On 25-29 November 2019, UNESCO IITE Week 2019 was held in Saint Petersburg within the XIV International Festival “Wind of Change” for teachers and students. The event was organized by the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE) in partnership with St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation (SUAI), the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia (Herzen University) and the UK-based company Nisai Group.
Organization of the event was made possible due to support of the National Coordination Center of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project in the Russian Federation, UNESCO Chairs in the Russian Federation, Committees of St. Petersburg Government (Committee for Science and Higher Education, Committee for the state preservation of historical and cultural monuments, Committee for External Relations), Co. Ltd. “SVEGA-Computer” and the Chinese company DOBOT.
UNESCO IITE Week brought together Russian and international experts in the field of ICT in education and inclusive environment. This year the event is larger scaled as it took place at three venues such as SUAI, Herzen University and the SUAI Engineering School. More than 100 people took full-time participation in lectures, workshops and contests on such topics as 3D printers design modeling, technologies of 3D visualization for education, ICT in education for the achievement of SDG, use of advanced technologies in inclusive education, collaboration through online (synchronized) video technologies, and ICT to preserve the World Heritage for future generations. The live streaming of the Week’s events at the UNESCO IITE YouTube channel reached more than 90 participants (unique viewers) and got more than 240 views.
Practical part of the event gathered 70 teachers and students from Russia and China to participate in DOBOT Intelligent Manufacturing Challenge. The robotics competition provided an opportunity for pupils from Russia and China to program and control the robotic arms manufactured by Chinese company DOBOT. All participants observed an escalation of the tasks’ complexity and advancement of the equipment in comparison with last year. Overall, the teams of two Russian schools took first place in the age groups of primary school (School № 334 of the Nevsky district) and middle school (SUAI Engineering School).
Upon the conclusion of the Week, co-organizers, school teachers and principals, as well as Russian and international experts, acknowledged the high standards of the Week’s events and expressed hope for continued joint work and cooperation within the framework of UNESCO IITE Week in 2020.
