Within a week PSU staff members underwent training in the European Youth Centre (Strasbourg, France). The training was provided within the second on-site stage of Long-term training course concerning the access of youth to social rights. This training was aimed at the representatives of non-governmental organisations and public authorities dealing with youth affairs in the Russian Federation.

Penza State University was represented at the training course by Liliya Al. Kudinova, head of Psychological Support Service in the Office for Educational and Social Work, Sergey An. Ivanchin, head of Student Affairs Department in the Institute of International Cooperation, Yuliya G. Tambovtseva, teaching and learning specialist in the Centre for Complex Support of Inclusion Education.

Within the course the participants studied best practices of European colleagues from France, Luxemburg, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands. In their turn specialists from Russia reported on topical social issues among youth in Russia and presented the mechanisms for addressing such issues. In particular, PSU staff members shared best practices in providing students with psychological support, socialising international students and developing inclusion approaches in higher education with their foreign colleagues.

The training comprised the following educational areas: studying conceptual field and approaches of the Council of Europe, considering project approach as a system of work with young people, planning and analysing social contribution, attending the session “Social effect of the project”, evaluating project activity according to the quality criterion, assessing achievements and competences acquired.

Ivan D. Soltanovsky, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe, Antje Rothemund, Head of the Youth Department in the Council of Europe, Rui Gomes, Head of Education and Training Unit at the Youth Department in the Council of Europe, and Tina Mulcahy, Head of the Youth Department in the Council of Europe, addressed the participants of the training course held in Strasbourg.

At the end of the programme the participants were awarded with certificates of the Youth Department in the Council of Europe.

The training was aimed at developing participants’ professional competences required for encouraging youth initiatives, implementing projects and performing actions improving access of young people to social rights, countering discrimination and violence, forming and developing inclusive societies.

The organisers of the course were the National Youth Council of the Russian Federation in cooperation with the Youth Department of the Council of Europe and Penza State University the with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs.

The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting cooperation between its member states, European countries in the field of law standards, human rights, democratic development, rule of law and cultural interaction. Established in 1949 the Council of Europe is the oldest international organisation in Europe. It has 47 member states, including Russia, and covers more than 800 million people.