Center-invest Bank has awarded cash prizes to the winners of a competition held in southern Russia for the best online course for university students. The total prize fund was RUB1m.

The competition ran from 1 September to 15 November 2020, with support from the Council of Rectors of Southern Russia’s Universities. Entries were received from 98 members of teaching staff and 48 creative teams from universities, as well as three commercial organisations.

The award ceremony was held in the Financial Literacy Centre in Rostov-on-Don, which is also where a regional social and professional co-working space was opened recently (“Action Space”).

“By working in partnership and consolidating all our efforts, business and the education sector will help our universities, and the country as a whole, become better, stronger, more confident, and more professional,” said Marina Borovskaya, President of Southern Federal University, in her welcoming speech.

The Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education was notified of the results of the competition. The Ministry commended the project as an example of how support for new methods of learning and a socially responsible approach to business can help ensure that higher education in Russia meets changing skills demand.

In a letter to the competition organisers and participants, the Deputy Minister for Science and Higher Education, Andrei Omelchuk, wrote: “In the current conditions it is very important to identify best practice in distance learning, support innovation in regional higher education institutions, and replicate new approaches. Right here and now, a crucial process of establishing a new form of education for the future is underway. I am sure that this competition will make a meaningful contribution to the development of distance learning and that it will help us find new opportunities to address challenges in Russia today.”

A total of 51 projects from 12 universities made it to the final. The winners were selected by a jury, who provided expert assessment of the courses, and by a public vote held on the project website. Over 4,000 people voted.

“Center-invest Bank has been implementing its Digitalisation Strategy for several years now,” said Lidia Simonova, Chairman of the bank’s Executive Board. “And we definitely believe that the digital format creates new opportunities for development. We are delighted that, as we implement our own strategy, the bank, together with universities, is contributing to the development of digital education. With online courses, as with online education as whole, the educational process can be rapidly adapted to learner requirements. Online courses provide access to a multitude of interesting subjects, irrespective of borders and distance, giving people the chance to gain knowledge and acquire remarkable skills without even leaving their home.”

Competition Results

1st place – 3 winners each received a prize of RUB100,000:

Don Region: Historical and Cultural Traditions and Innovations” – Don State Technical University

“Basics of Professional App Development Using С/С++” – Southern Federal University

“No Objections - how to sell with no objections” – Yury Shabarov

2nd place – 4 winners each received a prize of RUB75,000:

“Accounting and Financial Reporting Standards of Russian Commercial Banks” – Rostov State Economics University

“Target. Practice” – Andrei Gelevey

“Digital Agriculture” – Kuban State Agrarian University

“Inclusive Education in the Modern World” – Southern Federal University

3rd place – 8 winners each received a prize of RUB50,000:

“Cryptographic Techniques to Protect Information” – Southern Federal University

“Intensive Course in General Pathological Anatomy” – Akson School of Medicine

“Introduction to Spanish Grammar” – Southern Federal University

“Financial Accounting” (advanced) – Rostov State Economics University

“Quantum Radio Physics” – Southern Federal University

“Foreign Language”, Level Intermediate B1+ – Sevastopol State University

“Environmental Soil Monitoring” – Southern Federal University

“Russian History for Foreign Citizens” – Southern Federal University