Arctic Yearbook 2014 | Page 132

  DISTANCE EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN REGIONS OF RUSSIA Viacheslav Lipatov Distance education in the Northern regions of the Russian Federation contributes to solving Circumpolar North educational problems by delivering quality courses to remote areas, simplifying the organization of joint US-Russian educational and scientific projects and creating international student communities in both countries. Many Russian universities are developing their own learning management systems and using asynchronous courses. The University of the Arctic (UArctic) is increasing the interest in the use of information and communication technology and open learning resources and networks. In 2008 the UArctic Thematic Network on Distance Education and E-learning began to function. In 2014 the Natural Hazards Thematic Network of UArctic organized a workshop to develop an online course in natural hazards. The Internet and distance education create a new opportunity for indigenous peoples to study a native language and knowledge. Introduction The research question of this article is: Does distance learning in the Northern regions of the Russian Federation contribute to solving educational problems in the Circumpolar North? The main goals of the research are to identify contemporary educational problems in the Arctic; to analyze the specifics of distance education in the Circumpolar North; to carry out an analysis of distance education in the Russian North; and to examine current and potential US-Russian joint educational and academic projects in the Circumpolar North. The Arctic Human Development Report I (2004: 169) indicates that there is very little circumpolar research in the field of education and now it is almost impossible to make a circumpolar assessment Viacheslav Lipatov is Associate Professor at Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics (MESI).