During the two years of the pandemic, universities around the world have been experimenting with different ways of teaching and learning in an environment that has had to rely – in an unprecedented way – on digital technologies.

However, this was rather a forced measure due to the restrictions associated with the pandemic – the closure of educational institutions, physical distancing, etc. It has certainly accelerated digital transformation and the use of digital tools for teaching and learning.

On February 28 and March 1, a digital training for teachers was organized on a joint initiative of UNESCO and Microsoft. The training is aimed at vocational education teachers of colleges and universities specializing in business, technology, engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence.

On February 18, 2022, the Head of Bashkortostan Radiy Khabirov held the first meeting of the Republican Council for Secondary Vocational Education. It was attended by deputies of the State Duma of Russia, members of the Government of the Republic, directors of colleges in the region, representatives of the UNEVOC Centre in the Russian Federation based in BIST.

On December 29, 2021, the Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan Radiy Khabirov signed the Decree “On declaring 2022 as the Year of Modernization of Vocational Education, Decent Working Conditions and Labour Dynasties, the Republic of Bashkortostan”. The main tasks outlined in the Decree are: organizing more intensive work with the vocational education system, creating decent working conditions for their employees and promoting vocational professions.

On December 22, 2021, the head of the Republic of Bashkortostan R.F. Khabirov signed the Decree “On the Republican Council for Secondary Vocational Education”.

According to the Decree, the Republican Council for Secondary Vocational Education was founded, its tasks were defined, the composition of the Council was approved, which included the heads of government institutions of the Republic of Bashkortostan, directors of the colleges in the region, employers’ representatives and representatives of the UNEVOC Center in the Russian Federation based in the Bashkir Institute of Social Technologies (branch of) the Educational Institution of Trade Unions “Academy of Labor and Social Relations”.

From 21 to 25 June, the European Learning Foundation, together with UNESCO, organized an online event “Building Lifelong Learning Systems: Skills for Green and Inclusive Societies in the Digital Age”.