Education Reform - President Putin Makes Trip to St. Petersburg to Promote Crucial Student Programs

The new Russian administration will build new student dorms. Colleges and universities will be able to attract Russian and foreign businesses to their startups. In the art industry, the government plans to promote public awareness of science. Vladimir Putin made all these statements during his speech at the Russian Rectors' Union Convention in St. Petersburg today. The President mentioned that Russia needs a technological breakthrough. We have the opportunity to make it happen. Our correspondent, Pavel Zarubin reports about these opportunities from St. Petersburg. - It's metal, why isn't it sinking? A participant: Its density is lower than water's; it's lighter than water. - The metal's density? - Yes, of this specific material. Aluminum foam has existed for a while, but students from St. Petersburg have come up with a hard shell for it. This can become a breakthrough for shipbuilding. Other postgrads have created the sunmobile. The professor: "Our students and postgrads have developed the entire thing, from concept to end product". Vladimir Putin: "Wow, does it work?" - It does. Vladimir Putin: "When do you plan to test it in Sochi?" A student: "We'll test it in Sochi in May. We'll be sending the sunmobile to the US in May, just in time for the World Championship in July". A professor: "If they let them enter the US, Vladimir Vladimirovich". Vladimir Putin: "We can host it ourselves". Right next to them are prosthetic implants that can be printed using a 3D printer. It prints a hip implant in just 4 hours. This technology is already being used in the field. Russia already performs implant surgeries using such printed materials. President Putin also revealed some details about developing a sophisticated weapon system that he had recently presented to the Federal Assembly. Vladimir Putin: "So, we were awarding the State Prize, and, to my surprise, I see that the recipients were young guys. I asked them, 'Where did you all come from?' They said, 'When they started issuing grants, after graduating college, our classmates got together and formed a team.' Well, 7 years later they created the most powerful, the most state-of-the-art strike combat system in the world". MSU students have won their seventh ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest. The Moscow State University has demonstrated just how with the times it truly is, but their president, Sadovnichiy, looks to the future. The world changes rapidly, and we must be ready for these changes. Viktor Sadovnichiy, Rector of MSU: We live in a unique era in human history. Mathematicians call it 'the singularity'. Vladimir Putin: "The more I work, the more interesting technical terms I learn. I like the term 'singularity,' I should use it, it'll make me appear smarter. Anyway... Anyway, as far as I understand, it implies an increase in uncertainty. I got one right. As I've previously stated, as will become clear, I talked about the importance of a technological breakthrough. If we don't make this breakthrough, and this is the key here; we'll fall hopelessly behind. We'll really fall behind, you see? This may lead to some harsh consequences. We'll be fine for 2-3 decades with what we have, as I've mentioned in the second half of my speech. But, we, or people like you, at least, have to think beyond the horizon". The funding for science and education programs has increased fourfold since 2000. Now companies that have no access to the international market are becoming active. Vladimir Putin: "These sanctions are helping us. Since we can't buy everything, it forces us to use our own brains, and that works for us. Not just in the agricultural industry, but in the high tech industry, too. However, this isn't enough. These prods from outside cannot be our motivation for general development. We must create mechanisms of intrinsic motivation". It's obvious that these mechanisms are underdeveloped. There are plenty of Ph.D. theses, but most of them look sketchy. Vladimir Putin: "Only 14% of postgraduates defend their thesis on time. Meanwhile, what are the rest of them doing? What results are they achieving?" To support a positive study environment with decent living conditions, Putin announced an important decision. Vladimir Putin: "I suggest implementing an additional program for building new dorms in the country. Let's make that happen. We'll build modern, comfortable campuses. The new administration, working with regional administrators and colleges will have to thoroughly work out all the aspects of such a program. Of course, there are monetary issues, but we must fit this into our budget, and it's the new administration's duty to do it". Thus, the first commission for the Cabinet has already been defined. Pavel Zarubin, Aleksandr Medvedev, Oleg Makarov, Nikita Khorunov, Oleg Shavyrin, Petr Ravnov. Vesti, St. Petersburg.