Russian UNESCO Chairs: Results of International Partnership in 2025

On 21 April 2026, a meeting of the Russian Committee for UNESCO Educational Programmes under the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation was held at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University), chaired by RUDN President Vladimir Filippov.

Elena Galaktionova, Director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, presented Vladimir Filippov with the Ministry's medal "For Assistance in Strengthening Peace".

In her report, Elena Galaktionova outlined the new programme priorities in education following the 43rd session of UNESCO's General Conference. Vladimir Filippov supplemented the presentation with a perspective on developing international cooperation in education.

Marina Simonova, Head of the Laboratory for Coordination and Monitoring of Dissertation Research in Pedagogical and Psychological Sciences of the Russian Academy of Education and Director of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Comparative Educational Policy at RUDN University, reported on the outcomes of the 2025 high-level international scientific and practical conference held under UNESCO's auspices at RUDN, "Current Issues of Inclusive Education in the World: Context, Policy and Practice". Ksenia Gaverdovskaya, Senior Adviser of the Secretariat of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, complemented the report by reviewing the achievement of the conference's objectives from the standpoint of the Commission.

Marina Simonova also presented the information on the establishment of an international pool of experts in the field of inclusive education. In order to consolidate and advance the strategic principles of the Moscow Declaration, Vladimir Filippov and Ksenia Gaverdovskaya proposed further steps for building the expert pool in the field of inclusive education.

Elena Sukhanova, Director of the Institute of Education and Deputy Vice-Rector for Educational Activities at the National Research Tomsk State University, reported on the Russian Federation's implementation of the Marrakech Framework for Action on Adult Learning and Education.

On the instructions of Ivan Lobanov, Chair of the Coordinating Committee of UNESCO Chairs of the Russian Federation, Svetlana Malkarova, Vice-Rector of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics and Deputy Chair of the Coordinating Committee of UNESCO Chairs, presented a report on the cooperation development plans between UNESCO Chairs and partners from the SCO, BRICS, CIS and African Union countries.

Olga Molovtseva, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation; Umar Rassukhanov, Director of the Department for Integration of the National Education System and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation and Ksenia Pavlova, Deputy Head of the Department of International Statistics of the Federal State Statistics Service, addressed the Russian Federation's progress towards achieving the SDG 4 indicators.

The meeting of the Russian Committee for UNESCO Educational Programmes was attended in a hybrid format by representatives of federal executive authorities, higher education institutions, the UNESCO Associated Schools Network in the Russian Federation, the Coordinating Committee of UNESCO Chairs of the Russian Federation, as well as chairholders of UNESCO Chairs.