Third International Forum on Teacher Education Opened

Experts from 36 countries and 30 Russian federal subjects have gathered at Kazan University for the annual conference.

The opening ceremony on May 23rd included contributions from Rector Ilshat Gafurov, Deputy of the Council of the Federation Oleg Morozov, and Minister of Education and Science of Tatarstan Engel Fattakhov.

The Rector, in particular, said, «The significance of teacher education is very high for any society nowadays. Teaching always has its eyes on the future. This is its charm and its complexity, something that is fully reflected in teacher education as well. That’s why recently teacher education has been in search of new paths and ways of addressing contemporary challenges. Creating conditions for high-quality education, and then for the professional, personal, and research growth of a teacher – this is what forms the basis of our country’s present and future».

He also reminded that teacher training started here as early as 1812, then was cancelled for some time and resumed in 2010 after the federal university was formed. That’s why it’s the venue for the International Forum on Teacher Education for the third time.

Minister Fattakhov and Senator Morozov extended their greetings and presented their views on the Forum’s significance. President of EERA Theo Wubbels opined that a global educational space must be formed in order for all the teachers to be ready to address global challenges.

Rector Gafurov further spoke about SAU Teacher 21 and its efforts in educating pedagogues for the multicultural environment. Despite all the technological changes and methodological innovations, the focus always remains the same – the educator’s own personal development. “A teacher must set an example for his students. Great Russian educator and writer Konstantin Ushinsky said that only a person can bring up another person. That’s why our job is to develop each and every teacher’s potential”.

He proceeded to thank the foreign guests from Oxford, Glasgow, Dresden, Miami, and other major universities for their contributions. Intercultural dialog is the key to success, as the Forum’s participants agreed. Three major panels will be held during May 23rd – 25th at the Institute of Psychology and Education: on continuing education, sustainable and safe social environment for minors, and adaptation of migrant children. IFTE will conclude on May 25th.

In the afternoon Rector Gafurov held a personal meeting with Jill Hawthorne, Director for International Development at Wiley. Director Hawthorne offered to make KFU a testing ground for the publisher’s Solutions programs. If deemed successful, the experience may then be scaled for other institutions and agencies in Russia.