International events in Tomsk Oblast, May 2014

Tomsk Oblast presentation to the head of EU’s Delegation in Russia

May 19, 2014

On May 19, deputy governor of Tomsk Oblast Aleksander Fedenev held a business meeting with the head of the European Union Delegation in Russia Vygaudas Usackas as part of his official visit to Tomsk Oblast.

Aleksander Fedenev presented to the EU official the industrial potential of the region – its oil and gas sector, petrochemical and nuclear industries, value added wood processing, fishing industry, wildlife management, and forest fruit processing industry.

Vygaudas Usackas showed interest in joint investment projects with foreign investors in Tomsk Oblast and the size of its foreign economic activity. Around 70% of the foreign capital goes to the oil and gas industry; wood processing and prospecting work take around 10% each. In 2014, export operations of Tomsk Oblast totaled around 580 million US dollars; import operations around 153 million. The region’s key foreign partners are France, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Finland.

“Today, the GRP of Tomsk Oblast is in many aspects shaped by the oil, gas, petrochemical and nuclear industries. Nevertheless, we stake on the research and educational complex in the future, Aleksander Fedenev said. “Our researchers have many projects to offer to foreign partners in many various spheres – from biotechnologies to energy saving initiatives.”

“Tomsk universities take an active part in the EU’s programs. Cooperation in education and research is mutually beneficial for us. It is natural attraction,” commented Vygaudas Usackas.

On behalf of the governor, Aleksander Fedenev presented to his guest a painting made by a student of the Governor’s Lyceum in Svetly town. Vygaudas Usackas invited the governor of Tomsk Oblast to discuss cooperation prospects for the region and the European countries in the Moscow office of the EU.

Tomsk businessmen on a business mission to Vietnam

May 16, 2014

Participants in the mission included 14 export oriented companies, among them Aqvelite, Tomanalit, Elcom+, Micran Group, Thermex, and others.

On May 18-24, Tomsk companies held a presentation of their products in the state-owned export and import trade corporation HAPRO, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Planning and Investment and at large industrial facilities which included an oil and gas producer PetroVietnam, Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Corporation, Vietnam Medical Equipment Association, a large recycling company Hanoi Urban Environment One Member Co., medical equipment producer DCA Company, and Hoa Lac hi-tech park.

Tomsk businessmen had meetings and negotiations in one of the industrial zones of Vietnam, in the Quang Ninh province, and the Van Don special economic zone.

Tomsk Oblast students took part in WorldSkills Russiа

May 16, 2014

Tomsk Oblast for the first time took part in the WorldSkills Russiа championship. The national professional skills competition was held on May 16-20 in Kazan.

The games gathered 1000 vocational school students from 50 regions of Russia. They competed for the title of best in 35 occupations. The winners in each category will take part in WorldSkills International in France in September 2014.

Tomsk Oblast at WorldSkills Russiа was represented by students from the design and service school (Hairstyling category), information technologies school (Web Design), and food industry, trade and services industry college (Art of Cooking).

WorldSkills International (WSI) is a global movement aimed at promoting and raising the status of traditional trade and craft skills, developing standards of professional qualifications and training worldwide. Russia joined the movement on May 17, 2012 at the WSI General Assembly in South Korea.

Tomsk Oblast presented its potential to Swiss businessmen

May 14, 2014

Presentations of the investment and economic potential of Tomsk Oblast were held on May 14-16 in Zurich, Switzerland. Tomsk Oblast is one of the two Russian regions selected for a direct dialogue with the European businessmen within the framework of the Swiss-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Swiss companies involved in mechanical engineering, energy saving and development of alternative sources of energy, pharmaceutics and medicine, banking – in total about 50 participants.

As part of their visit to Switzerland the representatives of Tomsk Oblast had discussions of cooperation prospects with Zurich municipal officials, leaders of the biggest European technopark in Zurich, and representatives of Enterprise Europe Network.

The trip was sponsored by the Representative Office of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in Switzerland and the Joint Chamber of Commerce of Switzerland, Russia and CIS.

In 2014, diplomatic relations between Russia and Switzerland turned 200 years. To celebrate the occasion, Russia and Switzerland have scheduled a series of cultural, sports, and business events and meetings on parliamentary cooperation. The presentation on the potential of Russian regions and meetings with Swiss businessmen are the first events on the festive agenda to promote cooperation of the Russian and Swiss business following the meeting of the Presidents of the two countries in Moscow in May 2014.

Teachers from Asia passed a training course in Tomsk

May 8, 2014

On May 12–18, teachers from universities and schools of Indonesia, Mongolia, Vietnam and India visited Tomsk universities and took part in the teachers training program Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language.

The program included lectures, workshops and training sessions held by the Institute of International Education and Language Communication of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. The goal was to improve teaching skills and competencies and share advanced teaching methods and technologies. Special attention was given to ethnic and cultural aspects of learning Russian as a foreign language and specific aspects of teaching Russian to Asian students.

Participants in the program visited Tomsk universities, learned about their achievements and international projects, and discussed potential areas of cooperation.