Moscow State University, in collaboration with universities from Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, is finishing the preparation stage of a new project aimed at launching thematic student teleconferences. In March 2020, the Russia-ASEAN Joint Committee on Cooperation approved a new project in the framework of cooperation between Russia and ASEAN countries: “Design and Development of ASEAN – Russia Interactive Communications Network for the Exchange of Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Agricultural Development”. The project is designed for 2 years.
By January, Russian and ASEAN experts will have approved 8 teams of students from different universities of Russia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia etc., as well as the natural objects in their countries that will be their theme of research. During the next four month, the students will carry out the research on how to change and improve the ecology of their object with the help of scientific technologies. In the meantime, they will participate in teleconferences to discuss their preliminary findings, as well as listen to lectures by AEU Club experts, who will supervise their research.
The format of teleconferences allows students, scientists and experts from different countries to discuss problems, conduct scientific discussions and exchange experiences and information on best practices, regardless of distance between them, saving their time and money on travel, which is especially important for developing agricultural countries.
Finally, in the autumn 2021, the teams will present their results for the judgement of prominent experts from AEU Club. The best project will be supported by AEU Club and implemented on land.
Recordings of the teleconferences, the lectures and the teams’ presentations will become the basis of a film on project-oriented learning, which will be very useful for experts and teachers of the participating universities.
The project was initiated by Moscow State University (MSU, Russia) and Vietnam National University of Science (VNU), but other universities from ASEAN countries also take an active part in the project. Coordinators of the projects are Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Socialistic Republic of Vietnam.