Educating a new generation of academic leaders of the future in Russia and the OIS panel session held at KazanForum 2025
The discussion focused on successful practices of educational institutions in Russia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries in training future leaders of science, as well as the role of intercultural exchange and interaction in the training and development of students. Special attention was paid to the creation of conditions for talented young people, including support for scientific initiatives, exchange programs and international research projects.
Timirkhan Alishev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of KFU, moderated the discussion. The session was attended by Omid Rezaifar, Director of the Center for International Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Iran), Zabta Khan Shinwari, Rector of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Pakistan), Alireza Firoozfar, Rector of Islamic Azad University (Iran), Alexander Dyakonov, Rector of Almetyevsk State Technological University – Higher School of Petroleum, Yulia Petrova, Deputy Secretary General of the Assembly of Peoples of Eurasia and Africa, Professor of the Financial University, and others. Also present were Almaz Galimov, Director of the KFU Jizzakh Branch, and Radif Zamaletdinov, Director of the Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication.
The session participants discussed current trends in education, innovations and technological development, which contribute to the formation of a new type of scientists and teachers. Opening the event, the Vice-Rector of KFU noted that students and young scientists were present in the audience and expressed the hope that many of them would be interested in learning about measures to support and involve young people in science both at the level of educational organizations and at the inter-national level.
The total number of foreign students of KFU – citizens of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries, including branches of the university, is 9,770 people – this is three quarters of the body of foreign students. Kazan Federal University is one of the leaders in Russia in this metric.
Olga Vershinina, Director of the International Office, shared more details of KFU’s experience. She stressed that the university attaches great importance to the development of mobility programs in various forms, and cited the example of the Summer University project, which is implemented by KFU with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and FGANU Sociocenter.
Rector of Islamic Azad University, in turn, said that the university practices interaction with technology parks, actively participates in international conferences and seminars to keep up with the times. The university is open to digital transformation and involvement of smart technologies, emphasized A. Firoozfar.
At the end of the discussion, a cooperation agreement was signed between KFU and the Assembly of Peoples of Eurasia and Africa. The document was signed by Timirkhan Alishev and Andrey Belyaninov, Secretary General of the Assembly.