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Demand was high from the outset. Journey times can be up to 3 hours from the furthest part of our Region to Belgorod City, which precludes commuting, especially in winter, when roads can be blocked for days by several feet of snow. The main barrier to distance learning has always been the speed and accessibility of internet connections. In the last few years, the Region has experienced a major improvement in access to broadband, and this has allowed programs like this to become a reality.

Of course, this also allows people from outside the Region to enrol, and the graduates included students from St Petersburg (1373km away) and Norilsk (3383km away). The University had to work out how best to structure its efforts, and the video conferencing option proved to be the most popular method. The program was also quite niche, as it deals with how to teach mentally impaired children and adults, and may not have been viable had the pool of students been restricted to Belgorod City and its immediate hinterland. Expect more of the same in the near future.