MSUPE Experts to Conduct Master Classes at the Forum "Russia and Mongolia: Best Russian Educational Practices"
The International Forum "Russia and Mongolia: Best Russian Educational Practices" began on March 23 at the Russian House in Ulaanbaatar. Over 120 educators from the Association of Russian Schools Abroad, national schools of Mongolia, as well as methodologists, administrators, and experts in the field of education are participating. The event is organized by the Association of Russian Schools Abroad of the Center for International Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Education. Co-organizers include the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Ulaanbaatar and the Ulaanbaatar branch of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
"Where Russian is the language of instruction, it is important to maintain high standards across all disciplines – from elementary school to subject-specific education. That is why joint educational platforms and professional associations of teachers are so valuable: they allow us to maintain a unified level of requirements, help teachers build methodological support, and develop the school environment so that students can confidently master the curriculum and see prospects for continuing their education. The extensive forum program will provide participants with concrete professional results: new methodological solutions and new partnerships between schools and teaching staff in Russia and Mongolia," said Andrey Korneev, State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, in his welcoming address to the participants.
At the opening ceremony, forum participants were welcomed by Sergey Malyshev, Director of the Center for International Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Education. He noted that for many decades, the Russian language has occupied a special place in Mongolia's education system and has become a language of professional communication for many generations of specialists.
"Since 2020, Mongolia has become one of the countries where teachers from the 'Russian Teacher Abroad' project work. Russian teachers teach in Mongolian schools, work alongside their colleagues, discuss methods, and seek new approaches to teaching. The process is mutual: teachers share experiences and learn from each other. This is why today's forum is especially important. It provides an opportunity to talk about real school practice, what happens in the classroom, and the challenges teachers face today," Sergey Malyshev emphasized.
Addressing the attendees, Andrey Ivakhin, Counselor-Envoy of the Russian Embassy in Mongolia, outlined the main goal of the forum – to clearly formulate new approaches to language education.
"We understand how important communication is in today's world. There were times when about 60–70% of Mongolians could express themselves quite well in Russian, and that is a good foundation. Modern practices of Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) require serious modernization, adaptation for the Mongolian audience, and further development to foster motivation. I urge teaching the language not for its own sake, but for excellence," said Andrey Ivakhin.
According to Gombosuren Gurragchaa, Head of the Learning Quality Control Department of the Mongolian Education Administration, Russian is one of the two main languages of study in Mongolia's educational program, and in recent years, the number of Mongolian school students choosing it has increased. He called the forum's activities a new window for further cooperation between the two countries.
The forum will last for two days. Participants will discuss modern teaching methods in foreign schools, as well as issues of long-term professional collaboration between educators from Russia and Mongolia, which will strengthen the longstanding partnership and humanitarian ties between the two countries.
The first day of the forum includes a plenary session where participants will discuss a comprehensive model of educational cooperation between Russia and Mongolia, the experience of the international humanitarian project "Russian Teacher Abroad," key trends in the development of the Russian language and teaching practices, practice-oriented methods for training elementary school teachers, and experiences in overcoming obstacles in early language learning. Additionally, interactive lectures, master classes, and thematic sessions for educators are planned.
On the second day of the forum, March 24, invited experts from Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (MSUPE) will conduct master classes for participants. A round table will be organized for educators, dedicated to practices, innovations, and collaboration within the project. It will be moderated by Irina Ponomareva, Head of the Russian Language Center at the Center for International Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Education.