VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
“…the Russian Academy of Sciences and national science as a whole cannot shy away from the modernisation agenda. The academy has always been and must remain a key institution of national and social development - both as a generator of new fundamental knowledge turned toward the future and as an instrument for selecting and promoting Russia's intellectual elite. And, finally, the reliable, long-term prediction of scientific and technological priorities is only possible with the involvement of the research community. Certainly, a primitive and utilitarian understanding of science's role is unacceptable. Fundamental research is not a commercial project based on investment volumes or profit-making. At the same time, the field of science in the modern world is based on a principle of encouraging tough competition and is characterised by a serious struggle for superiority. Leading states invest heavily in R&D projects in order to remain predominant in science. This concerns not only technology but also the humanities, politics and ideology”.
"I'd like to inform you about a number of new decisions adopted by the government to support higher education institutions. First, we have established special grants for up to 150 million roubles each to finance research in our institutions of higher education. This money will allow to hire respected specialists at Russian universities. I'm referring both to those working in Russia and abroad. Nationality is of no importance here, but we are primarily thinking about our compatriots who are teaching abroad."
“The government has decided to award prizes to outstanding young specialists in science and technology for 2009. We have selected 30 young specialists (under the age of 33) successfully pursuing promising and important projects in priority sectors. These projects involve cancer diagnosing, resource and energy saving plasma technologies, and development of nano-structures in electronics.”
“Educational institutions should become more open, regularly publishing full and objective reports on their activities. And the public governing boards being created in schools - I have mentioned one of them - must have real opportunities to influence key decisions affecting the school's life.”
“Starting on September 1, 2011, all first formers will study according to new educational standards. We must prevent the introduction of these modern standards from becoming a mere formality, ensuring that they improve both the quality and content of education and the conditions for children during their time in our schools. On a side note, I would like to draw the attention of the Minister of Education to the need to analyse these standards critically, with input from leading national experts, making sure they meet modern requirements. We should see how they will work. Special responsibility for this rests with the regional and municipal authorities.”
“We must show we are serious about enhancing the teaching profession's performance and prestige. <…> In addition to decent pay, Russian teachers will have an opportunity to continually improve their qualifications and learn new teaching technology. To this end, the Education Ministry is developing new programmes for additional professional training.”
“In the near future the government plans to introduce a package of alterations to the Tax Code and the law on education, which are intended to create additional incentives for small, innovative businesses, which we decided to set up at universities. These companies will be granted a five-year exemption to ensure a smooth transition to the insurance premium system. In addition, we are drafting amendments to introduce unified regulations for licensing start-ups.”
"In the past four years a total of 1,250 billion roubles have been allocated to education from federal sources alone. It is quite a big sum, given our expenditures in general. It is a huge sum! We launched a general modernization effort within the framework of the Education national project. We will continue to regard this work as an absolute priority."
"It would be better if we could teach Russian to people who want to study here in advance. Also, more people would like to study here in that case. We are aware of this fact, and we are trying to act on this issue, first of all in other CIS countries. We are sending textbooks there, training Russian-language teachers and starting courses. We would like to do this in more countries. Education over the internet and using modern technology play a big role in this respect".
"Recognition of diplomas does not often depend on the level of education of a young professional, but is instead connected with agreements between governments. As a rule, recognition is reciprocal. Today we have relevant agreements with 100 countries and we will try to increase this number."
"Furthermore, it goes without saying that new centres should take an active part in international research cooperation. I know this is part of the plan. Any cooperation must be equitable and involve befitting partners. We must determine for Russian scientists the optimal format of participation in major international projects and ensure the effective use of the results for Russia's technological development".
"In developing the centre it is necessary to pay special attention to its integration with higher educational institutions and their research. It is important to establish direct cooperation with the country's leading universities and organize exchange experience for students, starting with juniors".
"I would like to emphasize that we are not after a perfunctory merger or consolidation. In effect, we will introduce entirely new elements into the formation of Russia's innovative infrastructure. We will adopt modern methods of management and scientific research to form a single chain based on fundamental groundwork and ending in technology, resulting in real prospects for high-tech science-intensive markets. These centres will receive the most advanced research and development facilities with a view to attracting both Russian and foreign scientists".
"I have made it clear that apart from the current funding, we will allocate an additional 10 billion roubles for KI's development in the next three years. In addition to this, the departments concerned should finalize the coordination of a special bill on its legal status very soon. The Kurchatov Institute is designed to serve as a model for organising all national research centres. As you may recall, we plan to set up five to seven such centres".
"We have held a tender for 14 higher educational and research schools this September, and that, according to the commission, three specialised schools have submitted quite competitive and interesting programmes. Three of them, namely, the Moscow Aviation Institute, the Kazan Institute and probably the Saratov higher aviation school, have been listed among federal higher research schools. All of them will receive additional funding and resources totalling 1.8 billion roubles over the next five years and will use it to modernise their material-and-technical base and to improve personnel training."
"A substantial number of students pay for their training in economics and general specialisations, while not more than 15% of future engineers pay for their courses. On the whole, this shows that the state prioritises the training of top-grade aircraft industry specialists."
"We have already embarked on a systematic effort to modernise science, including at higher education institutions. In this we will support and strengthen all that is the best and most advanced. The Government recently approved five-year programmes that would create 14 research universities. They will be financed with approximately 50 billion roubles, with at least half of the money to be disbursed from the Federal Budget. After assessing the available resources we came to the conclusion, very recently, just two or three days ago, that some additional steps need to be taken. Therefore I propose to direct over the next three years a further 90 billion roubles to support the country's leading universities (30 billion roubles every year). That money will be spent to renovate the research and laboratory base, the programme of scientific exchange, to bring the best scientists from abroad, including our fellow countrymen who are currently working elsewhere."
"I have just discussed the Pedagogical Researchers national target programme with the Education Minister. Some money from it can be used for grants for young teachers-for instance, a thousand two-year grants, worth half a million roubles apiece, or 250,000 roubles a year. But let me repeat that only a portion of young teachers will qualify."
"Teachers need not only basic education, but also continuing postgraduate education that takes into account their personal needs and the specific situation at their schools. That is why it is essential to modernise education for teachers, in order to give them access to all the latest achievements of pedagogical sciences and all available technologies. Teachers' websites, online forums to discuss teaching methods, and everything else that helps teachers deserve our every support. These matter the most to teachers in rural and remote areas."
"Schools should be able to attract the most skilled individuals, who want interesting and highly sought after jobs with clear career prospects and good remuneration. The Russian regions are introducing a new system of funding for schools based on the number of pupils. It promises a notable increase of teacher's pay, mainly for the most experienced teachers."
"Education opportunities at Russian schools have increased considerably as of late with new computer classes and the installation of up-to-date equipment. In fact all schools, even rural schools, have been computerised and given access to the Internet."
"I would like to draw special attention to the condition of school buses. I hold that both regional and local authorities need to monitor more closely the technical condition of vehicles and the qualifications and health of drivers, even more so since there are positive examples of such work in several regions which have led to a reduction in road accidents involving students."
"Only in the past year financing of general education increased by 120 billion roubles. The total funds allocated for the purpose were 738 billion roubles. The Ministry of Regional Development conducted a survey of how efficiently these funds were being used. The picture is far from ideal. According to analysis' estimates, the share of inefficient spending is around 19%. In terms of the total amount, this is 140 billion roubles. To give you an example, with this amount of money the salaries of teachers and educational administrators could be raised immediately by 25%. Or 300 new schools could be built with this money."
"The second decision concerns the ongoing experiment when the state supports the system of educational loans for students of higher educational establishments. Students showing good progress can now enjoy a number of privileges. One is the deferment of payments on the principal sum of the loan for the entire period of tuition at college or university. The state also plans to subsidise the interest rate on educational loans at three quarters of the Central Bank's refinancing rate."
"We should pay particular attention to the overall safety of students. This includes anti-terrorist and fire-prevention measures, observance of sanitary standards, and safety on the roads and in transport. In the last two years, we allocated 24 billion roubles for fire-prevention measures. This included bringing the share of schools equipped with fire alarms up to 80%. As a result, the number of fires reduced by 55%."
"As you know, the Federation now issues subsidies to the regions to pay remuneration to form teachers. To begin with, we decided to keep these subsidies and therefore these payments. But such a factor as differentials for length of service in the Far North and other areas with special climatic conditions was not taken into account until now when determining the size of these subsidies."
"We are planning to preserve the number of budget seats in the higher educational establishments. This year, they will number 197 for 10,000. Moreover, more students will be admitted to magistrate and post-graduate courses."
“As regards personnel training, it is one of the key aspects of development in any branch of the economy. Unfortunately, the system of vocational schools set up in the Soviet Union has to some extent gone to seed over the past decades. Currently, attempts are being made to restore it, but this cannot be done without the participation of the industry.”
“We have really done much to implement information technologies in everyday life. The idea of computer networks and access to the Internet in a tiny Siberian village was, until quite recently, implausible. It is a reality now-we have done it through a federal programme. Every Russian school-I really mean every, wherever it might be, in Siberia, the Far East, northern or southern Russia-has computer classes and access to the Internet. IT implementation will go on because economic and social development makes it a must.”
“As far education is concerned, we plan to focus on creating a system of national research universities, to support the introduction of modern pre-school education models and to implement advanced training programmes for schoolteachers.”
"The next important issue concerns amendments to the law on education aimed at improving the mechanism of state assistance to people with children. In 2007, we started compensating a part of parents' spending on kindergartens. The regions receive relevant subsidies from the federal budget."
"Compensation totalled 20% of the fee [for a place in a kindergarten] for the first child, 50% for a second child, and 70% for a third and subsequent children. Total funding under this programme should be 9.5 billion roubles in 2009, 10.2 billion roubles in 2010, and 10.9 billion roubles in 2011. So far compensations are provided only to those who attend state- and municipally-owned preschool centres. However, they make up an absolute majority, 5.4 million children."
"In the future, we should create equal conditions and a competitive environment for state/municipal and private preschool centres, where budgetary allocations on kindergarten education and maintenance will be distributed through tenders based on municipal contracts."
“In education, we plan to concentrate on a network of national research universities, and on introducing a fixed per capita principle of financing at all levels. We will also pay special attention to developing new federal education standards, and a system of independent appraisal of the quality of education. We should support municipalities which use modern models for pre-school education. We should focus on upgrading the skills of school teachers and on other projects which will become part of the presidential initiative Our New School.”
“Starting December 1, 2008, federal medical and education establishments, as well as other federally supported institutions, for instance, in culture, will convert to new payment systems. They are designed to improve the quality of services, and to provide incentives for the best doctors and teachers. As we have mentioned, the overall labour remuneration fund in the federal budget will increase by 30 percent.”
"The special federal university network is a separate issue motivated by our plans to promote innovative development of certain regions. In this sense, Novosibirsk has a privileged status because you already possess a major scientific centre, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Nonetheless."
"Improving professional training quality is one of the top priorities of our Education project. Essentially, we need to thoroughly revise its content, bringing it up to a level required for modern high-tech industries."
"We should demand results from scientific research and should slightly change the structure of funding. Look at how the developed economies finance science. Business is paying two thirds of the funding, and only one third comes from the state. The latter is mostly funding fundamental science. Why? This is so because research is more precise. It is better adjusted to the interests of the economy and the social sphere. This is also a two-fold task."
"Ours is a big country. <…> We have places where ungraded educational establishments, ungraded schools should be preserved despite the high costs, although we all understand<…> that an ungraded school costs the state several times more than an enlarged educational centre. Not only does it cost more, its educational services are worse. Regrettably, this is so, but let me repeat again that despite all this, some of them should be supported."
"However, I have studied the experience of some regions and can tell you that if we guarantee safe and comfortable transfer of children into larger educational centres, we will upgrade the quality of education. This is certainly so, and probably only in this case can we ensure equal access to high-end education, and enable children from the provinces to study in the country's best colleges and universities."
"Today – and I am pleased to state this – there is a growing interest in the natural sciences. The reason is that we are entering a new and different phase in our country’s development. More and more attention is being given to real production. And real production without fundamental science is impossible. <…> And I hope that these activities, these fields – engineering, fundamental and applied sciences – will grow in popularity".
"We wouldn’t like to issue grants according to territory or region; we would prefer to make the choice based on how effectively a student association works and how prepared it is to do independent scientific research. It should be based on a fair competition, and best projects should be picked regardless of the region they come from".
"I welcome all kinds of movements and organisations, with different goals and philosophies. It is important that young people take an active stance, that they feel involved in positive processes promoting the development of our country and society, and feel that they are a part of the country’s development. I think it is very important".
"The research and development sector is still relying only on federal resources. It has weak commercial potential and, which is exceptionally important, it is poorly integrated with education. All of this greatly aggravates its personnel problems. It is obvious that while realising the approved programmes for the modernisation of science and education, we have to think about creating new instruments".
"I consider the establishment of national universities an important part of the development of Russian science. Two national universities have already been established, the Southern and the Siberian universities. They demand our special attention and development support".
"From 2009 the federal targeted programme on Scientific and Pedagogical-Scientific Staff of Innovative Russia will come into force. I expect that it will allow us to increase the professional level of our specialists and create a clear-cut system of attracting young and promising scientists. For achieving this goal we have allocated 80 billion roubles from the federal budget".
"As the saying goes, the new is the well forgotten old, so we are planning to bring back the support system for young people's creative endeavors in the fields of science and technology. Such centres existed in Soviet times, but they gradually disappeared. We are talking about creating new centres, societies, study groups. These are important mechanisms for talent scouting and for bringing young talent into science".
"In 2010 consolidated budget expenditure on education will reach almost 2 trillion roubles, and on public health, also 2 trillion roubles. That is several times more than only a few years ago. The spending on education will grow by four times and on healthcare by four and a half times compared with 2004".
