WorldSkills gives KFU students two extra weeks of summer holiday

“Somewhere there were living foreign guests, somewhere — law enforcement officers...”

The new academic year for the students and faculty members of the Kazan Federal University began on 16 September. As the rector of KFU, Ilshat Gafurov, told Realnoe Vremya, it is connected with hosting the world championship WorldSkills in Kazan.

“The thing is that during this period our halls of residence were involved — there were living the participants of the tournament. The halls of residence were transferred to a management company, which handed them back to us only on September 8, therefore, we needed time to put them in order,” says the rector of the university.

Speaking of order: several days ago, the photos allegedly taken in the room of a hall of residence of the Kazan Federal University began to be spread on social networks. In addition to the extremely minimalist environment, one can see a mountain of empty cigarette packs, a holey mattress and a bent bed frame.

The photo is accompanied by the following caption: “Fantastic conditions provided to students of the paid department of the KFU, words cannot convey all this horror, not a single working lock, even in the toilets, non-working elevator (9 floors), bags on the beds instead of a grid. No bedside tables, total devastation. And the child has no parents, respectively, and finance for a rented apartment. For a normal room, you need to pay a fair amount of money.” Commentators have suggested that it is the hall of residence on Butlerov St., 6.

“Today in social networks sometimes they upload photos, the condition of the halls of residence — someone posted something on Butlerov and so on. Somewhere there were living foreign guests, somewhere — law enforcement officers. Until today, we have brought the halls of residence in a proper order, cleaned, washed,” Ilshat Gafurov said in this regard.

Meanwhile, the ministry of internal affairs reported that their staff were not living on Butlerov Street, 6.

“It is sad if they put extra classes on the schedule”

Realnoe Vremya has interviewed students of the Kazan Federal University about how they reacted to the postponement of the beginning of the academic year for two weeks. Most, as it turned out, have not been particularly happy about the sudden vacation.

“It was just boring, it is nothing to do in September. We come from different cities. We arrive in early September and have nothing to do. In fact, two weeks lost, it would be better to study,” said one of the respondents.

Another student also admitted that he missed studying, but with a small reservation: “I missed the university, but I'm glad that during this time I had the opportunity to go on vacation at work and to go off for a couple of days, relax.”

It should be noted that the girls interviewed by us, unlike the guys, mainly focused on how the educational process will be built after the missed two weeks.

“It depends on the view. If they put additional classes on the schedule, then it is sad, but if not, then it is great,” said one of our female interlocutors.

“In my opinion, there are no special changes, because, on the one hand, more rest, on the other hand — there will be more classes. In general, when told, I thought that the schedule would be busier than usual,” adds another female student.

As the rector of the university, Ilshat Gafurov, told Realnoe Vremya, the two-week delay “will not affect the curriculum”.

“First, the postponement took place in agreement with the ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation, and second, it concerns only Kazan. We are going to catch up, otherwise, students will not get their diplomas,” the rector of the KFU concluded.