Rectors and representatives of Russian and foreign universities met on the sidelines of the First World Public Assembly “New World of Conscious Unity”. The participants included heads of universities in Russia, the Middle East and North Africa, as well as well-known government and public figures and experts in education. They took part in the Panel Session “International Cooperation: Science and Education” and visited the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).
The discussion platforms dedicated to education were among the most significant, as this topic is directly related to shaping the future. Andrey Belyaninov, Secretary General of the World Peoples Assembly: “We have gathered, concerned about who our descendants will grow up to be. Today, everything must be done to get our children away from gadgets, which cause a lot of garbage to settle in their heads. Education is now one of the most important problems in our world. The future of a huge number of children on our planet is in your hands.
Addressing the participants in the discussion, Former Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Adnan Badran, noted that the mission of education is to build a person. And it is necessary to take care of education and self–education – ethical and moral: “Universities are our future in scientific research. It is universities that lead our future to higher development, including economic and social development. We have a lot of technology, all of which is preparing an environment that is different from the environment we live in today. We must return to education in order to sow the seeds of humanism and peace from early childhood. This seed grows precisely in schools and universities. It is our task as rectors to cultivate the seeds of kindness, peace, and love between nations.… Universities must keep up with the transformation that is taking place in the world. They should do this first and foremost, and scientists second.”
Of course, the conversation also touched upon new technologies that are used all over the world today. And, according to the rectors, moral and ethical standards should be above all here: “We look very carefully at the processes related to AI in order to exclude various negative processes that may occur in the future,” said Dr. Firas Turki Abdulaziz Muslimawi, a Member of the Parliamentary Education Committee of Iraq.
Former Yemeni President Ali Nasser Muhammad: “It is an honor for me to participate and represent the group of Arab peace initiatives at the WPA. Peace can be realized only if there is justice, equality and consideration of the interests of all peoples. We must adhere to dialogue and peace, we must not listen to the voices of weapons and wars. We came here with this very call. We want the Arab world to become a part of the international dialogue.”
At the meeting of rectors of foreign universities at MGIMO, the participants discussed the most important issues of both education and youth work. They discussed the organization of an international forum of university youth from the partner countries of the World Peoples Assembly, the development of an international university rating system at the present stage, and the establishment of academic exchanges.
The guests were greeted by MGIMO Rector, Academician Anatoly Torkunov. He introduced the guests to the history of the university, spoke about cooperation with universities in Arab countries and emphasized the interest in expanding the geography of this interaction.
MGIMO has a long-standing tradition of Arabic studies, dating back to the Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages. Anatoly Torkunov noted that students’ interest in learning Arabic is steadily growing. Today, more than 400 students study it at the University, and student exchanges with universities in the Middle East are successfully underway.
Andrey Belyaninov, Secretary General of the World Peoples Assembly, Member of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, stressed the importance of combining the efforts of the leadership of leading Russian universities in international cooperation with foreign universities. During the meeting, the participants were unanimous in their desire to create a World Council of Rectors.
Also, a cooperation agreement was signed on the sidelines of the First World Public Assembly: Andrey Belyaninov, Secretary General of the World Peoples Assembly and Salah Abdulhasan Kadhim, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Al-Mamoun University, Republic of Iraq. The Iraqi side expressed hope for the opening of a representative office of the World Peoples Assembly in the country.
Heads of Universities from Different Countries have Announced the Need to Create a World Council of Rectors
