SCOLAR Academy: Summer School for the youth of SCO countries in UNECON

SCOLAR Academy program- Summer School in St. Petersburg was held from August 1 to 5, 2022. The event was organized by SCOLAR Network and St. Petersburg State University of Economics (UNECON) on the theme “Corporate social responsibility.”

The main program of the Summer School included lectures and practical classes, which were prepared by the Center for the Study of China and the Asia-Pacific Region and the Center for Development and Innovation of UNECON. Students and young professionals from Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belorussia gathered in St. Petersburg, with students from China, Armenia, and Kazakhstan joining in the online format. Everybody enjoyed the rich culture of St. Petersburg: they looked at the city from the famous St. Petersburg rooftops, visited the Summer Palace of Peter, visited ExpoForum, where SPIEF is held, and also visited the Toksovo Cider factory and learned about the history of the brand and the production of cider. Everyone enjoyed the lively, friendly atmosphere and gained inspiration for their professional activities.

During the Summer School, the participants developed a project to increase the contribution of SCO companies to improving CSR in the region and achieving sustainable development goals. The expert jurors were Executive Secretary of the SCO Business Council Sergey Kanavsky, Chairman of the SCOLAR Network Victoria Khu, Director of the Center for China and APR Studies at UNECON Tatyana Urzhumtseva, Director of the Center for Development and Innovation at UNECON Andrey Aleksankov, General Director of Huaming Soluxe International Travel LLC Han Xuemei.

The SCOLAR Academy Summer School is a project under the SCOLAR Academy program held in universities of the SCO countries, aiming to support the exchange of experience and knowledge between students and young specialists of the SCO countries.

Feedbacks

Alexandra Krivushkova

We ate our first breakfast after meeting in silence, but as we got to know the people on the team, the shyness and awkwardness faded – and we got along very well. Interacting with each participant and sharing experiences and knowledge was a pleasure. Many thanks to the organizers of the SCOLAR Academy and UNECON for providing us with fresh insights and unique ideas that are already waiting to be realized.

Meyerbek Ergashbaev

I would like to express my great appreciation to the organizers of SCOLAR Academy! I think the event was a great success. The camp united young people from different countries, and we designed a realistic project program together. This camp has not only helped me to gain knowledge, improve my skills and learn from foreign experiences but also provided me with an opportunity to meet many new friends.

As part of the corporate social responsibility course, we attended lectures by experienced lecturers from UNECON. With my friends from Russia and Kyrgyzstan, I developed the project “Equal educational opportunities for all,” which was recognized as a well-deserved first place. During the camp, we also had the opportunity to enjoy the scenery of the most beautiful city on the Neva River.

Scientific and educational programs, including summer schools, are essential to public diplomacy. Thus, we consider all the organizers who worked with us as not only experts in their respective fields but also diplomats representing the people.

I am sure that the Summer School of SCOLAR Academy at UNECON will become an unforgettable memory for all participants.

Inin Fan ( Founding Curator, SCOLAR Bishkek hub)

Hi! My name is Inin and I was lucky enough to participate in the SCOLAR Academy’s summer school organized in Saint-Petersburg. These were the busiest and funniest five days of my summer! I not only learned so much about corporate social responsibility but also worked on a team project with students from Russia and Uzbekistan. After lectures, we would walk around the city and get to know its sights. I am grateful to SCOLAR for such an excellent opportunity to meet so many incredible people from different countries and visit beautiful Saint – Petersburg!

Alina Garayeva (Founding Curator, SCOLAR Nizhny Novgorod hub)

Summer is the best time to create, acquire new skills and knowledge, and implement projects! I had the privilege to participate in a five-day summer school at the SCOLAR Academy organized at UNECON, which gathered great representatives from SCO regions. During the week, we listened to several lectures, developed our projects, and visited the most representative sites in the cultural capital of Russia!

This event provided me with a unique opportunity to gain new insights, meet new people or people close in spirit, and exchange knowledge and experience with them, learn more about the cultures of other countries and peoples. My sincere thanks to the #SCOLAR  and #UNECON in St. Petersburg for taking care of us and to the organizers of the program; it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to present my ideas and get them heard!

Vahan Grigoryan

Hello, my name is Vahan. I have participated in SCO Summer 2022 school in St. Petersburg, Russia. During that week, I was surrounded by new engaging students and very professional and well-prepared professors. The week spent in SCO Summer school gave me a wonderful experience of gaining new knowledge and cultural exploration. I am very grateful to SCOLAR and the organizers for their fantastic job and hospitality.

Zhang Aizhen

Thanks again to SCOLAR for choosing me to participate in the online summer school. I had a fantastic week and learned much about economics and corporate social responsibility. It would have been more impressive if I could have come to St. Petersburg. After the pandemic, I hope to participate in offline activities and meet all the summer school participants and teachers!