校长专栏

21.01.2013

Views and opinions of the rector of North-Eastern Federal University

For Rector Evgenia Mikhailova, the University is more than an educational institution. This is - the school of life. A place where people teach and learn, receive and give knowledge, make friends, find love and oneself. So the main thing in the University is that students and teaching staff love their university, respect their traditions and each other, and business in which they are engaged in. In the first edition of «Open» magazine editorial tried to make views and opinions collage of doctor of pedagogical sciences, related with the most important thing in her life - the university.

The hardest thing is to say "no", the worst is to fail people. And nothing gets to me easy.

I think that when young people with initiative, some daring, aspirations, will implement them in projects and business plans we can only support and assist in the implementation. This should be part of the educational process. Gaining experience, person must gradually acquire and self-confidence, especially in professional.

I like the students’ activity. Here I make efforts for that our students unite not only in trade union, but in the intelligent council, creative groups and to realize themselves in all forms.

The question, if I have flaws, as I was asked, thinking, apparently, that I do not confess, I said that I have them, like any normal person. One of them that I begin being thick if there are smell of booze, smoke smell and harsh odor.

It would be possible to forbid all students to go to the nightclubs, but it will not achieve much, and, as we know, the forbidden fruit more tempting.

Unfortunately, today there are enough moments when students uneducated by us, by adults, in the family, they can be rude to guard, for example, can spit on the washed floors to make trouble for anyone. Education and culture are determined by a person's world outlook, his attitude to life.

No need to stoop to the students level, they have to be stimulated. Then it will be interesting for you to communicate with those you are teaching.

I do not think that the prize is a carrot, which forces people to work. And it isn’t a stick, by the way. This is a cash award, which is given for the progress work result.

After giving birth to a child, we take responsibility for his future. For poorly brought up, dropouts, uneducated people, people blame their parents. You can have a university degree, but do not know how to think. The task of higher education is to learn to think, to take responsibility, to do something.

First of all, teachers of the North-Eastern Federal University should think about responsibility. I understand that not everyone can imagine what it is. There is a group of teachers who say: "We have worked for 40 years like that, and nothing is matter." And the fact that the technologies have changed, new teaching methods, even new ways of remembering. All this pass them by. During the work of such teachers in the world happened three revolutions: the quantum, computer and biomolecular, but it left them cold.

If a person starts to say something, ask, ask questions, show interest, he immediately begins to harden in his opinion, but it is worth much.

I don’t understand why a person having his own opinion, does not express it. No matter who is in front of you: the president, minister or teacher or the rector of university. If a person is educated, cultured, has the understanding of a concrete question, he can always ask the question.

I'm not the kind of person who does not listen other people's opinions. I know that sometimes I can go to drastic actions to begin dismiss, not wasting time on upbringing. Especially now, when there are a lot of other people, particularly young people, who could come and take theirs place. I always try that man understands himself, that he is something incomplete, unfinished. After all, I have always wanted to treat me fairly, for example, at school.

I am very grateful to my parents, who never forbade us to meet with classmates and friends. I even remember: mom or dad comes home from work, and there is no place to step, because we did not have a certain hall, there was just a large dining room, and half is crowded with shoes.

We have never had expensive, good furniture, books were honored. I remember that we were well-fed, and I will not say that we so beautifully dressed. But we had it all: a tennis table, which our dad did in the yard, and everybody came to play it, a post in which we shot from a bow, sporting rifle, first bicycle, first moped, first bike, tape and so on. We played a football, hockey, all had skiing, skating. And you know, most of all I would like to see the students of our university are also remembered as the years of study are intense and the happiest time in their life.

Today, every person can and should become an independent manager of their future, as earlier said, the architect of his own fortunes.

It’s not difficult, it is intricate to be a woman-rector. When I worked as Vice President of the Sakha Republic, I certainly had to deal with many questions and always find fair and equitable solution to people’s right, regardless of age, nationality or place of work, are not disadvantaged. But for woman-rector sometimes difficult to decide problems which was given to a man easily. Just because she is a woman and she needs to be more loyal.

The university has always conducted their teaching in Russian. But, for example, for future philologists, who are preparing to be teachers of Yakut language, or journalists of Evenk newspapers need to know their native language. And for those who want to be an economist, builder, but does not want to forget their roots, we organize training for additional programs.

I will speak for my self. In Yakutsk, I am concerned that young people are not formed by a sense of responsibility. There is some haphazard way in relation to themselves and their actions. Some of the wise said that education creates images of those people that want to compare with. Today young people, most of them, unfortunately, don’t have a large number of experimental examples in front of, which they would like to be like.

Women have low role and praise men. But, historic experiment shows another. I will not remember Catherine II, without whose permission any gun couldn’t shoot, or Margaret Thatcher, whose decisions have brought the country to a stable development. Among Russian women, I would single out Valentina Matvienko, Galina Karelova. They can compete quite well with men and quality of woman only help.

I always say, the higher education should primarily depend on the abilities of the person and his work habits. Unfortunately, at school and in family, we bring up these qualities not enough.

Unified State Exam has enabled many of our graduates to take the higher education. But the level of knowledge of pupils, especially in rural schools is poor. Mathematics, a foreign language are well, pulled the Russian language, but the chemistry, physics, biology are just trouble. That is why, we decided to bring university to the village areas.

Children have no responsibility for that they studying in small schools, essentially being held hostage to the circumstances. I always say that parents should strive that their children can study in complete schools. Send out to their relatives, friends, to the boarding-schools. This is better than studying in a small school.

I have never regretted that I went to work at the university. The only missing thing is time. I want to do a lot of things, to change, to implement.

I’m free from 10pm in the evening and start looking mail, personal applications, documents and motions. Of course, it would be charged an assistant or deputy, but that people have written to me, and I am responsible for the decision. I believe that the individual work with the mail - it is the head duty.

I used to read more, so I always give the example on its own, to be honest, many meetings phrases, quotes or images from the literary work. Sometimes I surprise that some people don’t know the words of Chekhov's characters, Pushkin jokes, proverbs, etc. Now, due to the fact that "live run", I read very rarely, mostly laws and circulars. On the table there is Holiness Patriarch Kirill’s gift of "The Power of the nation - in the power of the spirit." After reading the book, I found consonance my thoughts, confirmation. And now I read this book every day, just 2-3 paragraphs, and become more resilient, resolute.

My main concern at the university - to form the collective of like-minded teachers, professors, staff, students, especially senior students who understand what the mission and role is assigned to the Federal University in the north-east.

The task of the university is to create the conditions for the student that he could choose his own education program, an individual set of knowledge and skills, practical skills.

Doctor, teacher or engineer who graduated from the federal university, should be, first of all, person, who can solve not only theoretically, but also to make practical steps and concrete actions, can make their own decisions, to uphold the cultural values and political interests of his native land.

The mentality of those who work at the university, unfortunately, hasn’t changed a lot. I convince me that may be I want too much, want to realize so many ideas in such a short period of time. Now we have allot our task - to become by 2020 the largest university not by the number of students, but as well as leading on research, education and training, cultural center for the whole of the Far East, known for our work, so attractive, spark interest and desire to learn or cooperate.

I try to communicate more directly with the students themselves. Young people are more open, direct and say what they think. And very often during the conversation with them, I have a question: why no one before me, the rector, didn’t explain it to them? This concerns the basic questions of ethics, morality, culture, and behavior skills.

More time I allot personal meetings, to help everyone - my duty. The Council is actively working on the creative development of students in which gathered communicative, cheerful people, of course, our students. They understand what it means – to create their own time.

I would have considered my mission is done, if I could help to appear or to grow up a group of university professors and researchers who are seriously engaged in science, with an interest working with students, helping them to become a versatile personality, competitive in the labor market.

Another, I hope that we will all smile at each other and wish each other's health, that is, hello.

I am opposed that students are dropped out from student’s dormitory even for drinking alcohol. Where will they go? Throw them out on the street? We have to educate them, because they are our children.

Today's students are very active, they want to be seen, and they are more unselfconscious. I like them. They know much more, work harder, more independent. They used to fall in love, get married, have children, it does not expect to sit on the neck of the parents, know that they have to provide their family, so learn and work. Relationship to each other they have other - competitive, emulative. They are more confident. For them, computers, cell phones, smart phones are the usual things of daily use, but the reading of Leo Tolstoy's is boring...

* The material is based on interviews Evgenia Mikhailova dated 2011-2012 academic year. Materials are taken from the newspaper "Our University", "Il Tumen", "University Gazette," "Literary newspaper", "Rossiyskaya Gazeta".