Ecopolis International Youth School
Students from Russia, Asia, and other countries team up to tackle environmental challenges at Ecopolis International School programme
Novosibirsk State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (Sibstrin) hosted the 2nd Ecopolis International Youth School on 22 May 2026 as part of the Nevsky International Ecological Congress. Students from Russia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Bangladesh, and Central Asia were joined at the event by scientists from Serbia and Siberian experts.
The Ecopolis School seeks as part of the Environmental Well-Being National Project to raise environmental awareness, educate young people, and train specialists by lending support to student environmental initiatives, promoting the adoption of more environmentally friendly campuses, and popularizing best practices in energy and resource conservation.
The School was organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Novosibirsk Region and Sibstrin with the support of Kudryashovskoye, a member of the National Corporate Volunteering Council of the Novosibirsk Region.
Seventy experts and Russian and international students from NSUEM, Sibstrin, SibSUiBT, NSPU, SGUGIT, SSUWT, NSTU took part in the event.
The scientific programme boasted a number of significant events. University of Belgrade, Serbia, professor Marko Ivetic delivered an open lecture in English (with a translation provided) on ‘Water Resource Management and Urban Green Infrastructure’, which drew attention to some of climate change’s more pressing issues, the impact of urban development on water facilities, and the problem of flooding in urban areas.
International students participating in the roundtable ‘Sustainable Urban Development’ presented papers on a wide range of African and Asian environmental projects and different ways of mitigating climate change, conserving biodiversity, managing water resources, developing renewable energy, and dealing with pollution. The projects provided a cross section of the environmental challenges standing before the region and how the countries affected have been working to address them, with best practices suggested for potential implementation in the Novosibirsk Region.
The event also shone a spotlight on modern monitoring technologies.
“Ecopolis is no isolated event but rather an integral part of wider regional efforts. It’s just one of many opportunities to engage in practical discussions and turn novel ideas into real solutions to benefit the region’s environmental well-being,” Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Novosibirsk Region Evgeny Shesternin said.
All the presentations led to practical discussions at the roundtable dedicated to the topic of problems in border territories.
Ecopolis wrapped up with participants agreeing to pursue further collaboration and receiving the Red Book of the Novosibirsk Region award from the regional Ministry of Natural Resources in recognition of their successful projects.
The event was held as part of the Nevsky International Ecological Congress, which leads efforts to address critical environmental issues and champion sustainable development in Russia. The Nevsky International Ecological Congress is organized by the Russian Government, the Federation Council, the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation. The event was managed by the Roscongress Foundation.