August 18. /TASS/. Belgorod State National Research University (NRU BelSU) will start implementing the STEM Teacher Training program for school teachers from September 1, reported the press service of the university, which is a base of the Belgorod Research and Educational Center (REC) within the framework of Science national project. 

"Starting from the new academic year, Belgorod State University will begin implementing a new master's program dubbed STEM Teacher Training. The program for primary school teachers and high school teachers was developed within the framework of the 'Integrated Approach to Stem Direction Teacher Training' project. The project aims at improving the quality of training STEM professors at universities in line with the Bologna process and the needs of an innovative economy,” reads a statement released on Tuesday.

In addition to Belgorod State National Research University, the project involves the Southern Federal University, the Kant Baltic Federal University, as well as a number of foreign universities, in particular the University of Helsinki, the University of Limerick (Ireland) and L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan). The project has been implemented since 2019 on the basis of an agreement between universities and the Executive Agency for Education, Culture and Audiovisual Resources of the European Union.

"A grant of more than € 925,000 was allocated for the project's implementation, of which about € 100,000 was provided to the National Research University (BelSU) to create a STEM center, the development of a master's program, the organization of academic mobility of students and teachers, the third coordination meeting and a methodological seminar to ensure the quality of teaching and the implementation of the summer program at Belgorod State National Research University," the document reads.

STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) combines science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The goal of STEM education is to develop highly organized thinking in students and teach them how to effectively apply the knowledge gained in these disciplines through project-based learning. 

Plans to create a network of 15 world-class research and educational centers are reflected in the May decree by the Russian President Vladimir Putin and are one of the tasks of the Science national project. According to this national project's goals, in 2024 Russia should become one of the five leading countries that carry out research and development in areas determined by the priorities of scientific and technological development.