University Sessions Project Completed at SUSU. Results in Our Long Read

South Ural State University hosted schoolchildren from the Lugansk People's Republic August 16th through 24th. During this time, the guys managed to meet with the Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region Alexey Texler, have a good rest in the Beryozka children's health camp, get acquainted with young activists of the city, train with the Chelbasket basketball club, visit the largest museums in the region, and cheer for the Traktor hockey team. All this and much more became possible thanks to the University Sessions project, in which children from new regions get to know each other and rediscover Russia for themselves.

On the first day, the guys had the opportunity to meet with the Rector of South Ural State University Alexander Wagner. He talked with the guys from the Lugansk People's Republic in the Beryozka camp in an informal atmosphere, spoke about his path in science and answered all the questions, which turned out to be very many. Schoolchildren, many of whom will enter universities in two years, were interested in measures to support non-resident students, opportunities for sports, creative and intellectual development. One of the questions was about for which specialties SUSU offers training programmes.

The Day of the First was held in the children's camp on August 18th. The guests from the Lugansk People's Republic got acquainted with the Movement of the First project. A whole series of events took place in the form of a game, including a quest game, a project session, and team introduction performance. During the quest, the guys in a playful way discovered the main directions of the Movement of the First: Patriotism, Diplomacy and International Relations, Science and Knowledge, Ecology, Sports, and Media. Children actively completed tasks, working in teams, and also discussed many thematic issues with curators. This competition allowed the children to expand their horizons, learn new things about what surrounds them in the modern world, how the media space is organized, how important family values are, and much more.

"A new Movement of the First has appeared in our country, because every child can be the first," says Liana Mlkeian, Deputy Chairperson of the Movement of the First in the Chelyabinsk Region. "And there are University Sessions for this reason, within which we can introduce all children to the areas of activity that we fulfil, so that they can find for themselves where they would like to develop in the future. And we, as a regional branch of the Movement of the First, being their mentors and coordinators, help children find their way, find opportunities for development and realization in one direction or another that will be close to them. And, of course, the opportunities that the movement gives, regardless of the region where you are, this is an event that unites the whole country."

The Day of the First ended with the Country with a Big Heart event, during which the organizers introduced the children to 11 values of the project, and the children made creative introduction performance on the topic of these values. They performed with bright dance routines, having managed to ignite the public, which was a great way to close the evening.

Schoolchildren from the Lugansk People's Republic were able to try out their future profession on August 21st. On this day, scientists and teachers from South Ural State University came to visit them to conduct a series of professional master classes, each of which is designed to help children immerse themselves in their future profession for one day and find out what suits them best.

"University Sessions project is very important in general, and especially for children from new regions of our country. I believe that the earlier we introduce young people to various professions, the sooner they will understand what is really important, necessary and interesting for them. And of course, I would like to believe that in the future this interest will lead them to us at SUSU as university applicants, and we will help them find a place in the professional field," said Elizaveta Popova, lecturer at the Department of Criminal Procedures, Criminal Science and Forensic Enquiry at the SUSU Institute of Law.

The National Flag Day of the Russian Federation in the camp began with a solemn raising of the flag on the site in front of the residential buildings. The tricolour was raised on the flagpole to the anthem of our country, after which the guys went to a sports master class.

On this day, an assistant coach and three players from the Chelbasket basketball club came to the Beryozka camp. They introduced the guys to basketball in an interesting way: how to drive the ball and get around opponents, how to throw the ball into the ring and never miss it. The children were able to consolidate their skills in a friendly match, in which professional athletes also took part. It is noteworthy that the forces of the teams were equal. After a tough struggle, the match ended in a draw, and all participants in the master class received memorable gifts with the club's symbols.

"I really enjoyed playing with professional athletes. Before, I didn't know there was a university basketball league, but after today's game, I'd like to join a club in the future. I played basketball a lot before this game, but at the master class I discovered a lot of new things," says Ilia Zimanov from Krasnodon.

On the final day, August 24th, children from the Lugansk People's Republic went to South Ural State University. Acquaintance with the university began with a tour of the People and Technologies of the Urals University Museum. The guys visited two exhibition halls that are dedicated to the history of the South Ural region: the settlement of the region by different peoples and tribes since the Stone Age, the development and formation of our region already in the time of Peter I and further industrial production in the 19th century. In addition, the young guests learned about the main sights of Chelyabinsk.

"I really liked the museum, I liked the history of Chelyabinsk, the events that took place here before, the deep history and traditions of this city. I learned a lot for myself, including that more than a million people live here. I also remember the map, which was compiled by the scientists of the museum. In general, it was very entertaining and cool! In the future, I would like to come to your city again and learn a lot of new things," says Nikita Alekseev, a participant in the University Sessions.

At the SUSU Sports Complex, the children attended the master class on the Diagnosis of Body Composition and Psychophysiological State. In the Sports Science Research Centre, they studied the physical characteristics of their body, the state of the musculoskeletal system and received individual advice on correcting the problems that arose.

The children also attended a master class on the Production of Designer Products and Mechanisms Using Laser Technologies. Here, with the help of a computer program, schoolchildren modelled the design of magnets and badges, many of which were dedicated to Chelyabinsk. Then the sketches were sent to print in a special laser machine. In addition, the guys tried their hand in designing and tried to assemble various mechanisms from wooden parts. The guys got to keep the resulting souvenirs for themselves.

On the final day, the Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region Alexey Texler met with the participants of the University Sessions. He shared with the schoolchildren on how a camel appeared on the coat of arms, why Chelyabinsk received a second name – Tankograd during the war years, and also why the Interuniversity Campus is being built in our city.

"We have been participating in the University Sessions for the second year already − this is a really interesting project. We are actively working with young people, they come to see the region and relax. But this format is special. The point is that the guys immediately get career guidance, delve into what people are involved in at universities. And here we have a double advantage. In addition to the fact that the guys get acquainted with the history and culture of the Chelyabinsk Region, they are also immersed in the university environment," said the Governor Alexey Texler.

The children could ask their questions. One of them touched upon the topic of benefits for admission to universities in the Chelyabinsk Region for children from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics:

"You have the opportunity to enter universities based on the results of the Unified State Examination, and if you didn’t take the Unified State Examination, then by interview," said the Governor. "There is a large list of benefits provided to close relatives, participants and veterans of the Special Military Operation. But if we talk specifically about universities in the Chelyabinsk Region, then not only benefits are important here, but also unique learning opportunities on our new large campus."

After talking with the Governor, the guys went on excursions to the Russia Is My History multimedia historical park and the State Historical Museum of the South Ural Region.

At the end of the day, the travellers were in for a hockey match. Many of the Krasnodon teenagers visited such a large-scale sporting event for the first time: 7500 thousand fans, a principal rival in the face of the AK Bars club and a match that kept intrigue until the very end. The guys actively supported the Chelyabinsk team until the final whistle. The meeting ended with the victory of the "black and white" with a score of 4:3 on shootouts. After the game, a visit to the Traktor Hockey Club Museum and its store was organized. Schoolchildren will return home, to the Lugansk People's Republic, already as fans of the Chelyabinsk club.

At 00:37 the train started moving, which meant that the trip to the South Ural region was over. As Vice-Rector Anton Manuilov noted, SUSU does not say goodbye to the guys, but only says "see you later". In a couple of years, when choosing which university to enter, some of these guys will definitely remember South Ural State University and apply to it. They will remember the university that introduced them to the science, culture and sports of the South Ural region, which is located so far from them.