The "Meaning Creators Club" for university teaching staff across the country was presented at the National Centre RUSSIA

---

The inaugural event of the "Meaning Creators Club" took place on May 20 at the National Centre RUSSIA. The event continued the comprehensive programme of engagement with university teaching staff — the School of Community and Event Management. It was organised by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), and the "DNA of Russia" project with the support of the National Centre RUSSIA.

More than 600 people took part in the event — vice-rectors for youth policy and educational work, as well as lecturers from various universities across the country. All of them are graduates and participants of the "Voice of the Generation" and "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" programmes, hold an active civic stance, and are committed to fostering youth development within the university environment.

Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Olga Petrova delivered a welcoming address to the attendees.

"Over the past two years, more than 23,000 university vice-rectors and lecturers have completed professional development programmes by participating in 'Voice of the Generation' and 'Fundamentals of Russian Statehood.' The 'Meaning Creators Club' is the answer to the question 'What’s next?' and the next step in advancing our initiatives. I thank everyone who has chosen to become our guides and partners in this constructive work. I am confident that a creative collective process lies ahead. The task before us is ambitious, but undoubtedly achievable. Together, as always, we will accomplish it," emphasised Olga Petrova.

The "Meaning Creators Club" brought together experience from different regions and universities, laying the foundation for the development of unified standards and approaches to working with young people and implementing educational initiatives at universities.

"The National Centre RUSSIA was established by the President to showcase the key achievements of our country, and therefore serves as a point of support for our universities. Here, at the centre of historical and cultural legacy, traditions, and technologies, we are not only discussing the future but also shaping it together — through improving the quality of education, unifying values, and striving towards our shared goals," said Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA Anastasia Zvyagina.

The main goal of the "School of Community and Event Management" programme is to form a sustainable and evolving community of university teaching staff, as well as to build consistent approaches to implementing youth policy and educational activities in higher education institutions.

"We named our large-scale project the 'School of Community and Event Management' for a reason — because only together, through co-creation, can we generate new meanings and become their conduits. And only through direct contact with students within the university infrastructure can we understand how best to convey these meanings and make the students co-creators. We hope that as a result of our work, close professional and human connections will be formed," said President of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) and Chair of the Coordinating Council of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation for Online Communities Olga Golysheva.

Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) Yuri Leskin highlighted the fruitful cooperation between Rosmolodezh and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

"We have become one united team, and one of the most vivid examples of such cooperation is the 'Voice of the Generation' programme. And we are ready to take the next significant step together — to move on to the new programme, the 'Meaning Creators Club.' We understand how important it is for young people at the student stage to have someone by their side who can help them form a value-based and ideological foundation with the right meanings. I hope that after completing the programme and returning to your universities, you will certainly pass on everything you hear and learn here," emphasised Yuri Leskin.

Participants of the launch event of the "Meaning Creators Club" at the National Centre RUSSIA were introduced to the concept and key objectives of the future Club network, discussed ideas for involving young people in social and cultural initiatives, and heard examples of the implementation of these approaches at various educational institutions.

The presentation took place in the format of a strategic session with the participation of leading experts and government officials. Alexander Kharichev, Head of the Presidential Directorate for Monitoring and Analysis of Social Processes, gave a talk on "Russia’s Civilisational Code and the Image of the Ideal Citizen." Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Olga Petrova spoke about the role of meaning creators within the "DNA of Russia" project in the context of achieving Russia’s national development goals.

The "Voice of the Generation" programme was implemented in the country from 2022 to 2024. During this time, more than 15,000 university teaching staff completed the training, and new approaches were introduced to the teaching of the "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" module, in which more than 8,000 members of university staff participated. The programmes aim to update knowledge about the Russian state and to strengthen patriotism among young people.

In 2025, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia plans to continue work in this direction. This includes comprehensive post-programme support for participants of the "Voice of the Generation" and the teaching of the "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" module in the format of the "Meaning Creators Clubs" — a platform for sharing experience and developing new educational projects.