May 3, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Webinars for prospective applicants are being held at the Vitebsk State University named after P. Masherov, the university's rector Alexander Solodkov informed a BELTA correspondent. The pilot project for conducting online seminars (webinars) involves schoolchildren from Rossony, Ushachi, Shumilino, and Polotsk districts, as well as one school in Vitebsk. Its essence is that graduates, without coming to the university, receive consultations from university professors on the choice of 12 subjects included in the centralized testing. The university's technical capabilities, as well as those of district and rural schools, allow students and teachers to communicate remotely: computers connected to the Internet, webcams, multimedia centres, and speakers are all that is needed. As Alexander Solodkov noted, the virtual seminars were specifically planned for the period when the trial testing stages were completed and there was still time before the final exams for applicants to receive competent answers to all questions that arose during the preparation for the most exciting stage of the admission campaign – centralized testing. Upon completion of the webinar cycle, the university plans to conduct a survey of its participants to determine how much demand there will be for such consultations next year. Judging by the fact that schools from Orsha, Orsha and Vitebsk districts, and Vitebsk are already ready to become participants in the project, positive feedback will not be long in coming. In the new academic year, the Vitebsk University plans to launch distance learning for centralized testing preparation. Currently, preparatory courses are offered in evening and part-time formats. Thanks to the new format, the opportunities for graduates from urban schools and remote areas are equalized. In addition to creating distance learning groups at schools, the university is ready to organize individual online consultations for prospective applicants. -0-

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