Highlights | SCOLAR Minsk Hub Anniversary

On July 22, 2024, the official opening of the SCOLAR Minsk Hub took place — an important step for the international youth platform SCOLAR. Let’s look back at some of the key events.

Minsk Hub Opening Ceremony

On July 22, 2024, the opening ceremony of SCOLAR Minsk Hub was held in Minsk at the Faculty of International Relations of BSU.

The opening ceremony was held via videoconference and was moderated by the Dean of the Faculty of International Relations of BSU Elena Dostanko, co-founder and chairperson of the SCOLAR Network Victoria Khu, and the Deputy Dean for educational work and social issues of the Faculty of International Relations Pavel Boltochko.

The following honorary guests and participants also spoke at the ceremony: Viktor Kochin, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Internationalization of Education, BSU, Sergey Kanavsky, Executive Secretary of the Business Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Vadim Senyuta, Head of the Department of China and Asia-Pacific Cooperation of the Main Department of Asia, Africa, Latin America of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Evgeny Ryabtsev, Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the People’s Republic of China. The cooperation agreement between SCOLAR Network and BSU was signed by SCOLAR Network Chair Victoria Khu and BSU Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Internationalization of Education Viktor Kochin.

SCOLAR Day Event

On October 9, 2024, the SCOLAR Minsk Hub team held the SCOLAR Day Event for students of the faculty. The event was mainly targeted at first-year students and was aimed at familiarizing them with the activities of the SCOLAR Network and SCOLAR Minsk Hub.

Participation in the International Scientific Conference “Belarus in the Modern World”

On October 24, 2024 the Minsk hub curator Artsiom Palavinski and hub mentor Kseniya Leshchanka took part in the International Scientific Conference “Belarus in the Modern World” which was held at the Faculty of International Relations, BSU, and co-authored the article “Cooperation with the SCOLAR Network Platform in the Context of the Implementation of Youth Policy in the Republic of Belarus”. This article has already been published as a part of the conference proceedings.

Participation in the International Forum of Young Leaders of the BRICS+ Countries

On November 8-9, 2024 mentor Kseniya Leshchanka gave a presentation on the activities of the SCOLAR Minsk Hub at the International Forum of Young Leaders of the BRICS+ Countries, which was held in Nizhny Novgorod under the auspices of the SCOLAR Nizhny Novgorod Hub – our colleagues and partners, co-organizers of the Fisrt Minsk Model SCO.

First Minsk SCO Model

I Minsk SCO Model

The First Minsk Model SCO was held by SCOLAR Minsk Hub at the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University with the support of the SCOLAR Network from November 13 to 15, 2024. The co-organizers of the SCO Model were the SCOLAR hubs in Nizhny Novgorod and St. Petersburg. As part of the First Minsk Model SCO, a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government on the topic of “Development of Youth Policy: Strategies and Initiatives for a Sustainable Future” was held in Russian and the Council of National Coordinators on the topic of “Protection of Nature, Environment and Climate” in Chinese. More than 60 students and postgraduates from Belarusian and Russian universities took part in the event.

Christmas Bridge of Friendship

On December 17, 2024, SCOLAR Minsk Hub and the Department of Oriental Studies of the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University held a festive event – the Christmas Bridge of Friendship. The event featured oriental poetry, musical performances, educational presentations on festive traditions of different countries, and a workshop on ikebana from a lecturer of the department.

Participation in the Annual Competition of Student Projects “BSU Best Youth Project” – 2025

On February 26, 2025, vice-curator of the hub Lidziya Zhurko with the support of hub’s team members presented the project “SCOLAR Minsk Hub: First Minsk Model SCO” at the annual competition of student projects “BSU Best Youth Project – 2025”.

World Poetry Day at FIR, BSU

The SCOLAR Minsk Hub, together with the Department of Oriental Studies of the Faculty of International Relations, held an event dedicated to World Poetry Day, which took place at the Faculty of International Relations on March 21, 2025. The event was marked not only by World Poetry Day, but also by the approaching anniversary of the beginning of the SCOLAR Minsk Hub – it was in the spring of 2024 that the procedure for preparing for the opening of the Minsk branch was launched.

Students performed popular songs and classical and modern poetry in the oriental languages, and took part in educaltional quizzes on Russian and Belarusian literature.

Intellectual Team Tournament “The Republic of Belarus and Key Partners in Asia”

On April 16, 2025, the SCOLAR Minsk Hub, together with the Students’ Scientific Research Laboratory “Orientalist”, held an intellectual team tournament “The Republic of Belarus and Key Partners in Asia”, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University. Each team presented a project aimed at developing cooperation between Belarus and the countries of the Near and Far East in such areas as high technology, industry and education.

Student Debates “Turn to the East in the Foreign Policy of the Republic of Belarus”

On April 23, 2025, the SCOLAR Minsk Hub, together with the Department of Oriental Studies of the Faculty of International Relations and the Students’ Scientific Research Laboratory “Orientalist”, held student debates “Turn to the East in the Foreign Policy of the Republic of Belarus” (dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University). As part of the general theme of the debates, a wide range of regional studies issues related to the regions of the Near and Far East were considered.

Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus

On July 3, 2025, as part of the celebration of the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus, the SCOLAR Minsk Hub team took part in the work of the interactive platforms of the Belarusian State University in the Pavlov Park in the Moskovsky District of Minsk city. Members of the hub, together with lecturers of the Department of Oriental Studies and graduates of the Faculty of International Relations, held workshops on Chinese painting and calligraphy, the art of jianzhi, as well as educational quizzes on knowledge of Belarusian, Russian and Chinese cultures and general knowledge of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

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The SCOLAR Minsk Hub team thanks everyone for their support and participation! New ideas, initiatives, and events are on the way — stay connected and grow with us!