3rd SARUD project coordination meeting

From May 3 to 5, 2017, the 3rd coordination meeting within the framework of the international project "Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARUD)"was held at Michurinsk State Agrarian University. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Universities of Heuenheim and Nürtingen-Gaislingen (Germany), as well as the Timiryazev Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow State Agricultural Academy, Stolypin Omsk State Agrarian University, Novosibirsk State Agrarian University, Stavropol State Agrarian University, Yaroslavl State Agricultural Academy, Seifullin KazATU, A. BaitursynovKSU, and Sh. Ualikhanov KSU. The meeting began with a welcoming speech by the Rector of Michurinsky State Agrarian University V. A. Babushkin, who in his speech emphasized the timeliness and relevance of this project.

Then, on the first day of the meeting, a representative of the Erasmus+ National office in Russia, A. A. Muravyeva, monitored the project. During the rest of the meeting, the participants presented their reports on the work done, discussed issues related to the development and content of the knowledge platform in accordance with the specifics of the regulatory framework in the field of rural development in Russia and Kazakhstan. The meeting concluded with a discussion of further project activities.

The first set of students under this project will be carried out in the field of Economics in the 2017-2018 academic year. Future master's students will be able to gain knowledge in the field of economics and management, social sciences, agronomy and ecology, will be able to learn how to apply modern methods of land use planning, socio-cultural and natural resources, as well as agroecosystem assessment. Graduates of this educational program will be able to work in public service bodies, departments of agriculture at various levels, in research institutes, in higher and secondary educational institutions.

As part of the project, the second interim conference was held from July 3 to July 5, 2017 at the S. Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University. состоялась вторая промежуточная конференция.

The international conference "Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARUD)" was attended by universities – developers and academic and non-academic partners of the project from Kazakhstan, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Russia; representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

During three days of work, participants presented the results and further steps for the implementation of the SARUD Master's degree program implemented in Russia and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The main topic of discussion at the international conference was the introduction of a new Master's degree program in Economics. Kazakh universities presented a report " SARUD curriculum in Kazakhstan universities: specialty-Economics. Learning outcomes. Integration of internships. About the new SARUD curriculum implemented in Kazakhstan, about the "SARUD Curriculum in Kazakhstan: the format of the state final exam and topics for the thesis".

During the conference, the following issues were discussed: Master's program dissemination, integration of internships, interdepartmental cooperation, proposed topics of dissertations and other issues of theoretical and practical foundations of training.

The conference was completed by visiting the specialized international exhibition EXPO-2017 and Agrofirma Rodina LLP.

At the end of the reporting conference, coordinator Martin Dieterich summed up the results. The project coordinator gave a general review of the work performed on the project and announced further tasks and planned events.