Putin: Values and Development Follow-up

I recently wrote a think piece on formulating an equitable political-economy where the key component is universal education and the ability it has to give all an opportunity to discover where their talents lie. That is also part of what Putin discussed as a nation’s overall values—there should be no structural obstacles to an individual’s opportunity to discover their abilities. Only in that way can the potential creativity of society be tapped and propel it to an ongoing prosperity. That’s a universal philosophical maxim Putin and many others have put forth over the years, although it’s rarely been practiced/implemented over the centuries for a variety of reasons. Today, Putin made a short video address to the participants of the Third International Forum of Ministers of Education "Shaping the Future" that conveys much of the above:

V. Putin: Dear friends!

I would like to welcome our colleagues and partners from the Commonwealth of Independent States, the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, as well as all participants of the Third International Forum of Education Ministers, to Kazan.

Its title, "Shaping the Future," fully reflects the content of the upcoming discussion. The focus will be on practical steps to develop schools, colleges, and universities. The success of the younger generation in life and in their professions in the coming years and even decades will directly depend on this. This, in turn, will contribute to the long-term well-being and prosperity of our nations and the progress of human civilization as a whole.

It is important that the new approaches you have proposed are used in everyday life and become the basis for making decisions in the field of educational policy, as well as an incentive for increasing government and business investments in people and their development.

We are united by a common aspiration to ensure the accessibility and modern, decent level of education. This is a key, fundamental condition for social justice, reducing poverty and inequality, increasing incomes, and improving the quality of life for citizens in our countries.

We need to work together to find answers to the complex and significant challenges faced by all national education systems, taking into account global trends, including the rapid and widespread adoption of digital technologies and artificial intelligence models. These technologies are already significantly changing the educational process and accelerating the transformation of the labor market and the emergence of new professions.

And of course, we need to effectively set up schools, colleges, and universities to address the current and future development challenges of our countries. At the same time, it is important that education serves to preserve national identity and support the diversity of cultures and traditions.

Therefore, a school in the broad sense should not only provide the most advanced knowledge and competencies, but also educate and nurture young people, helping them to find a solid value foundation in life and to develop as harmonious individuals.

This is the approach that underpins the Russian education system. Everything we do is driven by the fundamental goal of helping every child and teenager to discover their abilities and realize their potential.

We are ready to share our accumulated experience and engage in an open dialogue. We are convinced that free and equal access to knowledge, technology, and scientific achievements is one of the main factors for sustainable development and the formation of a more just and secure multipolar world. Therefore, we support the desire of countries in the global East and South to participate in joint educational projects and look forward to mutually beneficial cooperation.

I wish the forum participants fruitful work, interesting meetings, and warm communication in the hospitable city of Kazan.

All the best to you! [My Emphasis]

Governments and business ought to find it easy to incentivize “investments in people” because people form the underlying power of both business and government, but unfortunately that hasn’t been the case through most of human history. Several nations have claimed to provide universal education to their society for the betterment of all but none so far has actually attained that goal. The majority of nations have only attained a basic level of development, while advanced societies continue to become more complex. Yet, the gap between those nations is more of a material nature rather than one of human ability. A small set of nations having a very small set of controllers are focused on accumulating as much financial wealth as possible and have thrown universal human development under the bus—including the mass majority of their own societies. That’s a recipe for very acrimonious disharmony and chaos, which we see happening now. Some poor nations have similar issues although their root causes differ. IMO, wise leaders and their societies can reach a level of satisfactory material existence with some aid from other wise leaders and their societies, which is what Putin’s proposing and doing as is Xi Jinping. The joint statements they’ve issued since 2002 show that they understand what it will take to make a balanced harmonious world. They also understand that the small set of controllers don’t want that sort of world for then they lose their status—their wealth doesn’t matter because it contributes zero to balance and harmony. Some within that small set of nations understand what their controllers are trying to attain and do what they can to thwart their ambition.

The system that’s currently in the beginning stages of being dismantled was built over several thousand years, so it will take time to accomplish the process. What history teaches is that change is inevitable, not just possible. History also teaches that change must be guided to arrive at the desired outcome. That’s why knowing the past can help frame the future. Those who thought history ended are in the process of being punished by their hubris. The Fortress State of the Cold War and earlier periods has no place in an interconnected where Win-Win cooperation is the dominante feature.

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