Today – on September 1 – in the courtyard of the main building of Kursk State Medical University, a solemn event was held, timed to the beginning of the new academic year and the admission of freshmen to students.

KSMU headed by Rector Distinguished Physician of the Russian Federation, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, Deputy of the Kursk Regional Duma of the VII convocation, Honorary Citizen of Kursk, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Viktor Anatolyevich Lazarenko received the guests: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation Professor Janitha Abeywickrema Liyanage, Rector of Sri Jayewardenepura University Senior Professor Sudantha Liyanage, Deputy Chairman of the Health Committee Valeria Valerievna Danilenko, Chief Doctor of Kursk Regional Children’s Hospital, Deputy of the Kursk Regional Duma, Candidate of Medical Sciences Igor Vasilyevich Zorya, Chairman of the Committee of Social Security, Motherhood and Childhood of the Kursk Region Tatiana Alekseevna Suknovalova, Head of the territorial body of Roszdravnadzor for the Kursk Region Elena Ivanovna Tarasova, Chairman of the Kursk Regional Organization of the Labor Union of Healthcare Workers Svetlana Vladimirovna Okhotnikova, chief doctors of medical institutions, heads of educational organizations of Kursk and Kursk region.

The event began with the ceremony of raising the State Flag of the Russian Federation. The words of encouragement came from the rector, Professor Viktor Anatolyevich Lazarenko:

– First of all, I address, of course, to freshmen: to students of secondary and higher education, and also to residents who have crossed today the second stage of higher education on the way of receiving special professional knowledge. I’m talking to postgraduate students and students of the International Institute, who also cross the threshold of the university, being both freshmen and students of postgraduate education. And it is about two thousand people in total who will occupy our classrooms from now on. I wish that you will never regret your choice and love your work – medical service to people. Hold on to your roots, that place where you were born. And it will give you strength. And love our great Motherland – Russia as well. And then you will become real citizens of our country. Good luck!

Guests of the event addressed the first-year students with congratulations and good wishes. And Svetlana Okhotnikova presented scholarships to distinguished students from the Central Committee of the Labor Union of Healthcare Workers of the Russian Federation.

All those present witnessed the most important event in life of KSMU – the solemn signing of a memorandum of cooperation between Kursk State Medical University and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. It is one of the largest and oldest Sri Lankan universities.

Then the university traditions followed. The first-year student of the medical faculty Stefan Stanoevich read the first-year student’s oath, and the newcomer of the Faculty of Dentistry Arina Dorenskaya, who scored 299 points on admission, left her signature on a symbolic student card with the rector Viktor Anatolyevich Lazarenko.

The rector handed Arina a personal student card and a commemorative gift – a bell with the symbols of the Kursk region and KSMU with the following words: “Let its ringing become a starting point in comprehending new knowledge and achieving new goals within the walls of our Alma Mater!”.

This year, another tradition for freshmen was set forth – for training to come easily – you need to rub the “five” at the entrance to the Hippocrates monument with your foot.

After the ceremony of presenting electronic passes and student cards to freshmen and residents, flowers were laid to the monuments of medical workers killed on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War and in the fight against COVID-19.

The holiday ended with the anthem of Kursk State Medical University performed by the Gaudeamus Academic Choir.