DOI: https://doi.org/10.33917/es-1.181.2022.154-158

Collection of articles “University City: the Architecture of Meanings”, published in 2021 by VTsIOM together with the Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, brought together authors from different countries, adhering to various scientific fields, which are connected by a common interest in understanding the university city phenomenon. Today, in the context of advanced demands for science, technology and effective education, a convergent vision of social and educational elements of production and the knowledge dissemination as the basic characteristic of a post-industrial society is becoming of high demand. One of historically tested responses to demands of the time is creation and development of university cities, where a single social, educational and communicative space is formed. Problems, hypotheses and examples of successful world and Russian experience form a kind of architecture of meanings, which the authors of the book discuss in a popular form.

The article represents an appeal of a famous scientist-ecologist, the first minister for nature conservation of the Soviet Union Fyodor T. Morgun for nature conservancy, which sounded already in 2000 from the pages of edition “Peasant — Soul of the World”. The author believes that for successful solution of environmental problems on the whole planet only 7-8 % of industrialized countries’ budget is required. “That is what the governments of leading world countries need to think hard and to take appropriate steps instead of continuing the race of total mutual destruction weapons production”. These words today, 14 years later, become of particular relevance.