Delegation of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University headed by the Rector, Mr. Ilshat Gafurov, is taking part in the work of the General Assembly of the European Regions held in Paris, Ile-de-France region (France).

The Director of the Higher School of Public and Municipal Management of KFU, Ms. Liliya Nurgatina, and the external expert of the Higher School of Public and Municipal Management of KFU, Ms. Yelena Sadovnikova, are among the university representatives.

The delegation of our University is taking part in new AER European network programs for academic (university) cooperation. And it’s natural, as from its first steps Kazan University was aimed at internationalization and interaction with educational institutions and largest scientific societies of Europe. AER Academic Structure Development Project is of a special interest for KFU representatives. Universities of AER member-countries, including the leading European Universities, are proposed to be involved in it.

In his turn, Mr. Ilshat Gafurov, the Rector of KFU, expects that AER representatives will find it interesting to participate in the II International Forum “Sustainable Development of Russian Regions and Cities”, which will be held in Kazan on August 26-30, 2013. The framework of the Forum contemplates joint holding of round tables, conferences devoted to European experience of territorial development, as well as introduction of video seminar, video lecture and video contest practice with participation of leading European experts. The respective proposal has been made to AER on behalf of KFU.

Reference information: Assembly of European Regions (hereinafter– АЕР) is a European interstate organisation established in 1985. AER General Secretariat is located in Strasbourg (France).

270 European regions, 34 participating countries and 16 interregional organisations are AER members. AER is the largest independent union of European regions in Europe.  Ingush Republic, Karelia, Samarskaya region, Mordovian Republic and Tatarstan Republic (since 1996) are representing Russia in AER as its members, along with Arkhangelskaya region acting as an observer.

When Russia officially entered the Council of Europe and Tatarstan was admitted to AER, new opportunities for a more close and fruitful work with all-European structures appeared, and a part plaid by horizontal relations and direct ties between European and Russian regions became more significant.