Professors and students from the Institute of Psychology and Comprehensive Rehabilitation participated in an international scientific and practical conference as part of efforts to promote international collaboration. The event aimed to share teaching expertise, build research partnerships with foreign educational institutions, and strengthen the university’s global academic presence.
On February 20, 2025, professors and students from the Institute presented their research findings at the international conference “Social-Pedagogical and Medical-Psychological Support for Personality Development in Ontogenesis,” held in honor of the 80th anniversary of Brest State A. Pushkin University (Belarus).
During the main session, leading experts in the theory and practice of personality development across various stages of ontogenesis explored current and future models of socio-pedagogical and medical-psychological support for this process.
Irina Solovyova, Associate Professor and Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, delivered a report “Social and Psychological Support for Students in Lifelong Learning: Boundaries of Possibility.” She emphasised the importance of parents accepting children with sensory impairments as they are and evaluated the resources and gaps in modern educational practices to harmonise relationships within the “child with sensory impairments – parents” dynamic.
Elena Ekzhanova, Professor and Doctor of Pedagogy, in her report “Social and Pedagogical Support for Families in Early Speech Development,” highlighted the critical role of the pre-speech period in infant development and the significance of maternal involvement in stimulating speech and cognitive growth. She noted that many parents only recognise speech delays at later stages, often overlooking early signs. The increasing reliance on gadgets, she argued, hinders meaningful emotional communication between parents and children, underscoring the need for parental education and readiness to engage in dialogue with their children.
Viktoria Manuylova, Professor and Doctor of Pedagogy, in her report “Problems and Perspectives for Inclusive Secondary Vocational Education in Russia,” discussed the essential conditions required in vocational institutions to accommodate students with disabilities. She also shared findings on the accessibility of secondary vocational education programmes for individuals with special needs.
The roundtable discussion, chaired by V. Ilyasheva, Head of the Department of Social Pedagogy and Psychology at Brest State A. Pushkin University, featured contributions from:
- O. Minaeva, Associate Professor, Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Biology, on “Accessing the Cognitive Potential of Children with Autism: Problems and Perspectives”;
- E. Ananyeva, Senior Lecturer, on “Social Interaction Among Typically Developing and Developmentally Delayed Peers in Preschool”;
- A. Gilyano, Associate Professor, Candidate of Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, and V. Saranskaya, Bachelor’s student, on “Evaluating the Assessment of Children with Autism: Challenges and Prospects”;
- A. Gilyano, Associate Professor, Candidate of Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, and A. Nikitina, Master’s student and methodologist at the “Kakhovskie Romashki” Family Support Center, on “Socialisation and Adaptation of Children Transitioning to Primary School”
- A. Guseynova, Associate Professor and Candidate of Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, on “Modern Approaches to Creating Educational Spaces for Students with Mobility Impairments”;
- A. Zaretskaya, Assistant, on “Adaptive Physical Education for Children with Special Needs: Experience and Perspectives”;
- V. Kolyagina, Leading Researcher, Associate Professor and Candidate of Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, on “Key Approaches to Training Future Special Psychologists”;
- S. Lvova, Associate Professor and Candidate of Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, on “Social-Psychological Factors Influencing Self-Perception in Children”;
- L. Ovcharenko, Head of the Department of Clinical, Psychological and Pedagogical Foundations of Personal Development, Associate Professor and Candidate of Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, on “Parent-Child Relationships in Child-Centered Families”;
- I. Solovieva, Associate Professor and Candidate of Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, and a team from Special Boarding School No. 12 for Hearing-Impaired Students (Chelyabinsk), on “Accessibility of Inclusive Supplementary Education as a Factor in Adapting Hearing-Impaired Students”;
- O. Titova, Associate Professor, Candidate of Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, on “Factors Affecting the Adaptation of Preschoolers with Developmental Disorders in Educational Settings”;
- N. Tyurina Sh., Associate Professor, Candidate of Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, on “Media Competence as a Component of Inclusive Culture for Future Helping Professionals”;
- V. Cheryshnev, Associate Professor, Candidate of Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Pedagogy, on “Developing Parental Competencies as a Condition for Socialising Children with Maxillofacial Pathologies”.
The presentations were marked by the participants’ deep expertise and interdisciplinary approach. Foreign colleagues expressed particular interest in MCU’s research on working with individuals with various disabilities. The theoretical, methodological, and practical significance of the findings highlighted potential directions for future collaboration.
The event attracted over 110 participants, including educators, researchers, professionals from medical-psychological and social centers, doctoral candidates, postgraduate students, and faculty from leading pedagogical universities in Belarus and Russia.
Prof. Maksim Bogdasarov, Vice-Rector for Scientific Work of Brest State A. Pushkin University and Doctor of Geology and Mineralogy, expressed a strong interest in further partnership opportunities with Moscow City University.