Belarus mulls over setting up national education agency

MINSK (BelTA) – There are plans to set up a national education agency in Belarus, Education Minister of Belarus Mikhail Zhuravkov said at a seminar of the heads of diplomatic missions and consular establishments of Belarus which is underway at the Academy of Public Administration under the aegis of the President of the Republic of Belarus, BelTA has learned.

“We believe it is necessary to intensify efforts in attracting prospective students to Belarus from other countries,” the minister said. Today more than 18,000 foreigners are getting education in Belarus. They are mainly from Turkmenistan, China, and Russia. According to Mikhail Zhuravkov, it is important to attract students from other countries. Belarusian universities under the Education Ministry actively cooperate with scientific organizations of more than 65 countries within a total of 1,400 agreements. The biggest scientific partners of Belarusian universities are Russia, Ukraine, China and Poland.

According to Mikhail Zhuravkov, the Belarusian education system is almost fully staffed. The country follows its course in training specialists, especially with a university degree. He also emphasized the interest of CIS and non-CIS countries in training specialists at Belarusian establishments of vocational education. He drew the diplomats' attention to the fact that educational services are one of the most important segments of the country's economic sector and it is necessary to conduct a more active and even aggressive PR campaign in attracting prospective students. For this purpose there are plans to set up a national education agency that will cooperate with all diplomatic missions of Belarus in other countries.

Minsk is playing host to an annual seminar of the heads of Belarus' diplomatic missions on 8-17 July.