The main issue discussed at the meeting of the Academic Council was the report of the rector of the Southern Federal University Inna Shevchenko on the activities of the university for 2020.

The discussion of the rector's report was attended by members of the SFedU Academic Council and invited guests, including the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the University Vladimir Gurba, members of expert councils, heads of educational programs and heads of departments.

During the meeting, the Academic Council of the University also considered the issues of approving the decisions of the Attestation Commission for awarding Academic Degrees at SFedU, on the election of heads of departments, as well as a number of other issues.

Inna Shevchenko stressed that the past year of 2020 allowed us to realize a lot, as well as to determine the prospects for the development of the university in the coming years.

During the meeting, the participants of the meeting congratulated Inna Konstantinovna on becoming a member of the Public Expert Council of the national project "Science and Universities".

According to the rector of SFedU, at the moment, the most important systemic results of the implementation of the university's development program are expected:

- development of the system of training of competitive highly qualified personnel corresponding to the best Russian and international practices, implementation of programs of training, retraining and advanced training of personnel at all levels of professional and additional professional education, use of research and innovation activities in the educational process;

- formation of a system for securing talented young people in the region;

- development of fundamental and applied research in priority scientific areas, as well as high-tech production;

- improving the competitiveness of the university among the leading research and educational centers, including foreign ones (inclusion of SFedU in the leading subject and global university rankings);

- personnel support for the socio-economic development of the Southern Federal District in priority areas of the digital economy, training of engineering and research personnel;

- introduction of effective mechanisms to ensure the financial and economic stability of the university, as well as a number of other issues related to the university's activities.

Inna Shevchenko concluded that SFedU serves as an integrating center of the Southern Federal District in the field of education, research and knowledge transfer within the framework of key initiatives. The SFedU's contribution to the research profile of the region is significant, and within the framework of the new development program, we will only increase it.