SAS at Engineers Meetup

On 3-4 July, a delegation from SAS took part in the Engineers' Meetup, which brought together over 50 universities and companies in Rostov-on-Don.

The aim of the engineers meetup in Rostov-on-Don was to discuss experiences in the creation and development of experimental educational platforms and engineering schools.

During a panel discussion dedicated to project activities, SAS Director Andrey Shcherbenok and colleagues from other universities discussed the organisation of student project work and its place in the educational process.

“In my opinion, the main outcome of the discussion was the realization by all participants that project activities are, firstly, highly important, secondly, diverse, and thirdly, should not replace the entire education. The main challenge is to meaningfully integrate project activities with in-depth academic disciplines, which cannot be achieved through project-oriented learning or project activities as supplementary to traditional educational programs. Essentially, this integration is a horizon that the university should constantly strive for,” said Andrey.

He also moderated a panel discussion on greenfields, where founders of experimental educational institutions shared their experience in transforming education.

One of the participants in the event was SAS student Vasilisa Grosheva (3rd year, IT major), who spent a year studying at the School X (DSTU, Rostov-on-Don).

During her presentation, she talked about SAS's Curriculum and how it influenced her learning experience at School X: what it was like to spend two years writing essays and studying philosophers before immersing herself in a more practical and market-oriented environment through project-based learning. Vasilisa also highlighted the similarities and differences between the two educational greenfields, including the responsibility and discipline emphasized at SAS and the greater autonomy and informality of students at School X.

“A common theme among all the speakers was student autonomy in decision-making. We approached it from different angles. During the discussion, we came to an unexpected conclusion: perhaps student initiative and independence are not a result of what is provided to them, but rather a response to what they lack,” added Vasilisa.