QS WORLDWIDE is one of the most important international events targeted at enhancement of universities’ competitiveness. In 2018, the summit was held at Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. Representatives of 128 universities of the world from 27 countries discussed possibilities of internationalization and ways of cooperation between the leading educational institutions.
Mission of the annual QS WORLDWIDE strategic summit is to promote development of higher education in Russia and the countries of Central Asia through international cooperation. Also among the goals is to unite the best experiences of various education systems, and cooperation in formation of a global system of higher education. Representatives of South Ural State University also took part in the summit.
“The topic of branding of Russia’s educational institutions became especially relevant due to development of market economy and the increasing competition at the intensively-forming global scientific and educational space. Therefore, the search of ways for enhancing competitiveness of universities is becoming especially topical today; and this was one of the mains topics for discussion at the summit,” notes Head of the Marketing and Strategic Communications Department, Lidiya Lobodenko. “SUSU is a multinational university, for which integration into the international scientific and educational space is an important goal. In the existing conditions, learning the experience of branding from foreign and Russian universities allows us maximally correctly determine our own strategy of development in this direction.”
The main question proposed for discussion concerned the role of international rankings in development of higher education, as well as internationalization trends relevant for the leading universities, and international cooperation in educational and scientific spheres.
“It is important for us to take part in such events in order to know which aspects deserve our attention primarily, and what problems our colleagues from other countries are facing. Besides, this is the opportunity to establish contacts directly with ranking agencies. One of the summit’s sessions was dedicated to discussion of the necessity of rankings in the global educational space. More than 60% of participants voted for their applicability,” says Head of the International Affairs Division’s Ranking Cooperation Department, Liudmila Lapina.
Also, an exhibition of participating universities was held within the summit; this became the possibility for universities representatives to exchange contacts in order to establish partnership and develop long-lasting relations in the sphere of promotion of education programs.