Current status and prospects of university partnerships: the example of the peoples’ friendship university of Russia

This article discusses the current status and prospects of university partnership, using as an example the People`s Friendship University of Russia. The theme of university partnership in our context has actively developed during the last few years

The Arctic Crossroads: Environmental Challenges for Russia

The Arctic region – a northern polar region of the Earth occupies an area down from the Arctic Pole and comprises the Arctic Ocean, northern parts around the Northern Pole.[1] It consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean surrounded by permafrost. The Arctic is known for its rich reserves of natural resources – oil, gas minerals, fresh water, fish, the economic significance of which is growing. Since late 19th century the sea route named as a Northeast Passage (now the North Seaway) along the Russian Northern seashore has been used as a transportation route. Being an area where the territorial boundaries of the Arctic States pass, its role in providing national security both through military presence upkeep may not be ignored. At the same time it is a unique ecosystem comprising most extensive continuous wilderness areas, rare reproduction places of animals and northern fragile landscapes. Its continental areas still home indigenous peoples who have managed to preserve traditional and environmentally favorable lifestyles. Due to such unique natural, economic, social, geographical and political features the Arctic region has become now a crossroad for various interests of states, economic activities, peoples and communities. Growing pressures on the ecosystem of the Arctic have noticeable environmental implications with already existing and expected problems of environmental degradation. All this makes both international cooperation and national efforts in environmental protection a vital task. Internationally, several initiatives have been undertaken in this direction[2], however, they do not have yet a high priority on the background of territorial and economic ambitions of states. Many internal interests meet at the Arctic crossroad of Russia. The country has jurisdiction over the largest EEZ as compared to other Arctic states, has well-developed fishing and oil extraction activities and claims to have control over the extended continental shelf. Its military fleet with nuclear weapons is based here, and it exploits ever more actively the North Seaway. Since early 20th century Russia has been developing economics at its continental part of the Arctic, where now such industries as minerals extraction, forest production, ship-building are based. The present policy views further growth of these interests and respectively activities aimed to reach them. This perspective sets important environmental challenges for Russia. For the recent time certain steps to create the adequate legal basis for environmental protection of the Arctic have been undertaken in Russia. In addition to the federal laws, like the Law on the Continental Shelf (1995 with amendments), On the Exclusive Economic Zone (1998), On Internal Sea Waters, Territorial Sea and Adjacent Zone (1998) that implement certain provisions of the Law of the Sea (ratified by the RF in 1997), in 2008 the president Medvedev approved “The Fundamentals of the National Policy of the RF in the Arctic for the Period up to 2020 and Further Perspectives” (Fundamentals), under which conservation of the unique environmental system together with the use of the Arctic as a strategic resource base, use of the North Seaway as a national transportation communication route and protection of the Arctic as a region of peace and international cooperation were declared as national interests of the state. As to environmental protection the document provides for implementing such measures as eliminating of stocked environmental pollution and addressing climate change. Implementing the Fundamentals in respect to environmental protection of the Arctic requires adoption of specific legislation. The law-making activities are now underway. The draft law on eliminating the stocked environmental damage is aimed to address the problem of dealing with pollution that has been stocked in certain regions under past economic activities. Such regions also comprise the continental part of the Russian Arctic and radioactive pollution of sea by defense activities. The draft law On conservation of the marine environment and its protection against oil pollution that is underway is intended to set rules aimed to prevent oil spills and provide for obligations of tankers to eliminate pollution. The discussion of drafts go with disagreements between various interested groups, change in approaches to deal with problems and in fact in putting off adoption of decisions.[3] At the moment general legal rules on environmental protection are applied in respect to Arctic problems. Practical steps to improve the environmental situation and address other interests of the country in the Russian Arctic are provided for in the Federal Programme “Global Ocean” approved by the Governmental Decree in 1998 that has a section “Development and Use of the Arctic”. The programme provides for removing the risks and consequences of environmental pollution, widening of the sea scientific expeditions, improving of the environmental monitoring system for the sake of addressing climate change problems. The activities are to get funding from the budget and other sources. [1] The Arctic. http://ru/wikipedia.org; Kolodkin A.L. and others. Outer Sea. International Legal Regime. Main Problems. Moscow. Status Publishers. 2007. P. 257-258. The southern boundaries of the Arctic Region are counted differently and this is critical for determining the list of the Arctic states and their respective rights. Roughtly there are two approaches. One is to count the Arctic region from the Northern Pole down up to the southern line of tundra - 27 million square km that comprises as Arctic countries Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland. Iceland and the USA, or down to the Arctic Circle comprising states that directly border the Arctic Ocean – (Russia, USA, Canada, Denmark, Norway) – 21 million square km. [2] E.g. cooperation within the Arctic Council (1996), under the Treaty over the Svalbard (Spitsbergen) Archipelago (1920), the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (1991), Illulissat Declaration (2008). In 2011 Russia and Norway ratified the Treaty on Marine Delimitation and Cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean [3] Meeting of the Presidium of the State Council on Environmental Security and Elimination of Stocked Environmental Damage. 10 June 2011. http://blog.ecoaudit.ru/2011/06/blog-post.htm

A Paradigm Shift: Blended Learning Integration in Russian Higher Education

The main objective of the article is to contribute to an understanding of the value of blended learning within the scope of new paradigm in Russian higher education. We consider blended learning as a unique approach that aims to solve a series of tasks connected with the necessity of raising education quality. Such competences as self-organization, knowledge management, the ways of getting and processing it are brought to the forefront. The article analyzes the didactic capacity of blended learning as the means to implement the effective transition from a traditional learning model to an integrated one where electronic environments and resources are widely used. The existing blended learning models are considered and the ways of their adaptation towards the requirements of the Russian higher education system are discussed with the focus on the course “foreign language”

Current status and prospects of university partnerships: the example of the peoples’ friendship university of Russia

This article discusses the current status and prospects of university partnership, using as an example the People`s Friendship University of Russia. The theme of university partnership in our context has actively developed during the last few years

Kasvuhoonegaaside vood hemiboreaalsetes metsaökosüsteemides

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsiooneMetsad on olulised kasvuhoonegaaside (KHG) voogude reguleerijad. Käesolevas doktoritöös keskenduti hemiboreaalsetele metsadele, mis paiknevad boreaalse (põhjala) ning parasvöötme vahevööndis, sh Eestis. Töö eesmärgiks oli analüüsida KHG emissioonide ning neid reguleerivate keskkonnatingimuste dünaamikat hemiboreaalstes metsades. Töös pööratakse tähelepanu uuritud metsade süsihappegaasi (CO2) kui peamise KHG sidumisele, Euroopa 2018.a. kuumalaine mõjule CO2 sidumisel, samuti metaani (CH4) ja naerugaasi (N2O) kui tähtsuselt järgmiste kasvuhoonegaaside rollile üldises kliimamuutuses. Uuritud segamets (kuusk/kask), põlismännik ning veekoguäärne hall-lepik osutusid aastase bilansi alusel selgelt CO2 sidujateks, seejuures oli põlismännikus C02 sidumine mõnevõrra nõrgem. CH4 ja N2O emissioonid hall-lepikus olid periooditi märkmisväärsed, kuid üldises kliima mõjutamise kontekstis oli nende osakaal väike. Mitmed CH4 ja N2O emissiooniga seotud protsessid vajavad aga täiendavat selgitamist. Kaks uuritud lageraielanki ning lageraietega segamets (mänd/kuusk/kask) olid CO2 emiteerijad, seega kliima soojendajad. Peamisteks teguriteks CO2 lendumisel olid mullatemperatuur ja –niiskus. 2018.a. kuumalaine mõju erinevates metsades oli erinev. Suurimat mõju täheldati raielankidel ning lageraietega segametsas, kus CO2 lendumine oluliselt tõusis. Kuival liivasel mullal kasvavas sügava põhjaveega põlismännikus põua mõju CO2 sidumisele puudus, kusjuures veekoguäärses hall-lepikus CO2 sidumine põuaperioodil isegi veidi tõusis. Raielangid olid põua suhtes kõige tundlikumad, neis põua tõttu CO2 emiteerumine suurenes. Seda asjaolu on vaja arvestada lageraiete planeerimisel, vähendamaks metsaga kaetud alade muutumist kliima soojendajaks, eeskätt ekstreemsete ilmastikutingimuste ajal. Järgnevatel aastakümnetel on prognoositud globaalses ulatuses ekstreemsete ilmastikutingimuste ning nendega kaasnevate häiringute sagenemist. See ohustab üha enam maismaaökososteemide KHG bilanssi ning kiirendab kliima soojenemist. Selle leevendamiseks on väga oluline selgitada võimalikke mõjusid erinevates metsades, sh hemiboreaalses vööndis.Forests are essential components of global greenhouse gas (GHG) cycles. A hemiboreal transitional zone is located between boreal and temperate biomes and is represented by mixed forest stands with varying tree species ratios. The aim of the thesis was to analyse the GHG fluxes and the main environmental factors controlling them in hemiboreal forest ecosystems. The particular focus was on the CO2 uptake, the influence of the European 2018 heatwave on CO2 fluxes and the role of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in total climate forcing. Mixed (spruce/birch), pine and riparian alder forest stands were net annual sinks of CO2, with coniferous forest having lower sink strength. CH4 and N2O played a minor role in the total climate forcing of a riparian forest; the mechanisms within the ecosystem require further studies. Two clear-cuts and a mixed forest (pine/spruce/birch) with clear-cuts were net sources of CO2. Air temperature was one of the main factors with soil moisture modifying its impact. The heatwave 2018 impact varied for different forest ecosystems. A mixed conifer-broadleaved forest with clear-cuts was less resistant than expected and could be pushed towards a strong carbon source. An upland coniferous forest acclimated to low soil moisture was the most resistant to the heatwave concurrent effect. A riparian alder forest could act as a booster for the net carbon uptake, albeit a short-lived one due to the usual life cycle and usage of such forest stands. A clear-cut was the most vulnerable to the weather extremes; thus, the increase in forest harvesting of this type can be detrimental to balancing the hemiboreal zone carbon footprint. In the next decades, a global increase in the frequency of disturbances and extreme weather events causing alterations in the GHG balance of terrestrial ecosystems is anticipated; thus, a comprehensive understanding of possible consequences for the hemiboreal zone is essential.  https://www.ester.ee/record=b549755

Compounding in Danish

Compounding is a major word formation process in Danish. Approaches currently important for examining Danish compounds are outlined, mostly based on two-constituent N+N compounds. We argue that compounding has both specific and universal features in different languages. Different types of compounds in Danish are discussed with focus on elliptical compounds, without direct semantic relations between the components. This comprehensive approach has proved useful as compounds in Danish differ considerably in semantic relations between the components. The experiment shows that for some groups of “popular” words, analogy plays a great role in the creation and interpretation of novel compounds