Series of Master's Thesis defences by students from China continues at Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno
On the second day of the final qualifying thesis defences, 12 graduates of the "Educational Management" programme successfully crossed their main professional milestone.
The distinctive feature of the "Educational Management" programme is the combination of two different study formats. One of them is an experimental programme under which 81 students study during the holiday period. They come to the university three times during their studies, after which they complete the course with the defence of their Master's theses.
Full-time students, on the other hand, stay in Belarus throughout the year. Today, the most important and long-awaited day has arrived for them – the defence of their Master's theses. This graduation has already gone down in the history of the faculty due to a record number of honours students: for the first time, 15 students are eligible for diplomas with honours. Yesterday, seven Master's students already successfully confirmed their high status; today, the defence and confirmation of eight more "red" diplomas are on the agenda.
Alena Jukh, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Pedagogy, Associate Professor of the Department of Natural Sciences and Linguistic Disciplines and Methods of Their Teaching, shared her view on the level of training of Master's students and the specifics of their work:
– The topics of our graduates are quite serious and deep, all related to the field of educational management. The distinguishing feature of this cohort is the professional experience of the Master's students themselves. These are already established individuals: current lecturers and staff of Chinese universities with 5 to 7 years of work experience, who need a Master's degree for further career advancement. It is noteworthy that among our students there are many professional choreographers who teach at universities or run their own dance schools.
The topics of the research cover management in preschool institutions, primary and secondary schools, as well as management in higher education. Of particular interest are works devoted to changes in the management of the education system in the People's Republic of China. Since 2019, China has entered a new period associated with the active introduction of artificial intelligence. A large-scale reorganization of the educational process is currently underway there, and our Master's students are analyzing these changes in detail.
Alena Jukh also noted that another important block of topics is devoted to the preservation of cultural identity in the era of globalization and the cultural and aesthetic education of schoolchildren. A significant number of works are also related to subject-specific methodologies. For example, yesterday the committee heard a study on the methodology of teaching mathematics and natural sciences.
The degrees and diplomas obtained will open up new career prospects for the specialists and allow them to implement advanced educational practices in their home country. We are confident that this graduation will become another important step in strengthening academic dialogue and friendship between Belarus and China.
