PIR Center Conducted A Course On Global Security At The Ural Federal University

MOSCOW, MARCH 14, 2019. PIR PRESS – “In our group today students of UrFU and the Novouralsk Technological Institute of National Research Nuclear University MEPhI are from Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Tagil, Kachkanar, Bogdanovich, Aramil, Tobolsk, Krasnoyarsk Region and …. Brazil. I don’t know if we can find in Russia any other group of 18 students of different ages that in one way or another study nonproliferation and global security issues. One would ask why this is in the Urals, for whom. Our perspective is different. The capital is not only in Moscow, the capital is in our heads. Our task is that young people from any region, if they want to deal with global and strategic issues, can be in demand in their homeland, can serve Russia and the world. 25 years of training specialist on international affairs in the Urals; 25 years of PIR Center. More than 20 students and employees of UrFU are graduates of PIR Center programs. But we are most importantly united by responsible attitude (with knowledge of the case, arguments and facts) as well as by age and people” – PIR Center Director Albert Zulkharneev

March 4 – 6, 2019 PIR Center conducted a training course “The Future of Global Security and Nuclear Nonproliferation” at Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia E.B. Yeltsin (UrFU). The classes were attended by 18 students from UrFU and the Novouralsk Technological Institute of National Research Nuclear University MEPhI.

As part of the course, students attended lectures on modern challenges in arms control, disarmament and nuclear nonproliferation regime, and the impact of new technologies on global security. Each participant made a presentation on his/her research topic at the seminar and took part in the training foresight session “The Future of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime. Search for Solutions to Key Issies (2020-2025)”, as a result of which students presented their projects to solve them.

Among PIR Center lecturers presenting the course were Consultant Andrei Baklitsky, “Russia and Nuclear Nonproliferation” Program Director Adlan Margoev, PIR Center Director Albert Zulkharneev, Asian Security Project Director and Emerging Technologies and Global Security Project Director Vadim Kozyulin, and PIR Center Project Coordinator Yulia Sych.

The meetings of PIR Center Director and staff with the first vice-rector of the university Dmitry Bugrov, leaders of the Ural Humanitarian Institute and the Department of International Relations of the Ural Federal University took place. Plans for the development of cooperation, in particular joint courses, research projects and internships were outlined. Representatives and graduates of the university actively participate in the PIR Center project, aimed at involving young scientists to participate in the NPT review process. UrFU and its Center for Research and Education in the Field of Security and Nonproliferation, headed by Ekaterina Mikhailenko, is one of the few Russian academic and expert organizations that participated in the 2018 Preparatory Committee to the 2020 NPT Review Conference in Geneva, and university representatives are also planning to participate in the PrepCom 2019.

«The course was very helpful in setting goals for my research. Expert comments by current practitioners were also more important than ever for my future work», – 4^th year Bachelor’s Student at UrFU Fedor Zolotarev said. 

«The lecturers were great! Their speech, communication skills literally imprinted all the material in the head. Difficult issues were explained in simple terms. I would particularly note the selection of topics – hot and currently top in the field of nuclear nonproliferation», – 3^rd year Bachelor’s Student, Nuclear physics and technology at UrFU Dmitry Rotman. 

The course is a joint project of the PIR Center and the Ural Federal University named after First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, organized with the support of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

The course continues the long-term cooperation of the PIR Center, Ural University and other partners, aimed at the development of nonproliferation study centers in the largest universities of Russia, the identification and promotion of new leaders in this area of global security.

For all questions related to the PIR Center’s educational programs, you can contact PIR Center Project Coordinator Yuliya Sych by e-mail edu@pircenter.org, tel. + 7 (499) 940 09 83