BelSU Students Take on Roles of Governor and Ministers in the Belgorod Region for a Day

Out of 27 guest administrators, 16 hailed from Belgorod State University (BelSU), including two postgraduate students, three master’s students, and one graduate. Among those competing for the position of Governor of the Belgorod Region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, two candidates from BelSU made the cut: Kirill Andreev from the Institute of Social Sciences and Mass Communications, and fifth-year medical student Elizaveta Bakhmudova. Ultimately, Elizaveta took on the role of head of the region for the day.

‘The selection process involved an erudition test that assessed general knowledge, logic, and verbal skills. Following that, we participated in a strategic game where we had to develop a strategy to maximize income by the end of the session,’ shared Elizaveta.

The representation from BelSU’s Medical Institute was particularly notable. Ksenia Kopteva assumed the role of First Deputy Minister of Education, stepping in for Andrei Mukhartov, while Daria Fugarevych took on the responsibilities of Minister of Health, standing in for Andrei Ikonnikov. Diana Balinyan acted as Minister of Social Protection of the Population and Labor Olesya Mityakina, while Victoria Tatarenko and Master’s student Alexandra Rychkova represented as Minister of Youth Affairs, filling in for Tatyana Kireeva. Alina Kadukova served as the Commissioner for the Protection of Entrepreneurs’ Rights, standing in for Vladislav Epanchintsev. Additionally, Vladislav Kisil, a graduate student at the Pedagogical Institute, stepped into the role of Minister of Culture, replacing Konstantin Kurgansky. Anastasia Golub, also from the Pedagogical Institute, took on the role of Minister of Sports in place of Natalia Zhigalova. Eduard Biryukov, a graduate student at the Institute of Economics and Management, served as Deputy Governor for Domestic Policy alongside Tatyana Lymareva from the Institute of Intercultural Communication and International Relations. Oksana Tarantova’s position as Minister of Public Communications was shared by Tatyana Zakomornaya from V. Shukhov Belgorod State Technological University and Anastasia Gubernatorova from the BelSU Institute of Pharmacy, Chemistry and Biology. Yegor Tkachev, a postgraduate student at the Institute of Earth Sciences, took on the role of Minister of Nature Management instead of Roman Tatarintsev. Kirill Kovalsky from the BelSU Law Institute served as Deputy Governor Sergei Dyadkin, while Evgeny Rybchenko from the Institute of Engineering and Digital Technologies acted as Commissioner for Human Rights Zhanna Kireeva. Marina Sukhomlinova from the Pedagogical Institute filled in as Commissioner for Children's Rights Galina Pyatykh.

Before stepping into their roles, these "administrators for a day" spent several days familiarizing themselves with the tasks and schedules of ministry heads. In some cases, they even worked alongside current officials. At the end of the day, each student presented three actionable ideas for implementation, with the most promising ones set to be discussed at a government meeting two weeks later.