Irkutsk State University is expanding networking – starting this academic year, students of the ISU International Institute of Economics and Linguistics will have another opportunity to receive two diplomas in two years of study. This time the second diploma will be a Belarusian document of higher education.

Obtaining two diplomas became possible thanks to the recently signed agreement on the network implementation of a joint educational program between Irkutsk State University and Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, the Republic of Belarus. After completing the master's degree program, students will receive a diploma of ISU, educational program “Economics” and a diploma of YKSUG, educational program “Economics”, degree program “Economics and organization of production and service”.

“Graduate students, entering the ISU International Institute of Economics and Linguistics, will study for one year at our institute, and one year in Grodno at the Faculty of Economics and Management of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno. There is no denying the advantage of such a program: obtaining two master's degrees, acquiring practical skills at leading enterprises of the Republic of Belarus,” – noted Oleg Arkhipkin, Director of the ISU International Institute of Economics and Linguistics.

The educational program fully complies with the educational standards of the two countries. The agreement between Russian and Belarusian universities has been approved by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Russian Federation. The first students on the program at ISU are expected in the 2023/2024 academic year already.

The ISU International Institute of Economics and Linguistics interacts with the YKSUG since 2022. Teachers and students of the institute took part in events held by the Belarusian university, including the SCIENNOMIST summer school for economists and the scientific seminar on achieving sustainable development goals “Development of modern economy and education of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation: risk assessment and management”. In April 2023 ISU students took part in the International Spring Entrepreneurial School (ISES Youth), which was held on the basis of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno.

In turn, representatives of YKSUG participated in the events of IIEL, one of which was a meeting of the international school of teachers of Russian as a foreign language. Joint events were organized as well.