Urumqi, 13 May. Belarus considers SCO as important dialogue platform with friends and key partners, Education Minister stated during the 9th meeting of education ministers of SCO member states. “In 2024 Belarus became SCO full member. Its humanitarian resources including education development are components of long-term interest” – he noted.

Six Belarusian Universities joined SCO University and it signals that Belarusians are ready to expand their presence in SCO’s scientific and educational mechanisms. We speak about BSU, BNTU, BSUIR, Skoryna University of Gomel, Masherov University, and Pavel Sukhoi State University. The idea found its supporters today as well as the proposal to hold the next meeting in Belarus.

Andrei Ivanets noted that the areas of cooperation from the Urumqi Initiative project are already being implemented in our country including cooperation with foreign partners. For example, the concept of developing engineering education until 2035 is being implemented. It provides for the opening of new specialties, eliminating the gap between university and production technologies, as well as the active involvement of enterprises in the training of specialists. The concept also involves training engineering personnel through the integration of general secondary and vocational education: from specialized engineering classes to guaranteed jobs at enterprises.

In addition, the Higher School of Natural Sciences and Technologies is now under establishment process and it will train unique world-class specialists. New disciplines and technologies are being introduced into the educational process, cooperation with foreign universities is developing for training under joint programs.

Andrei Ivanets emphasized the importance of staffing the education system. In Belarus, the Concept of Development of Pedagogical Education is being implemented aimed at training highly qualified personnel ready to work in changing conditions. This made it possible to update educational standards, programs and resource provision, as well as to strengthen the research potential of pedagogical education. He added: "Belarusian universities operate as scientific and educational centers, but now they are being transformed into scientific, educational and industrial clusters to address issues of innovative development of industries and inter-industry complexes."

It was also noted that Belarus supports the priorities of the joint work of the Urumqi Initiative in the field of education and is ready to take an active part in their implementation. Ivanets confirmed our country's commitment to the Shanghai spirit and readiness to make a constructive and active contribution to the progressive development, ensuring stability, security and prosperity in the SCO space both in a multilateral and bilateral ways in its humanitarian dimension.