By Sergey Govorov
Scientists from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Latvia and Poland have attended an international scientific and practical conference, held at Vitebsk’s State Technological University (VSTU), seeking answers to burning issues.
Participants discussed how to enhance economic competitiveness while preserving a high level of social protection, giving practical recommendations to regions for overcoming the negative consequences of the economic crisis.
According to Lyudmila Nekhorosheva, who heads the Department of Industrial Enterprises’ Economics, at the Belarusian State Economic University, we must form a new philosophy of innovation. She asserts that countries and enterprises shouldn’t wait to become wealthy before engaging in innovative activity, since it is high-tech innovative manufactures which, in fact, generate wealth, reaching a whole new range of their customers.
Professor Natalia Tyuleneva, from the National Research Tomsk State University, notes that ‘innovations inspire investments and vice versa’ and proves this thesis on the example of the Siberian Federal District. Teachers from this Russian university are actively liaising with Belarusian colleagues from Minsk and Vitebsk.
“With the ever increasing role of the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan, the development of inter-regional economic strategies is becoming more important,” asserts one of the organisers of the Vitebsk conference, Professor Yelena Vankevich, who heads the VSTU’s Management Chair. “We’re actively co-operating with Lomonosov Moscow State University, Korolev’s Institute of Management, Economics and Sociology, and the Tomsk and South-Russian State Universities. Our scientific conference, which has been held since 2001, has a great role to play in helping all of us set up contacts. Ties established here with our colleagues from Moscow and Omsk have already brought joint research projects.”
Regional and city administrations and enterprises of Russia and Belarus are showing interest in scientific developments. For instance, VSTU specialists are helping Orsha Linen Mill organise a marketing department while launching contemporary technologies at Vitebchanka sewing enterprise. Interesting prospects are opening up for students keen on scientific research.
