The National Centre RUSSIA invites participants to the Forum of Geography Teachers and Students of Specialised Universities
The National Centre RUSSIA will serve as the main venue for a major event in the field of education — the Forum of Geography Teachers and Students of Specialised Universities. The forum will take place on 25 June and bring together more than 1,000 participants from all regions of Russia. The event will be dedicated to key issues in the development of geographical education, fostering patriotism, and enhancing the prestige of the teaching profession. Discussions will centre on modernising geography curricula, developing a new geography textbook by 2028, and integrating advanced digital technologies and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into the educational process.
The forum's main event — the opening ceremony and plenary session entitled "Geography Lessons" — will begin at 14:00 p.m. Speakers will include Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergei Kravtsov, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Olga Petrova, television presenter and member of the Russian Geographical Society Valdis Pelsh, geography teacher at the Sirius Presidential Lyceum Mikhail Vaganov, Head of Fyodor Konyukhov's expedition headquarters Oskar Konyukhov, and anthropologist and associate professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University Stanislav Drobyshevsky. Participants will discuss geography as a civilisational code of Russia, the role of learning about one's homeland in fostering patriotism, and prospects for the development of school geography education.
From 16:00 p.m. to 17:30 p.m., six thematic sessions will take place simultaneously in different halls of the National Centre RUSSIA.
Participants in the first session, "The New Geography Textbook," will focus on the development of a new geography textbook scheduled for publication in 2028, as well as cooperation between the educational and scientific communities in updating the subject's content.
Speakers will include Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Olga Koludarova; First Deputy Executive Director of the Russian Geographical Society Ilya Gurov; Acting First Vice-Rector of Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPGU) and Professor Viktor Dronov; and President of the All-Russian Association of Geography Teachers Alexander Lobzhanidze.
The second session, "How to Go Beyond the Classroom and the Textbook to Become a Thought Leader in Geography," invites attendees to explore opportunities for teachers and students to advance professionally through educational projects, expedition work, and effective engagement with the media. Together with Oskar Konyukhov, Head of Fyodor Konyukhov's expedition headquarters; Mikhail Vaganov, the teacher at the Sirius Presidential Lyceum and semi-finalist of the television project "Class Theme!"; and Hero of Russia, pilot-cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, participants will discuss how extracurricular activities, expeditions, and media work can help geography teachers inspire students to study their country and establish themselves within the professional community.
The third session, titled "From Satellite Imagery to School Quests: How High Technologies Are Transforming Geography Lessons," will focus on the use of geographic information systems, satellite monitoring, and digital tools in modern geography education. Speakers will include Sergei Barinov, Head of the Laboratory of Modern School Geography and Local Studies at the Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technologies of the Higher School of Economics; Mikhail Krinitskiy, Head of the Laboratory of Machine Learning in Earth Sciences at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology; Yelena Natarova, Marketing Director of Terra Tech JSC; Sergei Kutuzov, Head of the GeoSchool project, methodologist and geography teacher; and Anna Kutuzova, geography teacher at Pokoleniye (Generation) Private Secondary School in Volgograd.
The fourth session, " Beyond the School Desk: Geographical Knowledge Through Expeditions and Scientific Discoveries," will be led by Igor Shidlovsky, prize winner of the Best Guide of Russia competition, recipient of the Russian Geographical Society Award in the category “Best Educational Project in Geography”, and Honoured Teacher of Russia; Albina Bikbulatova, Director of the Department for Work with Educational Organisations at the Russian society Znanie; Natalia Alekseyenko, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Geography of Lomonosov Moscow State University and Director of the Young Geographer School; and Sofya Makhatadze, Head of the Partner Organisations Relations Unit of the Studtourism Programme for Youth and Student Tourism at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. They will discuss how expeditionary work forms the basis of genuine geographical thinking, helps build deep knowledge, and inspires a new generation of explorers.
The fifth session, "Compass of Calling: Inspirational Routes," will feature Hero of the Russian Federation, pilot-cosmonaut, and participant in the Arctic stage of the "Path of the Ancestors" expedition Ivan Vagner; aircraft commander Valery Minin; and extreme traveller, organiser of adventure tourism activities, and participant in the Arctic stage of the "Path of the Ancestors" expedition Dmitry Barabanov. They will share inspiring stories about how geographical knowledge helped them conquer the skies, explore outer space, and undertake Arctic expeditions.
The sixth session, "Issues in School Geography: From Achieving Learning Outcomes to Their Assessment," will address the optimisation of school curricula, internal and external assessment systems, and interdisciplinary approaches in geography education. Speakers will include Svetlana Dyukova, Researcher at the L. N. Bogolyubov Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities Education of the V. S. Lednev Institute of Content and Teaching Methods; Andrei Zherebtsov, geography teacher at Yevgeny Primakov Gymnasium; Eleonora Ambartsumova, Senior Researcher at the L. N. Bogolyubov Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities Education of the V. S. Lednev Institute of Education Development Strategy; and Yelena Gordopolova, methodologist of the AST-PRESS SHKOLA cartographic project and laureate of the Moscow Teacher of the Year contest.
The forum programme will also include guided tours of the expositions "Journey Across Russia" and "Geography Lessons," featuring unique artefacts from archives across the country.
The forum is organised with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Russian Geographical Society, Lomonosov Moscow State University, the V. S. Lednev Institute of Content and Teaching Methods, the Faculty of Geography of the Higher School of Economics, and Titan Partners LLC.
The event aims to foster love for the Motherland through an understanding of its geographical scale, promote responsibility for sustainable development, and preserve geographical education as a driver of the country's overall growth.
Media Contact: Anastasia Koruts Information Directorate, the National Centre RUSSIA +7 (977) 669-18-84.
