International Association «ZNANIE»

The Train of Life

— In 2006, on the pages of our special issue devoted to the reform of Russian education, scientists and officials talked about these technologies in a hypothetical way. And you are already using these technologies-how exactly do they work?

— For centuries, knowledge has been represented as a limited volume that can only be mastered within the school or university walls. But in the information society, this volume is no longer enough for the rest of our lives; there are no pipelines of knowledge through all of life. Today knowledge is a kind of medium that flows from «growth points» — universities and academies, laboratories and design offices.

There is little chance to educate oneself while floundering in this environment, since knowledge producers are rarely able to present their knowledge in a popular, intelligible way, hence the multitude of bad textbooks. This was the reason for the emergence of the Soviet Znanie Society: its founders felt that the country needed millions of people, at least in part, wrested from ignorance, more than a few Nobel laureates.

It was not from the Academy of Sciences of the USSR that knowledge should have been disseminated, nor from the schools of Landau and Kurchatov.

— Perhaps this is simply not their function?

— Of course, they have other tasks. But thanks to outstanding scientists, today we can communicate with main points of concentrated knowledge from space altitude. From the same satellite, we also offer all of humanity a video signal that allows us to meet with outstanding popularizers of knowledge in the remotest corner of the Earth. For example, professors teach a course on European law in English in Cambridge. And from their studio — a small teleport — a signal with subtitles in the relevant language is transmitted via the satellite teleport of the Modern Humanitarian University to 400 settlements all over the world.

— So you are literally talking about adult education as a «new supranational super-branch of the planetary world order»?

— This is the only way we will change the approach to education: not people will go to the local mediocre school, but the best schools in the world will come to people on the wave of the digitized signal. The poorest billion earthlings, who live without transportation, schools, electricity, and other benefits of civilization, will finally have an elevator of social mobility. No educational «temples» with columns need to be built, just a snow-covered slope in the mountains or a lawn where shepherds graze their cattle.

A diesel generator will power a television set that will receive the signal of our World University of Distance Learning through a $150 satellite antenna.

This technology alone will become the «train of life,» on which entire tribes, millions of people, will break through to the information society, jumping several socio-economic formations at once

Active Learning

— Are there other new technologies that have been created?

— Another conceptual solution to the educational problem is that we have moved away from a passive form of education in which people, regardless of their abilities and aspirations, absorb knowledge from a single program. Our knowledge distribution center offers an active education: not only does a person choose courses in specific disciplines, but for each of these courses he or she chooses a teacher.

— It’s still quite hard to imagine how this happens…

— You see, the university is not just an educational institution, but a worldwide knowledge exchange where the content of the best universities and professors is flocked. For example, hundreds of physics popularizers from different countries have deposited their content in our repository, and every student has the opportunity to «flip through» it to choose the one he or she likes the most or learns best.

This is roughly how we choose audiotapes or movies in a store — a «natural selection» takes place. Pay attention — I take, I choose, not I am given. And in this case virtuality supports the well-known synergetic effect inherent in the face-to-face form of communication between the student and the teacher.

— Apparently, students themselves sometimes find it difficult to choose. Maybe in this case the tutor’s help is needed?

— Of course, tutoring is one of our tools. But tutors in usual higher educational institutions are of little help — there students still have to tolerate their «analog» teachers who give the same lectures for 30 years. Instead of education, some students are interested only in passing «dinosaurs» exams and getting a diploma. And others drop out of school altogether. A «Loser» is not always the one who is stupid. This is someone who at first did not understand, and then was too embarrassed to ask, so as not to appear retarded.

Often it is not the loser who is at fault, but the untalented course, but no teacher will admit it. With us, everyone has the opportunity to choose an exciting course in a subject to which they feel a pull, an affinity. Our formula: regardless of starting conditions, a person in any field can grow from zero to professor in 15 years.

Not a bad fee.

— At the World University will there be entrance exams or is it enough to submit USE results?

— You know, our free education is a bitter smile of fate. It’s all the same, it’s not free. And the final exams and admission to the budget place became a competition not so much knowledge as parental connections and wallets. All of these tests create stress and corruption and at the same time exacerbate inequality.

Millions of the most gifted people remain forever deprived of a quality education — millions of distorted destinies. Is it their fault that there is no university center in their homeland, that their parents have no money for tutors and bribes? Admission to parole is made on the basis of an interview, during which teachers find out that the applicant: first, is adequate; second, is motivated to study; third, is ready to cover the minimum expenses by personal labor.

— What sums are we talking about, and what about someone who is not able to pay at all?

— In contrast to the Internet, space technology exponentially reduces the cost of training as the number of users grows. For one person, a space teleport is unthinkably expensive. For 100 people, it’s very expensive. But the cost for one in millions of users is asymptotically close to zero. In addition, the cost of training is tied to the average salary: for example, in Moscow the training costs $900 a year, and in Kyrgyzstan — $300. And if a person is very poor, our foundation «Culture and Education in Extreme Situations» will pay for the education.

Poverty is one of these conditions. By the way, among the founders of the fund we should mention the deputy of the State Duma and the outstanding artist Iosif Kobzon.

— Let me ask you this, but how can one pay less than 2000 rubles a month to cover the costs of the best professor from all over the world?

— Indeed, the cost of our 45-minute lecture exceeds the monthly salary of a Russian professor. This is the reason why Russian universities do not invite world-class luminaries to their auditoriums. Soon UDO’s audience will come close to 200 thousand people, and if each of them will pay only 50 cents, the luminary will receive a very good fee.

Perpetual Students

— Tell me, how is student feedback and testing done?

— The exams are taken over the Internet with a test that consists of hundreds of questions; the results are evaluated by the author of the corresponding course with his assistants. But first, the student has to take a self-test, trying to get as many points as possible and re-watching the video with the recorded satellite signal. If a student doesn’t understand something, he or she also asks questions over the Internet, and the answers come back within 24 hours. And answers to frequently asked questions are posted on the University portal. «In earnest» the student will begin to pass the exam after he or she feels ready for a high grade.

— What opportunities are open to your graduates — what, so to speak, is the weight of such a diploma?

— There is no higher education in the usual sense. Without leaving your home country or even speaking English, a student receives a certificate from Cambridge, California, Princeton or another reputable university for each course studied, depending on the origin of the chosen content. These certificates are recognized by other institutions and employers. For example, a student at an SGU from Kazakhstan, where there are 27 educational centers, or from Kyrgyzstan, where there are more than 15 such centers, can get a job in any of the countries of origin of the content by presenting a certificate.

— Meanwhile, diplomas from the above-mentioned foreign universities are not recognized in Russia?

— And similarly, diplomas from «ordinary» domestic universities are not recognized in most countries. When other knowledge is needed, the student will resume his studies, choosing new courses. This continuity cancels the concept of «graduate» and is also a new technology. But if you have a diploma from, say, Chelyabinsk Industrial University, then adding our certificates to it will give you a globally recognized VUDO diploma.

— Is it possible to predict when mankind will accept all these innovations on a mass scale?

— The new education is quickly making its way. For example, in Kaliningrad, where the former commander of a nuclear submarine works as the rector of a branch of HUDO, the number of students in two or three years has reached eight thousand. However, this process can be accelerated significantly, if it is made a priority of state policy and if the necessary legal framework is supported by the constitution.

For several years now, space teleports have provided the exchange of popularized knowledge between the world’s leading universities. At the same time, a universal specialization persists, with, say, Russian professors exporting predominantly content from courses in the exact and natural sciences to the global distribution center, while applied and humanities disciplines are mostly imported from abroad. And as Yefim Malitikov points out, «along with the transfer of knowledge comes the dissemination of values» — the mutual enrichment of peoples. At the same time, the task of exchanging didactic experience of scholars from different countries is also being addressed. For example, Oxford professors will have access to the educational methods of Moscow State University and vice versa.

Revolutionary technologies introduced by the MA Znanie may well usher in an epoch of the New Enlightenment, which humanity has long been in dire need of. Without the continuous feeding of fresh knowledge hundreds of millions of workers around the world treat their work as a chore, and as a result experience daily cognitive dissonance — a psychological state of a person who feels bored and uncomfortable with the actions they perform.

Hands on your heart, we must admit that the desired goal of almost the majority of workers is to get to the end of the day and literally turn off the mind by turning on the TV series. Together with the throngs of its adherents, this culture of nonthinking sucks even its rare opponents into the vortex of stupidity.

It was thanks to high creative abilities that early Homo sapiens survived natural cataclysms, becoming truly intelligent humans and acquiring the gift of speech.

The MA Znanie suggests that all brothers in the mind develop these abilities throughout life, thus turning routine into a fascinating pastime. After all, as Carl Jung once said, «Man grows with the greatness of his tasks.

Life is Science that has become Knowledge

Socrates once taught individually, while Plato created an academy with only a few students — they learned by talking on their walks. Students «made life» from their teacher, imbibing his ideas about the world and copying even his way of thinking. As the centuries passed, society needed thousands of educated professionals, and the classroom-lesson system replaced Plato’s.

Teachers today are a product of the «analog» past and hostage to this system—limited in technology and performance, utterly unsuitable in a globalizing world. In the hopelessly outdated educational tools lies the cause of unsustainable development—a disease of civilization whose incubation period is as yet unknown.

Here, too, are the roots of armed conflicts around the world: the seeds of war mature from unequal and unequal development; the prevention of hatred is in education and knowledge. The old system insisted that the main factor in a successful education was direct contact between student and teacher. But in the third millennium, this factor is no longer effective: teaching tutelage suppresses the natural qualities of the individual, who needs an independent search for truth, profession, purpose. We need to overcome the mental ego of educators-educators who pass off their compilations as «my knowledge,» «my lecture,» «my course,» «my content.»

What they miss is that their lectures and content exist for all knowledge-hungry humanity. In the language of financiers, uneducated people are a «red balance» and a burden on the shoulders of the world economy. But with access to education, they become the positive balance of the economy. Knowledge is not spread evenly across the planet, like butter on bread. Sometimes you can get it only from the hands of a unique scientist from a distant continent.

But counting on a personal conversation with the author of a course is an increasingly unaffordable luxury. With the current shortage of teachers, a modern professor needs not a classroom, not a 40-seat auditorium, but an army of half a million listeners.

Betting only on the Internet also does not justify itself to the necessary extent — it is comparatively expensive and not available everywhere. But there are catalysts to help keep up with the rapidly changing world of knowledge: the latest technologies. Modern educational content, adapted to virtual export-import transportation, should be sent from university television studios via satellite teleporters on target request to anywhere on the planet.

And such education is already a reality. Super technological educational structure — Modern Humanitarian Institute, Modern Humanitarian University and Modern Humanitarian Academy (SGI, SGU, SGA). This triad was born in Russia and has its own space teleport, covering more than 400 cities in 14 countries.

The CIS Interstate Committee for Knowledge Dissemination and Adult Education and the UN General Consultant International Association «Znanie» together with the English company SatEduNet put forward the idea of an «island of the future» — the World Distance Learning University (WDLU). The technical center of VUDO is provided by the Space Systems Research Institute with the support of the Tsiolkovsky Russian Academy of Cosmonautics. Knowledge for export!». — is the new theory of success for all educational and university centers of the world, its social and economic component.

As a planetary distributor of modern knowledge, HUDO becomes the guarantor of providing the world economy with a highly qualified workforce at the national and international level.

Between Science and Life lies Knowledge

The European Commission concluded in the late 1980s, that without a competitive adult education system, there can be no competitive workforce, and without the latter, there can be no competitive economy. That is why the primary task in the raging currents of information of daily life is generally accessible education for people throughout their conscious life (two-week training courses — this is not adult education, and bureaucratic eyewash).

First, it is necessary to change the old formula on the mental level: «Knowledge — for life!» to the modern request and attitude: «Knowledge — through life!» Secondly, it is important to achieve a real and not declarative inclusion of adult education in the policy priorities of states as a supranational extrabudgetary super-branch of the planetary world order.

Access to applied knowledge will prolong the mentoring function of adults and the elderly, relieving them of the replenishment of a doomed army living in legalized suffering pledge on the pension sidelines, waiting for «their time. Genuine, not «etiquette» respect for the elderly will benefit their health and longevity, resulting in lower health care costs.

The intelligence, experience and wisdom of elders will provide a leap in the quality of life, reduce embitterment and crime in society. Continuous education is the tool, the rod that will stop the outstretched hand of poverty, create jobs, and minimize chaotic migration. Proof of this assertion is the 15-year experience of the SGU, whose virtual audience is 4,000 times larger than the classical one.

Training of 175 thousand students in 68 specialities is provided by 2.5 thousand professors using satellite technologies. The cost of education per person is $5 a year, while the cost of remote study via the Internet is more than a hundred times higher. The cosmic «doors» of HIG and the SGI-SSU-SGA triad are open to residents of capitals and distant villages, hot spots and mountainous auls, regardless of their citizenship and nationality, level of material wealth and proficiency in foreign languages.

In the coming decades, the economy and politics will be entirely determined not only by «black gold,» but also by such a resource as «gray matter. Investing in education yields a far greater return than in any other field. A global family of educated and constantly learning adults will not make strategic fateful mistakes.

Yefim Malitikov, Academician, Professor

The intelligence, experience and wisdom of elders will provide a leap in the quality of life, reduce embitterment and crime in society. Continuous education is the tool, the rod that will stop the outstretched hand of poverty, create jobs, and minimize chaotic migration. Proof of this assertion is the 15-year experience of the SGU, whose virtual audience is 4,000 times larger than the classical one.

Training of 175 thousand students in 68 specialities is provided by 2.5 thousand professors using satellite technologies. The cost of education per person is $5 a year, while the cost of remote study via the Internet is more than a hundred times higher. The cosmic «doors» of HIG and the SGI-SSU-SGA triad are open to residents of capitals and distant villages, hot spots and mountainous auls, regardless of their citizenship and nationality, level of material wealth and proficiency in foreign languages.

In the coming decades, the economy and politics will be entirely determined not only by «black gold,» but also by such a resource as «gray matter. Investing in education yields a far greater return than in any other field. A global family of educated and constantly learning adults will not make strategic fateful mistakes.

Yefim Malitikov, Academician, Professor

“AiF”

Millions of Soviet citizens had a membership card of the All-Union Society «Znanie» and were proud of it. It was very important that the boards of republican, territorial, regional and district organizations, scientific-methodical councils and bureaus of the Society’s sections were headed by authoritative, well-known in scientific and social circles people — rectors and heads of departments, doctors of sciences and professors.

Scientific-methodical councils or sections were, in fact, associations of lecturers in their specialty. There were sections on foreign policy and international relations of the Soviet state, economics, philosophy, legal, pedagogical, natural-technical knowledge, medicine and sports, culture, literature, etc.

The councils regularly examined the subjects of the lectures, approved the plans of work, solved personnel questions, organized the training of personnel, consultations and seminars for lecturers, discussed concrete lectures, prepared reviews of lectures, recommended additional literature, and monitored the material incentives for lecturer’s work.

Approximately two-thirds of the lectures were paid lectures, and companies remitted an honorarium to the lecturer. The rest of the lectures were called «patronage lectures» and were given free of charge. The greater the demand from the audience for a lecturer, the more lectures he was able to give, and the higher percentage of lectures he was paid for.

Society raised a whole galaxy of brilliant orators, commentators, and propagandists. Until now, Vadim Zagladin and Alexander Bovin, Gavriil Popov and Nikolai Shishlin, Roman Mikhnev and Valentin Zorin, Leon Onikov and Gleb Tsvetkov, Nikolai Shmelev and Ivan Laptev, Mikhail Sergeev and Yuri Buzulukov are still remembered everywhere with great respect and gratitude…

A real lecture is a dialogue, a discussion. Interesting and difficult questions that came up during the lectures, «Znazhnevites» passed them on to the lecture group of the CPSU Central Committee. From there, the most acute questions were sent for information and action to the governing bodies of the Party and the state. For the most difficult of questions, standard answers were prepared and sent to the party organizations of the country in the form of a newsletter — with arguments and facts, figures and assessments.

The extraordinary demand for this product led to an increase in the circulation of the newsletter, and as a result, it was decided to turn it into a weekly. This is how the printed organ of the All-Union Znanie Society, Argumenty i Fakty, came into being. The demand for this newspaper was growing so fast that already in a year or two its circulation reached 30 million copies, which became a Guinness Book record.

Other «instruments» of the Society also enjoyed enormous popularity. The planetarium was in full house mode, schoolchildren «occupied» the Polytechnical Museum, the Polytechnical Library for the engineering community, the Central Lecture Hall almost daily held scientific conferences, meetings with prominent writers, poets, scientists, cultural workers and artists.

But there was another side to the work of the Society. Not a single complaint, and there were quite a few of them, went unanswered. Every lecturer considered it his duty to help a man in his trouble. Complaints, as a rule, were reported to the party and Soviet authorities, and personal control over the execution of the task and the adoption of specific measures to eliminate shortcomings was established.

Of course, today the technological and hardware equipment of «knowledge workers» is quite different. It allows effectively spreading the light of knowledge via satellites all over the world, including high mountains and remote northern regions. No wonder the International Association «Znanie» is headed by Yefim Malitikov — an active promoter of distance education. Purposeful, mobile, multi-sided gifted man, he embodies a scientist’s mind, a businessman’s acumen and an administrator’s talent.

Nikolay Kononovich Golovko,

Honorable member of the Presidential Council of MA Znanie,

1st Deputy Chairman of the Board of the All-Union Society «Znanie» in 1983-91,

Veteran of the Great Patriotic War, Commander of the Battle Orders and Medals, 

Candidate of Historical Sciences

.

Valentin Andreevich Glushko, 1st Deputy Chairman of the «Znanie» Society of Ukraine, member of the Presidential Council of the MA «Znanie»

Main force

The greatness of the nation depends not on the sword and sword, not on currency reserves, but on its enlightenment, on the ability to rely on the main force in society — the human mind. Not without reason the Ukrainian «Knowledge» society has a symbolic emblem — an open book with a torch, illuminating the broad road to knowledge, along which thousands of our lecturers have been walking for 60 years.

Ukrainian «Knowledge» dates back to 1947, when the organizing committee headed by the President of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Academician A.V. Palladin was established. The constituent Assembly of the Society on January 16, 1948 was in essence a meeting of the republican scientific elite: the number of 423 delegates included 61 academicians and corresponding members, 117 doctors of sciences and 186 candidates of sciences. By the way, almost half of them were non-party. Alexander Vladimirovich Palladin was Chairman of the Society.

Later on the Society was headed by the leading scientists: academicians V. P. Komissarenko, F. D. Ovcharenko, I. I. Lyashko, corresponding members of the AS of UkrSSR N. E. Sivachenko and I. I. Kondylenko. A special role in the life of our public organization belongs to the outstanding philosopher of world renown, academician V. I. Shinkaruk, who was its chairman for about 15 years and then its first president. It was under his leadership that the founding congress of the Ukrainian «Knowledge» Society was held in November 1990.

At the turn of the century, the Society was headed by Minister of Education and Science, President of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, academician of NAS of Ukraine V.G. Kremin. His initiative and competence contribute to increasing the effectiveness of traditional and the development of new forms of scientific and educational work.

In the work of higher collegiate bodies of management of the Society are actively involved famous scientists — academicians of NASU A.S. Onishchenko, L.V. Huberski, K.M. Sytnik, academicians of APN V.P. Adrushchenko, V.M. Madzygon, Doctor of Philosophy V.I. Kusherets, Doctor of Medicine Y.G. Grigorov, Doctor of Economics V.I. Mishchenko and others.

The basic organizations of «Knowledge» operate in all regional centers, Kiev and Sevastopol. Ukrainian House of economic and scientific and technical knowledge, the Ukrainian Center of Spiritual Culture, Kiev, Donetsk, Kharkov and Kherson planetariums founded by the Association work fruitfully.

Mastering modern educational technologies in order to organize continuous education for adult population which consists of 29 million people capable of working is one of the priorities. Activity of many scientific-educational centers of the Company operating on self-supporting basis is subordinated to this task.

With the purpose of exchange of experience, including in the sphere of implementation of educational technologies, the Center successfully operates, which together with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine organizes and conducts international exhibitions «Education and Career». Over the past few years at least twice a year in such exhibitions participate over 100 universities, more than 50 publishing houses, as well as dozens of international educational and scientific institutions in the U.S., Canada, Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and other countries.

With the support of public authorities, the society creates a network of Ukrainian Studies Universities. The leading professors and experts of the Research Institute of Ukrainian Studies, the Kiev National Taras Shevchenko University, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy give lectures.

In 2002 the «Znanie» society of Ukraine together with the MA «Znanie» and the Modern Humanities University (Rector M.P. Karpenko) established the University of Modern Knowledge. Its main task is training specialists with higher education in economics, management and the humanities, including the use of modern technologies of distance learning.

In order to promote educational services to the places where students live, the University creates a network of branches in the regions, often using the material base and personnel potential of the regional organizations of the Company.

Publishing house «Znanie Ukrainy» founded in 2000 made it possible to revive the issue of scientific, popular scientific and scientific-methodological literature under market conditions. Great interest among the readership, in particular, has caused the encyclopedic publication «Philosophy of Politics», which combines a textbook, brief encyclopedic dictionary, four volumes of philosophical works, as well as a two-volume «Diplomatic Encyclopedia».

All in all, in 2006 alone 110 books, textbooks and manuals were published with the total circulation of over 400 thousand copies. To this we should add the editions, which are prepared under the aegis of Ukrainian Center of Spiritual Culture: «The Ukrainian Historical Novel» (30 volumes), «Spiritual Treasures of Ukraine» (50 volumes), «The Ukrainian Sociological Thought» (15 volumes), «History of Religion in Ukraine» (10 volumes).Throughout the whole independent history of the country the flagship among periodicals of the Society is the all-Ukrainian socio-political and theoretical magazine «Tribuna», which gained great prestige thanks to the highly professional and dedicated work of the editor-in-chief and veteran of the Society, honored journalist of Ukraine Valentina Menshun. Recognition of the importance of our scientific and educational activity was the Decree of the President of Ukraine «On measures of state support for the development of scientific and educational activities of public organizations» and the relevant order of the Cabinet of Ministers.

.

Fazil Takhirov, Chairman of the Board of the Znanie Society, Director of the Institute of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Academician

In 1947, the organizing committee for the creation of the Tajikistan Society «Znanie» was headed by Academician Evgeny Pavlovsky, a scholar of world renown. He was the first chairman of the Society, which later was headed by the most prominent scientists — academicians Alloutdin Bogoutdinov, Muhammad Asimov, Soli Rajabov, Khurshed Karimov, and Sabzali Sufiev, Honored Worker of the Republic.

Among the most active members of the Tajikistan Znaja were prominent representatives of different branches of science — academicians Zarif Rajabov, Abdugani Mirzoev, Gulyam Aliev, Makhmadkul Narzikulov, Oleg Dobrovolsky, Vyacheslav Krasichkov, Konstantin Poroshin, Muso Dinorshoev, Rahim Masov, Abdurashid Rakhimov, Bobo Sanginov, Yusuf Nosirov, Rustam Yusufbekov, Pulat Bobojanov, world famous poets Mirzo Tursunzade, Mirsad Mirshakar, Satym Ulugzade, Professors Karim Abdulov, Abdusattor Mukhtarov, Faizi Zikriyev, Usmon Karimov, Fakhritdin Mirzoahmedov, and many others.

A few years after the establishment of the Association there were over 5,000 active propagandists, and by January 1, 1976 the number of members made up to about 26,000.

An important form of educational activity in the Republic were folk universities at enterprises, organizations, and educational institutions. In 1985 over 10 thousand members of the «Znanie» Society attended 1200 folk universities in 20 disciplines; the Society had its Central Lecture Hall, the House of People’s and Technical Propaganda, and other educational institutions.

About 40 commissions for international education functioned under the Society’s organizations. Only in Kurgan Tyube region in 1980-85 about 10 thousand lectures were given, and in the whole country — more than 90 thousand.

The regional scientific-practical conference on improving the forms and methods of international education in the labor collective, which was held in the collective farm named after Lenin in Kumsangir, had a great resonance. Lenin Kumsangir district. Delegates from all districts of the Vakhsh valley were invited.

Representatives of almost 20 nationalities working in this largest multi-industry farm were united by creative work and friendship. The chairman of the collective farm board was a Tajik, his deputy — an Ukrainian, the chairman of the local committee of trade unions — a Russian, the chief engineer — a Latvian, the chief accountant — an Uzbek, the chairman of the women’s council — a Bulgarian.

By 1986, more than 21 thousand representatives of the intelligentsia, specialists and eminent production workers were members of the Znaia Republican Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Annually up to 200 thousand lectures in different branches of knowledge were given, almost 10 thousand theme meetings with scientists, conferences, question and answer evenings, debates and other events were organized.

The best activists of the Society received state awards, for example, the lecturer from Kanibadam district Tukhta Temurov was awarded the Order of Lenin, and lecturer Shodmon Shokhnavruzov from Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast — the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.

A number of «knowledge workers» of Tajikistan were awarded the commemorative medal named after S. I. Vavilov. They were included in the Book of Honor of the All-Union Society. Today Znanie is one of the leading non-governmental organizations, a member of the Public Council of the country and the Movement of National Unity and Revival of Tajikistan, as well as a founding member of the authoritative International Association «Znanie».

Various forms of lectures and other educational activities are conducted by 30 academicians, about 150 doctors of sciences, more than 250 candidates of sciences, hundreds of researchers, about 100 specialists of various branches of industry and agriculture.

The Company attaches special importance to language teaching, first of all to the state language — Tajik, but also to Russian, English, Farsi and Arabic. A new direction is the training of professional staff: there are courses for programmers, system administrators, accountants, hairdressers, beauticians, nurses for medical massage, etc.

In the Republic, 93% of whose territory is located in the mountains, distance learning has a great future. Special classes have already been set up with the appropriate equipment, but to introduce distance learning into practice we need all-round support, which we expect to find from the MA Znanie and personally its president, Academician Yefim Mikhailovich Malitikov, a great enthusiast of new educational technologies, especially for adults.

 

Sambalhundev Khash-Erdene, Chairman of the «Znanie» Society of Mongolia, Academician of the Chinggis Khaan World Academy, member of the Presidential Council of «Znanie» MA, member of the Executive Committee of «Znanie» MA, Professor

A significant milestone

The vast territory with low population density and scattered settlements made it difficult to cover the population of Mongolia with education and information services. Therefore, the founding congress of the Society for the Dissemination of Scientific Knowledge in Mongolia was held on May 25, 1960 on the initiative of prominent Mongolian scientists Academician B. Rin-chen, C. Damdinsuren and educator O. Namnandorj.

So a whole army of educators arose, whose lecturers and volunteers reached the remotest yurts of any corner of the country: they reached cattlemen and hunters, workers and geologists, arats (villagers) and border guards. From the day of its foundation the Society has closely cooperated with the All-Union «Znanie».

Through lecture exchanges prominent Soviet scientists gave lectures in scientific and educational auditoriums and met with ordinary toilers of the countryside, with the workers of the enterprises. The Society’s magazine Nauka i Zhizn (Science and Life) served as a great tribune for the dissemination of knowledge.

When the All-Union Znanie Society was transformed into the International Association in 1991, we had an opportunity to participate in the founding congress of the MA Znanie. But for several following years the MA activity was rather curtailed than developed.

Therefore, a significant milestone of that period was the election of Academician E.M. Malitikov, a highly experienced practical scientist and talented top-manager, as the President of the MA.

Following our first exchange of letters and personal meetings, Efim Mikhailovich and I came to a deep understanding of common development issues and cooperation for the sake of the global idea «Through Knowledge — to Progress». The «Znanie» Society of Mongolia began to systematically participate in the activities of the MA, a permanent contact with the leadership of the Association was established, through membership in its governing bodies our organization is actively involved in the development and adoption of decisions.

Particularly noteworthy was the VI Congress of the MA «Knowledge» in 2006. It was distinguished by its businesslike approach, friendly atmosphere, and maximum efficiency in tackling all problems. This is the modern style of work of the Association and its leadership. Until now the majority of our citizens live in rural areas, where access to information is very difficult.

Due to the remoteness of settlements, equal access to education is not ensured either, and this fact ultimately has a negative impact on the standard of living. Full coverage of the population with knowledge can be provided only by using the opportunities of the World University of Distance Education, on the creation and expansion of which the IA «Znanie» is actively working.

This is very relevant for Mongolia. For more than 20 years of my life I have been associated with the Mongolian Znanie Society, and for the last 10 years I have been directly leading it. We perceive the 60th anniversary of the All-Union Society «Znanie» as a common holiday, and on this occasion we assure you that within the framework of the MA «Znanie» we will continue to worthily carry the banner of enlightenment and education.

I wish all our colleagues, the Presidential Council and the Executive Committee of the MA Znanie, and its President, Academician E.M. Malitikov, great success, happiness and prosperity.