Sergey Nikolaevich, what new things will appear at the university in the near future?
Sergey Ivanchenko: In the next academic year we are generally ready to open 11 new educational programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and postgraduate levels, but we still do not agree on everything.
Will these areas be technical?
Sergey Ivanchenko: The first five faculties where we started dealt with purely fundamental sciences: biology, chemistry, materials science, areas related to computational mathematics and cybernetics. But now there will be a strong humanitarian component. Economic areas will be developed, in particular financial technologies. The university is growing, schools and kindergartens have appeared under it. For this reason, starting next year we plan to open master’s and postgraduate degrees in pedagogy.
From the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University we want to launch a direction of cultural studies.
Our colleagues from China put forward a proposal to open the direction of Artificial Intelligence. I think there will be a series starting next year.
I do not rule out new programs appearing in both biology and chemistry. The basic faculties of Moscow State University – PPI, with which it started in 2017, are now developing, adapting to the needs of the region, to the orders of the economy. For example, there will be a specialization in Marine Biology.
What makes the university unique?
Sergey Ivanchenko: What is unique is that such a project appeared on the territory of the People’s Republic of China. Both the campus and the learning conditions are unique. Here everyone learns Russian. And it’s one thing for, say, a Chinese student to teach Russian in Russia: it’s a story. And when he teaches her here, in “home” conditions, it is completely different. We also prepare specialists to work here in China, adapting educational programs to the specific needs and projects that the Chinese government is conveying. In fact, this is a center where people come not only to receive education, but also to solve practical business problems and hold discussions.
Until now, at Moscow State University – PPI, most of the international students are from Russia. How do you plan to attract other countries?
Sergey Ivanchenko: In general, the university is determined to increase the number of international students. Now there are 10 percent of them. Of course, we want to expand the geography both in Russia (because now most Russian students are Muscovites) and in all countries.
