At Omsk State Agrarian University, the prospects for rural development and rural traditions were discussed

On April 10, as part of the project "Russian-Belarusian Forum of Rural Youth 'Quadrille': A Dialogue of Traditions and Cultures," an international online seminar titled "Prospects for the Development of Rural Areas and Rural Traditions in Russia and Belarus" took place.

The organizer and moderator of the seminar was Oksana Alexandrovna Kozlova, Doctor of Economics, Associate Professor, and Professor at the Department of Economics, Accounting, and Financial Control at Omsk State Agrarian University, as well as a mentor for the project "Russian-Belarusian Forum of Rural Youth 'Quadrille': A Dialogue of Traditions and Cultures."

Oleg Anatolyevich Blinov, Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Omsk State Agrarian University, Candidate of Economic Sciences, and Associate Professor at the Department of Economics, Accounting, and Financial Control, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.

During the seminar, speakers and experts from Russia and Belarus discussed successful cases of rural restoration and preservation of rural traditions, the contributions of specialized universities and public organizations, as well as the prospects for rural development.

The representative of the delegation from the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy, Viktor Nikolaevich Blokhin, Candidate of Sociological Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of Social and Humanitarian Disciplines, arrived in Omsk to participate in the on-site activities of the project. In his presentation, he discussed the features and challenges of rural community development in the Republic of Belarus. His colleague, Olga Vasilievna Patsukevich, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Social and Humanitarian Disciplines, presented the problems and prospects for building human resources in the agricultural sector of the Republic of Belarus.

From another partner university in Belarus, the Belarusian State Agricultural Technical University, Alexander Petrovich Shklyarov, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of Economics and Organization of the Agricultural Sector, delivered a report on the topic "Climate-Optimized Village: The Foundation for the Sustainability of the Agricultural Sector."

The Republic of Belarus was also represented at the seminar by Rima Mechislavovna Epur, Head of the Entrepreneurship Support Center at LLC "ALRIiKo." She addressed topics related to economically sustainable business models for youth in rural areas, the role of innovation implementation and intellectual dynamics, cooperation and allied partnerships, as well as current business practices.

The assessment of rural development in the Omsk region within the framework of sustainability was provided by Dinara Rakhmetulovna Bayetova, Candidate of Economic Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of Economics, Accounting, and Financial Control of Omsk State Agrarian University. Also representing the university, Alexander Yuryevich Sablin, Assistant at the Department of Philosophy, History, Economic Theory, and Law, delivered a report on the topic "Ethno-Confessional Composition of the Omsk Region (Based on the Example of the Village of Novo-Ivanovka in Novovarshavsky District of Omsk Region)." Oksana Alexandrovna Kozlova presented models for the development of rural areas under modern conditions in her presentation.

Olga Mikhailovna Khoroshavina, Deputy Director of the State Center for Folk Art of the Omsk Region, spoke about the Omsk Irtysh region from the perspective of the ethno-cultural landscape. Also at the seminar, Ekaterina Vladimirovna Gnatenko, head of a farming enterprise and winner of the regional "Agro-Business Grant" competition in the Omsk region in 2023, shared her experience and elaborated on the opportunities and limitations in implementing projects in rural areas.

The seminar attendees had the chance to learn not only about the prospects and ways to support project development in the villages of the Omsk region, but also to familiarize themselves with the experience of developing the rural ethno-tourism project "Bread Hamlet" in the Pskov region, presented by its leader Olga Sergeevna Volkonskaya, head of a farming enterprise and winner of the federal project "Mom Entrepreneur" in 2023.

At the conclusion of the seminar, research on the potential of alternative forms of employment for the rural population (based on materials from the Ural Federal District) was presented. This material was prepared and presented by Yulia Viktorovna Kopylova, head of the public opinion analysis department at the administration of Nizhnevartovsk's Department of Public Communications and Youth Policy.

During the summary of the international seminar, speakers and attendees, including Russian and Belarusian students, had the opportunity to discuss the presented reports and ask questions of interest.

The project is being implemented with the support of Rosmolodyozh. Grants.