Kazan University became the first university in Russia that took up the challenge to hold such a large-scale international forum under current conditions.
The VI International Forum on Teacher Education starts on May 27. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic it moved online.
Today Dmitriy Tayurskiy, the vice-rector of Kazan University, and Aidar Kalimullin, the director of the Institute of Psychology and Education of Kazan University, took part in a press conference organized by “Tatar-inform” news agency.
Dmitriy Tayurskiy emphasized that “while all the international events are being cancelled around the world, Kazan Federal University takes the challenge to organize the forum in a virtual realm”.
The forum that started six years ago as a regional event (with only 165 participants), is one of the most effective platforms in the world now. This year it will unite 860 scholars from 275 universities and educational institutions, including 79 foreign ones. 17 international leading experts from Russia, UK, USA, Australia and other countries will become the forum keynote speakers.
Among the major topics are life-long teacher education, foreign experience of innovations in teacher education, digitalization in education – the latter is the key topic at the forum this year.
- 20 international experts from different countries are going to share with us what challenges teachers, children and their parents faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aidar Kalimullin notes that the virtual format let the forum organizers implement all the possible forms – video lectures, virtual sessions, online symposia, research groups meetings and poster presentations.
Only a couple of days left before the International Forum on Teacher Education starts. Kazan University has already received letters of gratitude from the leading experts showing their appreciation for the opportunity to meet online with colleagues from different countries in times of COVID-19 pandemic.
Researchers from the UK, Germany, the USA and other countries also assessed the quality of teacher training at Kazan University.
Thus, Professor Nick Rushby from Conation Technologies Limited (UK) who has been working closely with Kazan University since 2015, notes that “in the field of teacher education Kazan University is a clear leader. The research conducted here is highly appreciated around the world”.
These words are confirmed by the fact that in 2020 Kazan University became one of the top-100 universities in “Education” of THE International Rankings, which is the best result not only in Russia, but also Eastern Europe and the CIS.
Professor Axel Herrmann from Dresden University of Technology admits that the “Teacher of the XXI century” strategy being implemented by Kazan University is truly unique: “This approach helps to transform teacher training, develop all the aspects of education and change the whole system of education. In Germany we are just looking for the same opportunity”.
Professor Martin Lynch from the University of Rochester has been a part of research work at Kazan University for several years. He shared his opinion about KFU students: “Students at Kazan University are so intelligent and erudite, they are interested in everything they are learning. And professors here are top-class professionals, the best I have ever worked with”.
Professor Conor Galvin from the University College Dublin has been to Kazan University for several times. He notes: “Kazan University is becoming the center of excellence in the field of teacher education in Russia”.