From May 13 to 15, MGIMO hosted a Model of the World Water Forum, during which Lake Baikal Foundation organized a Student Youth Process. The main task of this process was the establishment of the Youth Water Council, the first youth organization of its kind in Russia
During these days, more than 40 students took part in discussions, strategic sessions and lectures from experts and mentors from the Foundation. As a result, we managed to:
– develop the vision, mission and goals of the Youth Water Council
– identify areas of youth work
– outline the structure and methods for forming the Council’s composition
– form an initiative group that will finalize the Council’s Regulations
In addition, the students also presented their first projects in the field of water resources management. The most active students received memorable prizes from Lake Baikal Foundation: branded hoodies and mugs.
What do the participants say about the Student Youth Process?
The participants of the Student Youth Process thanked the organizers for the event and noted its importance for society.
“Water is one of the key resources on which the well-being of humanity depends. However, in many regions of the world, including Russia, there are serious challenges in water resources management: pollution, lack of drinking water, floods and droughts. Young people should be involved in finding solutions to these problems. The model allowed us, the students, to study water issues more deeply, offer fresh ideas and initiatives, ” said Polina Anikyeva, a second-year student of International Law at RUDN University, who took part in the process.
Polina also said that the most important outcome of the event for herself was finding like-minded people.
Ksenia Novak, a first-year student of the MAI Aerospace Faculty, who also participated in the Student Youth Process, noted the importance of the event, which draws attention to problems in the field of water resources management.
“I was interested in learning new information, delving into this topic and looking for methods to solve water problems. It is important to attract young people to participate in global issues of our country, because this is a fresh opinion and a lot of new ideas, ” she said.
During this event, Lake Baikal Foundation came up with the idea of establishing a scholarship for the most active participants of the Youth Water Council.
“The first Student Youth Process is a big step towards forming a community of young qualified specialists in the field of sustainable water resources management. It is very important that such initiatives are supported and that the projects developed within them are implemented. The Foundation are currently working on the idea of establishing a scholarship that would allow members of the Youth Water Council to take part in international events, ” said Anastasia Tsvetkova, Head of Lake Baikal Foundation.
Experts who took part in the Student Youth Process
Implementation of the event was made possible thanks to the support of BWT BARRIER RUS company. The organization of the Student Youth Process would not have been possible without the active participation of the expert community in its work. Thanks to their support, students learned about the main challenges and problems in the field of water resources management in Russia and the regions, as well as received practical advice on building a career in this field. On behalf of the Foundation, we express our gratitude to:
– Mikhail Kozeltsev, HSE expert ;
– Natalia Mitina, Professor of Lomonosov Moscow State University;
– Liliana Proskuryakova, Head of the HSE Science and Technology Research Laboratory;
– Nikita Budarev, specialist of the Federal Agency for Water Resources of Russia.
Youth Water Council – next steps
The initiative group formed as a result of the Student Youth Process, with the support of Lake Baikal Foundation, will finalize the Regulations on the Youth Water Council and determine the procedure for forming the Council. After that, the formation of the council itself will begin.
In the future, the Youth Water Council will take part in thematic Russian and foreign events, the first of which may be the All-Russian Water Congress in June this year.