"Literary Newspaper" talks with the rector of the North-Eastern Federal University Evgeniya Mikhailova about cultural life in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Evgenia Mikhailova is well-educated person. We list only the main titles and awards: PhD, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, a member of Peter's Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Pedagogical and Social Sciences, the Academy of Spirituality of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Excellence in Public Education of the RSFSR, the honored teacher of the Russian Federation, Honored Worker of the economy of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Honorary citizen of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the winner of the State Prize of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
- We know that the Yakutsk State University in the north-east of Russia is one of the largest. Since last year, it was reorganized in North-Eastern Federal University. What new perspectives open before this educational institution?
- Our North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) was established on the basis of the Yakutsk State University (YSU)had good traditions in the training of teachers and health workers.But now technology professionals are required.Therefore today we can claim for the status not only the biggest by number of students of regional university, but also university where there are schools of sciences in areas of the geological industry, medicine, and pedagogics.
NEFU has its own charter. The University includes six additional institutions. It's two schools - Engineering School and Pedagogical Academy, and four research institute - Institute of Mathematics, Institute of Regional Economy, Institute of Applied Ecology of the North, the Institute of Health.
Development program of the University was approved by the Government of the Russian Federation 7 October 2010. It has six priorities:
- To achieve a new quality of education, ensuring environmental safety and environmental management;
- Effective reproduction of mineral resources;
- The use of high technology and production in the North;
- The preservation and development of the culture of the peoples of the North;
Yakutsk. Academic Theater named after P. A.Oyunsky, ITAR-TASS, analytical, staff support innovative economic development of the north-eastern region of Russia.
- How NEFU plans to participate in innovative projects of the Far East?
– Last year our university accepted for the first time entrants from Kamchatka, from Magadan, from the Irkutsk region, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Ingushetia, Tatarstan. We have very good hostels – we provide to students fine conditions. Recently, NEFU carried out the small analysis of a demand of frames during which outputs were drawn that nearly 25% of the population of Yakutia have no professional education. It is 4% more, than across the Russian Federation, and 2% more, than in the Far East. The second index which shall cause alarm in the authorities and in society, – a third economically the active population is in pre-retirement age.We know that 120,000 staff will be needed by 2020. In 2016, NEFU should prepare more than 40 thousand specialists, a third of them are specialists industry. In this direction the university has already begun, but I would like to say that our systemic changes will have a positive introduction and to the economy and the industry, and culture.
The priority directions of development of university concern improvement of quality of people's life. The university has branches in two industrial centers of Yakutia – in Mirnyi, Neryungri. The Chukchi branch, representations in Khabarovsk, Magadan and on Kamchatka are open. We can say with pride that reached good digits concerning the practical oriented training and preparation of qualified personnel. Our graduates 2010 - 2011 for 100% are employed. In recent years the close attention was paid to work and educational practice by a republic manual. Today 70% of students did practical training at all enterprises of the republic, Magadan and Chukotka Autonomous Area. We plan not only stimulation of motivated approach to choice of profession. For us the most important task is that, having graduated, the young man studied all subtleties of operation of the enterprise.
- The history of higher education in Yakutia testifies that the first time it had a pedagogical orientation, focused on arts education. What is being done at the university today?
- I believe that the program of preservation and development of culture of the North makes our university unique. There are about seven thousand languages; some of them disappear, as their speakers are decreasing. Therefore, Institute of languages and culture of the North-East was opened in our university. People, who live in the north, have a desire to learn their mother tongue. And we give them the opportunity in NEFU.
Implementing of innovative direction "Preservation and development of the languages and culture of the North-East of Russia" began immediately after the signing of the decree of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and the approval of the program. Institutenamed after A. E.Kulakovsky, Research Institute of Olonkho, Institute of languages and culture of the North-East of the Russian Federation, Institute of Foreign Philology and Regional Studies were established.
Great attention in North-Eastern Federal University named after MK Ammosov is paid to language teaching and learning language processes. The University has Philological three divisions.
In 1991 at the Faculty of Philology of the YSU was opened Department of Northern Philology, the first head was Vasily Afanasievich Robbek, he was world famous scientist. There wereeight Even, one Even, two Yukagir schools, but at present days, graduates of the department work in the twenty regions of the republic as teachers of Even, Evenk, Yukagir language and literature.
We have invited Russian senators in November 2010 in Yakutsk and conducted exit session of Committee of the Federation Council on the North and minorities on "The use of modern information technologies for conservation and development of the languages , culture and spirituality of the North (The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) "in conducting of which NEFU took an active part.
We started our project "A Look to the Future" together with the Siberian Federal University. The result of this research will be to identify possible future of the peoples of the Republic on the basis of expert assessments of the socio-economic sphere, using the method of long-term prediction for the region.
We began implementing the program for the conservation and development of Yukagir language and culture on digital media and in cyberspace for 2011-2014. During the first half of 2011, five content of educational DVD-ROM drive on Yukagir was made, base portal - www.arctic-megapedia.ru was designed, which already has contains materials on language and culture Yukagirs.
– How you see further development of bilingualism? What you can tell about a role of Russian, the Russian culture in the national republic?
- Teachers always teach students in Russian. But, for example, future philologists need to know the native language. We organize additional programs for students, which do not want to forget their roots.
The Constitution of the Russian Federation begins: "We, the multinational people of the Russian Federation, united by a common fate on our land ...", and we must constantly be aware of the fact that Russia is a multi-ethnic country. According to the 2002 census, Russia has 180 ethnic groups. In the last 10 years, a special attention is devoted to language policy. National bilingualism is recognized. In the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), we talk about multilingualism, knowing that despite the importance of bilingual motivation we must strive to maintain and develop the languages of all peoples, expand their use and operation.
We plan to create a free and open storage of digital information and educational resources in languages of peoples the North-East of Russia and the Arctic part of the Earth transmitted by their authors and owners to securely store and non-commercial educational purposes, to create integrated catalog of Internet resources, to organize distance education projects using integrated catalog and digital storage to contribute to an improvement of interest and promote the use of Internet resources in languages of peoples the North-east of Russia native these languages, especially the youth.
–What does the rector of NEFU read now?
– Earlier I read more; I always give an example at the meetings of the phrase, the quote or images from literary works. I am surprised sometimes when someone doesn't know words of Chekhov's heroes, Pushkin's jokes, proverbs, sayings, etc. Now, I read generally laws and circulars. The gift of Patriarch Kirill "Nation force – in strength of mind" lies on the desktop. Having read all book, I found a consonance to my thoughts, confirmation. And now I read this book every day, 2–3 the paragraph, and I become more resistant, decisive.
Natalia HARLAMPIEVA
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