On May 13, 2025 Belarusian State Technological University kicked off IV International Youth Ecological Education Forum of the Union State. The event brought together over 50 young researchers, students and environmentalists from more than 10 universities of Belarus and Russia. The Forum, which has been held since 2022, is a discussion platform fostering a free exchange of ideas, best practices and solutions in the field of environmental protection and ecology.
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The Forum is organized by Belarusian State Technological University supported by the Office of Rossotrudnichestvo (“Russian House”) in Minsk and Kazan Federal University. The Forum is intended to strengthen educational, scientific and cultural ties between Belarus and Russia, to generate new projects and enhance intercultural dialogue on ecology and innovations.
The participants of the event were offered a tour of the University which embraced several notable locations – the Museum of History, Exhibition of R&D Developments, Xylotheque with its unique collection of wood samples and state-of-the-art laboratories.
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At the opening session BSTU Rector Ihar Voitau addressed the forum community with a comprehensive report “Belarusian State Technological University – 95 Years of Protecting the Environment and Ecology”.
“The choice of Forum venue is quite obvious. Over 95 years of its history, BSTU has been a leading education and research centre in the CIS. The University is a basic higher educational institution of the CIS in the field of forestry and forest industry”, Ihar Voitau noted.?
The rector also expressed his hope for the event to be fruitful and rewarding for each participant and to promote strategic partnerships and consolidation of the youth of Belarus and Russia.?? ?
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Several governmental bodies, international organizations and diplomatic missions sent their welcoming addresses to the Forum participants.?
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The opening session also included presentations of the participating universities, among them:?
Kazan Federal University
Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University
North (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov
Maykop State Technological University
Irkutsk State Agrarian University named after A.A. Ezhevsky
Bauman Moscow State Technical University?
Yanka Kupala Grodno State University
Udmurt State Agrarian University
Belarusian State of the Orders of the October Revolution and the Order of the Labour Red Banner Agricultural Academy
Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University
Yaroslavl State Agrarian University
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The Forum agenda is packed with events most of which will take place in Negoreloe Forestry Experimental Station (NFES). The participants will have a tour of NFES facilities, including its park of old-generation forestry machinery, woodworking shop, wood biomass powered mini CHP plant, ecological trail “Tales of Negoreloe Forest” and wildlife museum.
The forumers will be offered workshops on UAV- and satellite-based remote sensing of forests and assessment of forest conditions as well as on landscape design for environmental welfare of cities.? ?
This year marks 80 years of the Victory of the Soviet People in the Great Patriotic War so the participants will commemorate this remarkable event by visiting Brest Hero Fortress – a key symbol of heroism and resistance.
