Moscow hosted the “Student Tourism-2025” international forum-festival, and among the participants were students of the Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU).

“Student Tourism” is a large-scale program for trips, education and international youth cooperation that currently brings together the student communities of 265 universities of 85 regions of Russia and partnering foreign universities. These trips provide them with an opportunity to explore, create routes and enhance new formats of popular science and educational tourism.

The official opening of the forum was held at the Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, gathering the heads of organizing committees of the partnering universities, the best participants of the special “Ambassadors of Student Tourism” project, the leaders of student tourism clubs of 230 universities, foreign students and guests, the rectors of leading universities and young specialists between the ages of 18 and 35.

In her welcoming remarks, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia Olga Petrova emphasized the following: “In the course of five years, the “Student Tourism” program went from being a pilot initiative to a whole-scale professional community that consolidates universities, regions and even international partners. Today, students not only travel, but also master important research and design skills, become familiar with the work of educational organizations and create their own routes. The community is growing, developing and changing. The format of the international forum-festival allows listening to the youth’s needs, seeing the leaders of the new generation and determining the future directions for student tourism together.”

During the opening of the festival, Head of the Division for International Youth Cooperation and Tourism of the Department for State Youth Policy and Educational Activities at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Malisheyev stated the following: “The forum-festival shows how seriously student tourism is evolving. For young people, this is a space for growth in which there is a real demand for designing routes, working with communities and creating new formats. Our objective is to support initiatives so that universities set up sustainable teams that will enhance student clubs, educational campaigns and the products of creative tourism.”

During the three-day program, the students took part in strategic planning and creative activities, master classes, discussions, presented the routes that they had designed and solutions, as well as formulated the prospects for the development of incoming and international student tourism.

The forum-festival featured a retrospective presentation of the best practices. The participants became familiar with the practices of partners, enhanced skills in teamwork and presented the projects created in universities and the regions.

“Today the participants created their own routes, carried out research projects and became familiar with the cultures and science of Russia and the partnering countries, as well as different regions. In the course of five years, we saw how ordinary trips can turn into complete educational projects that help the students learn about teamwork, shape leadership skills and share their ideas on national and international platforms. The forum helps bring together all those who are changing student tourism and making it become an important part of today’s youth policy,” Director of the “Student Tourism” program Svetlana Nekhorosheva stated.

During the solemn ceremony that marked the end of the forum, the best participants of the program and representatives of the partnering universities were granted awards.

The event ended with a celebration of student tourism, jointly created ideas, friendship and discoveries that consolidated the Russian and international practices.

The organizers and participants emphasized that this forum serves as the best evidence of the role of student trips and student tourism as a modern educational tool.