the key scientific and educational links in the sustainable development agenda. We are ready to develop close cooperation with colleagues from universities in southern Russia and with representatives of the real economy in the framework of ESG projects. Everyone will benefit from such partnership," summed up Mikhail Ivanchenko.
ESG in a broad sense is a sustainable development of commercial activities, which is based on the following principles:
- responsible attitude towards the environment (E - environment);
- high social responsibility (S - social);
- high quality of corporate governance (G - governance).
The ESG principles reflect the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the UN defined back in 2015. These include the fight against poverty, hunger and the effects of climate change on our planet, responsible production and consumption, careful use of resources, etc.
