The social component is in the focus of attention of the management of KBSU

Vladimir Grusman, Scientific Director of the Social and Humanitarian Institute of KBSU, Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, member of the Board of Trustees of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H.M. Berbekov:

“By participating in the meeting of the Board of Trustees of KBSU, at which the results of the university’s activities for 2019-2020 were discussed. and the goals of the university for 2021, I drew the attention of colleagues to the pace of progress in higher education. In the 70s, when we studied at the Leningrad State University, this university was considered very large — 14 thousand students studied there. And now 17 thousand students are studying at the regional university — Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H. M. Berbekov. The figure is very impressive.

At the beginning of 2020, students, graduate students, teachers could not have imagined that they would have to almost completely switch to remote work, but such a need suddenly arose, and the regional university showed one of the best examples of resolving an extraordinary situation. The fact that, despite the difficulties caused by the large-scale COVID-19 epidemic, the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H.M. Berbekov works stably. The head of the university, Doctor of Economics Yuri Altudov, together with his team, is making great efforts to this. In 2020, significant events took place: an agreement was signed on the creation of a cultural and educational center «Hermitage — Caucasus» on the basis of KBSU; within the framework of cooperation between KBSU and Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, a mirror engineering center was created at the university; preparations began for the signing of a frontal agreement with the North-West Institute of Management of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation.

With regard to distance learning, there are certain questions on the part of undergraduate and graduate students of various universities, but it should be understood that this form is now, in the context of the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus, necessary in terms of saving people’s lives.

A few years ago, the university specialists developed a good, according to the teachers’ reviews, very easy-to-use digital educational platform Open University open.kbsu.ru, which made it possible to immediately switch to a distance learning format as soon as the need arose. The members of the Board of Trustees were informed that daily monitoring, including at the level of secondary vocational education (in four colleges of the KBSU), makes it possible to control the situation with class attendance, which at various faculties ranges from 75 to 95 percent. The administration of the university strives to bring the attendance of classes in the format of remote access to 100%. The leadership of KBSU provided students living in hostels with the opportunity to communicate with teachers remotely.

I made a proposal that it is necessary to find a legal basis for providing the necessary computer equipment to disabled students, students with disabilities, from low-income families who do not live in hostels.

It is pleasant to note that this issue is already being resolved at KBSU. About 50 computers have been purchased for needy students, and in the near future it is planned to purchase about 200-300 more computers to provide students. This indicates that the social component is in the focus of attention of the university administration”.