20 April 2023

Cooperation in the field of pedagogy will be developed by BSU and Enrique José Varona Pedagogical University (Cuba). This issue was on the agenda of the meeting of the delegation of BSU headed by the Rector Andrei Karol and the Rector of the University of Cuba Milda Lesbia Díaz Massip. This university was founded in 1977 and is named after an outstanding teacher and intellectual, Minister of Finance, Minister of Public Education and Fine Arts of Cuba, who made a significant contribution to the formation of the Cuban nation with his ideas, political, philosophical and pedagogical activities.
During the meeting, a substantive conversation took place to determine the vectors of interaction, taking into account the profile of the Cuban university. Mutual interest was aroused by the experience of the parties in the field of professional pedagogical training of specialists with the introduction of innovative methods in the educational process.
An important step to consolidate the prospects discussed during the visit was the signing of a cooperation agreement. The document regulates the exchange of students, undergraduates, the invitation of teachers and researchers to work together on research and educational projects. It provides for the exchange of information, educational materials, joint scientific and educational events and the preparation of publications. The parties also expressed their intention to develop joint educational programs in the field of humanities with the issuance of two diplomas. The official status of these plans was given by the Memorandum approved by the parties between BSU and Enrique José Varona Pedagogical University.
The parties continued to communicate at the thematic round table «Innovative teaching methods in university education». Here, modern trends in creative learning were considered and analyzed in detail, and the experience of BSU in this area was presented. The system of creative education has been successfully operating at the Belarusian University for over five years. It allows to transform the content of university education, introduce innovative learning technologies, individualize the educational trajectory of the student, makes educational communication dialogical. As the rector of BSU noted, for the implementation of this system, it is important to develop heuristic qualities, first of all, of the teacher himself. Such skills will allow him to prepare a creatively thinking, able to react correctly in a non-standard situation specialist. To develop the heuristic qualities of a teacher, a professional development program is regularly conducted at BSU, a series of literature «Creative Education» is published, an Educational portal, an online Pedagogical workshop, an Interuniversity portal «Methodology, content, practice of creative education» work.
In continuation of the stated topic, the Rector of BSU Andrei Karol delivered an open lecture «Why and where to look for a person in education: a dialogue between the West and the East» in front of students and teachers of the Pedagogical University.
Recall that the visit to Enrique José Varona Pedagogical University took place as part of the official visit of the BSU delegation to Cuba from 17 to 22 April. The program of the visit includes talks with the leadership of the Higher Institute of International Relations Raúl Roa García, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba, the Botanical Gardens of Havana and Cienfuegos, pharmaceutical companies. Also on the eve of the BSU signed a Cooperation program and a Memorandum on JEP with the University of Havana, held a meeting with the Deputy Ministry of Higher Education of Cuba Reinaldo Velasquez Saldivar. It is assumed that these numerous negotiations and meetings will intensify cooperation between the countries in the field of education and science, will contribute to the expansion of export services of the Belarusian university.