Putin's Discussion with Young Scientists

Likely a welcome interlude from dealing with Turkish/NATO/Zionist terrorists in Syria and Erdogan's stab in the back. A Very long read.

Meeting with participants of the IV Congress of Young Scientists.

Last week, the IV Congress of Young Scientists was held on November 27–29 on the Sirius federal territory. More than seven thousand people from 62 countries of the world took part in its events. As he’s done since this events inception, Putin took time from his newly complicated schedule to talk with some of the participants. As you see, the group isn’t overly large and is diverse age and gender-wise. I’m rather certain it was a very pleasant break from the recent events in Syria where Erdogan has launched an invasion of Turkish/NATO terrorists into Syria—terrorists that ought to have been eliminated back in 2020. But that’s an entirely different report. As you’ll see at the end, the transcript is broken and some of the discussion excised, why is unknown. Someone made tribute to Rasul Gamzatov, who was a celebrated Soviet poet, and that perhaps was the reason, although it seems very strange. Yes, it’s a long read, as the video shows the event went just over two-hours. Now, the young scientists:

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, dear friends!

I'm very glad to see you.

Despite the spatial and temporal difficulties, we still managed to combine both time and space and meet. I'd love to hear your impressions of how the fourth one went – this is the fourth one, isn't it? - congress.

This morning, Elena Vladimirovna Shmeleva and I talked about it, and she told me. I understand that in general, everything went well at a good organizational level, with good content. I'm very happy about that.

How many – seven thousand people from 62 countries. Many more applications were submitted. Last year, five thousand participants came from more than 30 countries, or 36 countries. Now there are 62 countries, and from all continents: from Europe, from Latin America, from Africa. In general, this is a very representative forum. This once again underlines that science, as well as education, as well as art, is designed to unite people of various nationalities, views, religions, and so on, and to be the foundation for the general development and movement of all mankind forward, because it is science that creates the conditions for progress. I know that you have discussed a variety of topics in a variety of areas.

We will now discuss with the Government in the next few days our goals and how we are going to achieve these goals in the area of achieving our development goals. And first of all, we are talking, of course, about high-tech development. We will pay attention to issues related to the training of personnel and engineering personnel, because without people who are trained and motivated for this type of activity, it is almost impossible to solve any problem.

You know this for sure: in the next three years, we need to train about a million people in the field of engineering, and by 2030 this figure should grow to almost two million – one million 800 thousand people. We are working in this direction, and you probably mentioned this during the discussion in Sirius. We have established 50 high-level engineering schools based on leading Russian educational institutions. And by 2030, there should be at least a hundred of these engineering schools. We will continue to move in this direction.

As was the practice in previous years, when we held meetings with participants of the Congress of Young Scientists, I suggest that this time, here in Moscow, we also talk freely on all the issues that are of interest to you, on the topics that you discussed at Sirius. Maybe there is something that you think it is necessary to bring to me. I understand that questions that are probably related to financing, Elena Vladimirovna also told me about this today. Let's discuss all these topics.

Of course, we should, we have such a goal, and we will certainly implement it – two percent of our GDP should go to science. By 2030, we may be able to reach these funding levels sooner.

Please, I give you the floor. I beg.

Alexander Voronin: Mr President, good afternoon!

My name is Andrey Voronin, I am the Vice-rector for Education of MISIS University and I also represent the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs of the Council for Science and Education and the talent pool in the field of science, which was also launched by your Decree.

By the way, I was lucky, I was on two streams: the first moderated, participated in the second – and, in fact, realized the dream of many people to stay for the second year. A lot of people wanted to, but only I managed.

But we also all represent the participants of the Congress of Young Scientists. Just a couple of days ago, we returned from the federal territory "Sirius". Someone was there for the first time, everyone will share their opinion, someone for the fourth time.

Vladimir Putin: It's interesting, isn't it? Nice playground. Really, really. And in order to engage in scientific activities, and meet with colleagues, discuss some common topics, and relax. Nice playground.

Alexey Voronin: You seem to know exactly what I'm going to talk about.

Vladimir Putin: This is the job.

Alexey Voronin: I would also like to remind you about this format. At the very first congress, graduate students of our MISIS University were asked: why not consolidate the success of the Year of Science and Technology in the Decade of Science and Technology? And now exactly every year we sum up the results of each year at the Congress of Young Scientists. And I, as the person who is responsible for the evening "scientific" informal program from the Korsovet, also try, first of all, to adhere to the fact that everything basic at this kind of congress does not take place in sessions. They, of course, set the context, new ideas. But all the most important things happen between or after, when the participants—though there are more than seven thousand of them--agree on what they will do together in the next year and beyond.

So, we tried to make this communication density as high as possible. And so there are a number of formats where young scientists speak to other young scientists. And this, strictly speaking, is more difficult than in front of an untrained audience. Because your own colleagues rate you. So these are usually short speeches about scientific research, about your path to science, about your failures, which is also very important, scientific films with discussions, we made the final of the University League of Scientific Battles.

I also realized one of my mini-dreams in this sense this time: we even made a rock band consisting of members of the Korsovet and leaders of the largest technology companies. And here, by the way, there is even a bass guitarist of this rock band, which still has no name. In general, it is important to set up a dialogue between young scientists.

As for the business program, I would like to mention only one session that I moderated, it was called "There is money, but you are learning", and it was devoted to such a variety of measures to support young scientists that exist in our country.

Vladimir Putin: Dmitry Anatolyevich is just right for you right now.

Alexey Voronin: It will be very pleasant to talk to you.

Vladimir Putin: The meeting is scheduled.

Alexey Voronin: Yes, and this is especially important in the year when the strategy for scientific and technological development was updated. By the way, presidential scholarships for graduate students are also of great interest, which were also introduced for the first time this year and were also offered at one of the Congresses earlier. Youth laboratories, Presidential awards to young scientists, the city Council is currently conducting their expertise. This, however, is obvious, and support measures and financing measures are probably of the greatest interest.

I can say a lot, but everyone here has a personal story about the Congress. And on my own behalf, I would like to thank you in the final for your personal attention and personal participation. This is the fourth meeting, the Fourth Congress, which is incredibly important. So thank you, and I think there will be a lot of interesting stories today.

Vladimir Putin: Fursenko didn't want us to meet, he barely persuaded him. I barely talked him into it.

A. Voronin: We have already discussed this with him, but it did take place, Mr Putin.

Vladimir Putin: You discussed it, and he agreed. (Laughter.)

Alexander Voronin: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Please, please.

Anna Zadorina: Good evening!

My name is Anastasia Zadorina. I represent the Analytical Center for International Scientific, Technological and Educational Programs. We are engaged in international scientific and educational cooperation. This year, on behalf of the Government, we have been responsible for organizing and coordinating Science, Technology, and Innovation activities under Russia's BRICS presidency. Such events included the BRICS Young Scientists Forum and the BRICS Young Innovators Competition. Traditionally, both events are held at the same time and are organized by the Chair country.

This year, it is noteworthy that scientists from Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt participated for the first time in connection with the BRICS expansion. It is great that the decision was made to hold three days of this five-day forum and competition at the CMU site. This, on the one hand, has expanded opportunities for communication between scientists. In other words, they not only got acquainted with each other, but also had the opportunity to visit Sirius laboratories, talk with Russian developers, look at the developments themselves, listen to interviews with high-tech companies in Russia and see the contribution that we strive to make to the image of the world of the future.

Vladimir Putin: It's interesting – you probably discussed with your colleagues when you met with your foreign friends: after all, what issues were discussed professionally?

Anna Zadorina: Do you mean with those BRICS colleagues who have arrived?

Vladimir Putin: Did you just tell us how it works here, or did you discuss any specific professional issues?

A. Zadorina: We divided the meeting into thematic sessions based on the topics that were identified as the main topics of the forum. We discussed digital humanities, artificial intelligence, energy, and climate issues.

At the same time, there was also a competition for young innovators, where scientists competed for cash prizes, presented their developments and competed. There was an expert jury that evaluated these developments and jointly decided on the winners.

In addition to dating and networking, of course, the image component was very important. In other words, foreign scientists had the opportunity to see with their own eyes what we produce, get acquainted with our scientists and complement the image of Russia that they already had. And with that, they went back to their home, responded very positively, everyone asked if there were any other programs where they could participate, everyone wanted to return. In general, image is a very important component, and the forum has made a great contribution to this.

Vladimir Putin:Who was the competition committee that awarded these prizes and monetary prizes?

A. Zadorina: The International Competition Commission, that is, each country itself nominated the jury based on the directions that were announced.

Vladimir Putin: So there were not only representatives of Russia, but also of our partner countries, right?

A. Zadorina: Definitely, yes. That is, each country that came with its own delegates also presented members of the jury.

Vladimir Putin: And have you outlined any further steps? What are you going to do next?

A. Zadorina: In 2025, Brazil will preside over the BRICS, and accordingly, it will be responsible for organizing the forum and the competition. One of the tasks is to attract more and more scientists, because now this list is limited. But we expect that, taking into account the results of this year's forum, each country will only increase its interest in this format.

Vladimir Putin: Next year we plan to hold the same event – the Congress of Young Scientists-also in November, at the end of November, somewhere on the 28th, in my opinion, on November 25-28. Until then, you can arrange with your Brazilian friends to hold events on the Sirius site as part of the preparation of some final events in Brazil.

A. Zadorina: Yes, we will hire you.

Vladimir Putin: And we will be happy to support you, help you organizationally and financially, too.

Anna Zadorina: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you, it's interesting.

I ask you to.

Alexander Vyshinsky: Good evening!

My name is Anton Vyshinsky. I represent Sberbank's Artificial intelligence center.

As you know, Mr Putin, Sber is also a technology company. Therefore, I am glad to tell you first of all that we have developed a simultaneous translation service based on the artificial intelligence model and this technology was presented for the first time in Russia at the Congress of Young Scientists. The service allows you to translate direct speech of speakers into a dozen languages. This helps conference participants and our foreign colleagues to keep abreast of the agenda, participate in one way or another, and get information about what is being said at such an event.

Vladimir Putin: The translators probably won't thank you.

A. Vyshinsky: Probably. But we have such an opinion: since we've kind of moved on, it's not necessary to replace someone, we need to build a synergistic relationship. First, we can help translators with the context.

You often communicate with foreign colleagues and know that there is simultaneous translation, there is sequential translation. In sequential mode, the translator first listens, makes a certain number of notes, and then translates what was discussed. Here you can prepare the context, our models work quite quickly, about two seconds delay from the speaker, the original language. This is how to help syncs. You can also involve synchronists in the development of our solution, because I read a lot about it at the conference firsthand, standing next to the booth of simultaneous translators. Look, it's a lot of work.

Vladimir Putin: This is a terrible job, it exhausts the person completely. Therefore, when long events are timed, the translators change.

Alexander Vyshinsky: Yes, they always work in pairs for 20 minutes. In general, it is very difficult. So I think this will be a good help.

Vladimir Putin: You know, you just said a very important thing. Even in this case, although it would seem that the replacement is complete, still people do not remain, as they say, without work, just their activity profile changes.

Alexander Vyshinsky: Of course, opportunities are expanding.

Vladimir Putin: This is an extremely important thing.

Of course, there is some reduction, reprofiling is and will continue. But the introduction of these technologies does not lead to an increase in unemployment-that's what's important.

A. Vyshinsky: Absolutely.

I think that we should talk about this in the framework of such events, because first of all, all such things are created to help expand the functionality, to increase opportunities.

Vladimir Putin: This is especially important for us, for Russia today, because, as I have said many times, and everyone knows it, we have minimal unemployment, it is virtually non-existent, 2.7 percent, it is virtually no unemployment. We have a shortage of workers. And of course, the solution to the problem is the introduction of new technologies, including artificial intelligence technologies.

A. Vyshinsky: That's all right.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, for me the CMU was not a discovery, I knew that such an event was being held, but I participated for the first time. I would like to tell you how I saw this event.

It is clear that it is large-scale, large, a lot of people, a lot of guests, it is felt. But most of all, I liked the fact that, first of all, there is an opportunity for young scientists to talk about their activities, show by examples and models what they are doing. The guys there all three days with burning eyes, did not get tired, tell the same story. This is really interesting. I didn't have the opportunity to listen to everyone, because I was shuttling between the halls, providing general guidance, to put it bluntly, but this is interesting.

Secondly, there are a large number of large companies that are also aimed at attracting young people, conduct lectures, and invite experts. It is very good. Plus, of course, the state component. That is, when development strategies up to 2030 are discussed, and young people participate in discussions, express some of their thoughts – this seems important. The air is charged and electrified. It's amazing. I noted it for myself, and today we raised this topic with the guys during the discussion, as if I was returning to this direction.

Another such important aspect. The simultaneous translation service is good, of course, but I talked to some foreign colleagues who used it. And I, of course, as a project manager, was interested in how good this is. I remember two things.

The first. My colleagues said: "It's amazing that you provide such a service with care for us. Of course, we know English, but it's still hard and much more pleasant when you get information in your native language." This is the first point.

The second point. Everyone noted that Russia has a great technological potential, and these are not just some articles on the Internet that you can read. These technologies can be tested directly at the conference itself, at least our simultaneous translation – come to the stand, the guys will tell you. There were such models where you can understand the principle, communicate. A huge number of volunteers who understand a foreign language helped with navigation. It's great. In fact, we at Sberbank see our mission as supporting science from the point of view of removing the language barrier, helping, let's say, to speed up the exchange of information. Because there are a lot of research centers in China, colleagues are coming up with something, in Europe, in Asia, in India. And the faster we can process this information, understand what can be applied directly in our conditions, the stronger our position as a technological power. We, of course, are engaged in our own developments, but it is extremely necessary to look around.

And in light of this, we have several initiatives to support universities. For example, this year we are already cooperating with several universities in Astrakhan. We do help them translate lectures synchronously, because universities have foreign students, our education is in demand,and such assistance is necessary.

What else can I say? In principle, these are probably the main points.

Finally, Vladimir Vladimirovich, if you have the opportunity in terms of time in your schedule, I would like to invite you on behalf of the company to the AI Journey conference. This conference is dedicated to artificial intelligence. We would like to show you how our simultaneous translation service works. We called it the Russian word "Interpreter". We also have one of our flagship platforms, GigaChat. This is very interesting and has great potential.

Vladimir Putin: And when will it be?

A. Vyshinsky: From December 11 to 13 in Moscow.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Please excuse me, you mentioned lectures and the possibility of using these technologies for foreigners who listen to these lectures in Russian.

Question: right now, during the Congress – you know that we have a school for gifted children who come to Sirius for 21 days, and so these shifts are changing in a revolver way – you haven't been to this school and haven't met with the guys?

A. Vyshinsky: No.

Vladimir Putin: Did the guys come to see you?

Alexander Vyshinsky: No, we haven't met yet.

Vladimir Putin: There is such a well-known book - "Dead Souls". One of the main characters says: "They started a very decent custom to go to each other's houses, but there are some omissions in the economy."

A. Vyshinsky: I remember, yes.

Vladimir Putin: I want to tell the organizers that in principle this is an omission. And it would be great if the Congress of Young Scientists, such beautiful, smart, advanced young people, would meet with children who are studying there at school, and they are with them. This, you know, is an additional incentive to go to science later in the future.

Alexander Vyshinsky: I absolutely agree, let's set up such cooperation.

Vladimir Putin: Sber is working, Sber is helping Sirius and the school, I know that. But in general, when organizing such events, of course, it is always necessary to drag and pull up children who are studying. They are cute, very childish, and creative.

A. Vyshinsky: I agree.

Vladimir Putin: And with a bright future. But we need to work more closely with them.

Good. Thank you very much.

Alexander Vyshinsky: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Please.

A. Gasnikov: I regularly go to these project shifts with my children for 21 days.

My name is Alexander Gasnikov, Rector of Innopolis University. I was just at the last AI Journey conference, and you probably remember me as an inexperienced rector who doesn't know how to ask. But since you are now a little bit, so to speak, in the direction of a project shift – this is really quite a unique thing, I'm just thrilled.

This year's example. I had a few students, we worked with them. A student of the eighth grade, in fact, has now made a program with the help of several language models that writes the Unified State Exam for 90 points. Open solvers get 60 points, and he gets 90 points. Eighth-grader, ninth-grader. But he didn't do it on the project shift, we started doing it later. And on the project shift, he wrote an article with colleagues – by the way, two of them, in my opinion, study at Sirius University on a specialty-they, respectively, wrote an article, it will now be submitted to the Q1 magazine. Per shift, you know?

At their age, I didn't even understand how this was possible. That is, I look and think: well, how is this even possible, how can this be? And before that, by the way, it was also quite by chance, though by chance, that two of my students even reported to you about the results that they had achieved. … Now, I think everyone is watching and thinking: well, of course, this is a contract. But you know it, you asked it, you know it's not a blank, because it's true.

Speaking of how Sirius works. I've been traveling since 2016, and we even crossed paths in 2016: You came to our students, and they told you about "money to money", by the way. This is the preferred attachment model.

Is it okay that I don't follow the agenda?

All right, Mr Putin, let's go back. Excuse me…

Vladimir Putin: No, no, no, on the contrary, it's just as interesting. On what subpoena? To be honest, I don't know the summons either, I wasn't up to the summons. I broke out here to see you without paying attention to any subpoenas.

A. Gasnikov: You said that in fact, engineering personnel is really a very important task. I don't even know where to start – with a good one or, how should I put it, with a not-so-good one. What do you want more?

Vladimir Putin: Let's do whatever you want.

A. Gasnikov: All right. Then start with a good one, if you can.

Vladimir Putin: Do you know what was done in ancient times to those who bring bad news?

A. Gasnikov: Okay, okay, I get it. With a good one.

A year has passed, during which time I tried to train as a rector who does not know how to ask. I trained on my colleagues in the republic, and also on Valery Nikolaevich. I'll tell you a little bit about the success now. Why will I tell you? Because it seems to me that this can really be very important.

We are talking about how to replicate the experience of leading experts in the country to the regions, because in fact, a serious problem is that there are still some points of concentration, and a lot of children are brought up outside of Moscow, and we need to somehow help them get access to this information.

There are different ways. And we have launched two projects in parallel on the "pilot" of the Republic of Tatarstan with the support of RAISA, including on the initiative of the Ministry of Science. One is for school students, the fifth-ninth grade, which is called "Physical and Mathematical Breakthrough", and the second is for bachelors, the new bachelor's program is called "Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence", and also with an emphasis on artificial intelligence in science, including chemistry, which is important.

The general idea is quite simple. Let's see what is the most advanced in our country. It is clear that it works, conditionally, in very good conditions, such as greenhouses: in Moscow, and in some other good centers. How can this be transferred, how will it work in a rural school in some remote area of Tatarstan?

Now I will show you one example. See, this is how students are taught the formula for the area of a parallelogram as part of this project. Here is a parallelogram, you need to find its area. In principle, it is not obvious how to search for it. On the other hand, everyone knows that the area of a rectangle is equal to the product of the sides. So, if we shift, it's the same square. There are hundreds of such models. It really helps kids get a feel for living science.

By the way, for these developments in our country, the person who does this, Nikolai Andreev and his colleagues, received the Lilavati Award. This award is given every four years to one popularizer around the world. And he received this award in 2022. You see, it's really not replicated right now. This is not replicated, there is everything in the Mathematical Institute of the Academy of Sciences and even in Adygea. And here's an idea of what you can do for the whole country…

Vladimir Putin: In Adygea, you said?

A. Gasnikov: In Adygea. We have a very good center there, a matcenter there too, and it's really good there. Valery Nikolaevich – when are you, on the 14th, in my opinion, right? - periodically goes there, Dmitry Nikolaevich Chernyshenko goes there.

Accordingly, the bachelor's program is a similar story. After all, this is really a separate task in some sense to force leading scientists in the country to adapt. They teach their own courses at Phystech and HSE. And how to make this course work well in the regions? This is a big separate work, and the project is aimed at this. I would like to say that in this sense everything is great, that the state standard for this bachelor's degree is being developed by the Ministry of Science, and from the next academic year about 15 universities will be covered by the fizmat breakthrough. We are now launching all this. We are currently working on chemistry. And what is important? We are ready to share, we are counting on the help of Sirius. Moreover, there is an a priori agreement that there is experience in replication. We hope that this can really help the regions. But it seems that there should still be some kind of scheme here, that something is invested by the region itself, like Tatarstan, and something comes from outside, and the region can invest if it is able, if it really can pull it. And so there will be some kind of natural selection: you can do what you need.

Vladimir Putin: You know, the fact that you raised this issue is very cool, and thank you. I'll tell you why. You will formulate this, what kind of signal would need to be sent. We can do this easily from the Administration level. It's just that the Administration will work with their respective colleagues in the regions, and we will send them these signals.

Alexander Gasnikov: Thank you. Will do.

Vladimir Putin: You can formulate it there, directly to Andrey Alexandrovich or through Elena Vladimirovna.

A. Gasnikov: Let's do it. Will do.

All the same, sorry, a little fly in the ointment, but it is very beautiful, I will try to present it so aesthetically. I'm a mathematician. Yesterday was Math Day, which is my day in a way. By the way, my colleague Lobachevsky is the rector of KFU.

Vladimir Putin: Is this our holiday?

A. Gasnikov: Yes. I didn't mark it, nothing, everything is fine. (Laughter.)

Vladimir Putin: The reaction is correct, instantaneous.

A. Gasnikov: Yes, yes, we are serious people. But this is true: for the first time in our country there was a Day of mathematics.

Vladimir Putin: You know, I think Elena Vladimirovna told me that when we organized Sirius and created it, the first step was to find students from physics and mathematics schools. She told me a picture like this: the teachers were standing there, they started talking, and one woman-a math teacher from some territory-started crying a little. They ask her: What are you doing? She says: I never thought that we would be treated like this.

You know, this is a very good assessment of what we are doing. But still, we are not doing enough, because the interest of applicants in mathematics, in getting an education in everything related to mathematics, physics, and chemistry, unfortunately, has fallen again recently. This can not but be upsetting.

We all need to work together: the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science, of course, and Sirius ,as one of the main structures that work in this area – we all need to think together about how to change the situation, what needs to be done to do this.

A. Gasnikov: As far as I know, you and Elena Vladimirovna have just met and will probably meet again in the near future.

Vladimir Putin: She'll be here in two days, yes.

Alexander Gasnikov: I think this could be a very good moment.

The fact is that "Sirius" is now making a certain pilot site on its territory of the concert center-a museum space for science and art. And a group gathered there, including colleagues who participated in the creation of the enlightenment pavilion at VDNH, really leading experts in the country who are connected with popularization, with science, about several dozen people. In a sense, this group is now not just training, it is gaining very valuable experience, as in this case, filling a certain part of the museum space.

But on the way out, when in the spring, probably, I do not know, this concert center will be handed over, this group is released. As far as I know, there is not a single museum of science, mathematics and natural sciences in our country. There are technical museums.

Vladimir Putin: Very good idea.

Alexander Gasnikov: Thank you. This, I think, is not at my level.

Vladimir Putin: Good idea. And "Sirius" is a suitable platform for this.

A. Gasnikov: There's something wrong with the format again. Sorry.

I'd like to end my thought with this. There was a congress, and we must somehow link the speech to the Congress. What do people do at congresses, who solves what tasks, and how? I try to communicate and get feedback, in general, what is happening where. Here I am interested in the issue of personnel, including in education.

And there is such a simple principle, I will demonstrate it in the task about elections. Let's say that a certain country has passed the second round of elections. It is clear, now the United States, most likely, well, this is so in the head…

Vladimir Putin: Elections are being held in Romania.

A. Gasnikov: In Romania, yes. Here are two candidates, and let's say the difference is…

Vladimir Putin: The authorities didn't like one candidate, so they decided to recount the votes.

A. Gasnikov: I'm not talking about that, but it's common, yes.

Vladimir Putin: No, no, why not? This is happening in Romania.

A. Gasnikov: By the way, well, that's what's happening. Can we check "fair – dishonest"? So let's do this: how many people do you just need to randomly pull out and interview in order to say with an accuracy of 10 percent who won? One hundred people. And how many people do you need to interview in order to say with an accuracy of one percent who won, but with a high probability? 10 thousand people. Law: one on the root of the number of respondents.

By the way, the same formula now used in artificial intelligence tells us how much data is needed to train a neural network with such and such accuracy.

Why am I doing this? First of all, we teach this to schoolchildren. And the most important thing is that when you interviewed, say, 100 teachers at such events, well, there are not teachers, but just colleagues from different places, you actually get very important information. This is such a representative sample from all over the country, and even from part of the world. And you will find out what they have in their regions, what they have in their schools, how it really is.

Do you know what I found? I think this is probably the most important part of my speech that I really wanted to convey.

We have statistics that are really collected, well collected, and we have them. Then I communicate locally, go to schools within the framework of this project, just like this I communicate on forums. And I see that there is a discrepancy, and I try to understand how it can be.

Vladimir Putin: Is there a discrepancy between what and what?

A. Gasnikov: Between statistics and reality. That is, there are significantly fewer teachers, for example, in physics than in other countries.…

Vladimir Putin: So the trouble is that now young future specialists go to pedagogical universities less for mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Less.

A. Gasnikov: Do you know what is most interesting here? This is a great opportunity for science. Why? Because the mechanisms where this happens are revealed. For example, when filling out forms, people solve their problems and are afraid to get some funding, they make some indicators so that, accordingly, everything is fine: we are doing well.

Vladimir Putin: Sometimes-for science, sometimes-for the prosecutor's office.

Alexander Gasnikov: No, no, Mr President. I have a positive idea, we agreed at the very beginning. In fact, scientists who are engaged in the so-called economic mechanisms, the theory of economic mechanisms, what rules of the game should be invented so that people behave honestly, so that there is no desire to cheat something there. In other words, this is also a task for us, those on whom something depends.

Vladimir Putin: May God grant you good health and professional success.

A. Gasnikov: That's it, I'm sorry. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: No, no, no, go ahead. How to make people behave honestly?

A. Gasnikov: I'll go home with them all later.

Vladimir Putin: If mathematicians will help us…

Alexander Gasnikov: I'm just summarizing. You see, this may seem obvious. There are data collection and data analysis services everywhere. And there are two philosophies – the philosophy of a fashion designer and the philosophy of a data analyst. So now I want to say that it is not enough to limit yourself simply, conditionally, to regression, somehow try to extrapolate and work on these data. We need to attract scientists, the Academy of Sciences, in order to really make models for predicting demographics, models for predicting the demand for personnel in different sectors of the economy. This should really be done seriously, with the responsibility of the relevant academic structures. Not just ministries, but academicians, conditionally. Why? Because these are complex tasks, these are really complex tasks, and they simply cannot be solved with a small amount of effort.

I have a suggestion too. Maybe-again, I don't know, they'll think I'm for Sirius – Innopolis. No, just kidding. In fact, "Sirius" is really more suitable, but "Innopolis" can help. Make some kind of center for collecting all the data, that is, so that we really have the opportunity to have all-all-all data, and involve really leading scientists of the country in this. And as if on the shore all this is carefully calculated, then it will already work like clockwork. This is really very important. I was convinced of this when I immersed myself in the analysis. I can give you a specific example.

I think I'll just leave a note to Andrey Alexandrovich, it will show that we are losing out on this, just not understanding that our situation is like this, but in fact it is worse, because the information is not interpreted quite as it should be. I repeat, I can give you a lot of specific examples, but I don't think there is a place right now.

Thank you. Please excuse me.

Vladimir Putin: No, no, this is all very important. The rector of Moscow State University offered me about the same thing in some areas, because this analysis with the involvement, using the capabilities of artificial intelligence, mathematical analysis gives a lot. Very much gives. I fully share your position.

Andrey Alexandrovich noted that he is a reliable bureaucrat.

Alexander Gasnikov: Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak.

Vladimir Putin: We will definitely try to implement this idea. It's very good. I agree. Otherwise, we analyze-analyze, and then come to the conclusion that something we actually have is not true: something is lower than what we expected. And sometimes we analyze-analyze, and it turns out that it's better than we thought, right? Does this happen?

A. Gasnikov: It happens, yes. But now… Well okay.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you for what you said.

You are welcome.

Tatyana Polivanova: Hello, Mr President!

My name is Tatiana Polivanova, I am a post-graduate student and junior researcher at the International Research Center for Ecology and Climate Change at Sirius University. I am an oceanologist by training, I graduated from the Department of Oceanology of Moscow State University, and I have the experience of several sea expeditions to the Arctic and the seas of the Far East.

Vladimir Putin: Don't you know Ichthyander?

Tatyana Polivanova: No.

In the Far East, I participated in the Floating University program. And this year, as part of the congress of young scientists, the first school for graduates of the floating university "Thoughts Deeper" was organized. Our research center has been actively involved in the work of this school, and we hope that we will continue to actively cooperate with them.

Now let's go back to the Arctic. It was about the Far East. Regarding the Arctic: today, all the processes that are taking place…

Vladimir Putin: Do you cooperate with the Institute of the Academy of Sciences in the Far East?

Tatyana Polivanova: No, I was on an expedition from the Floating University in the Far East.

Vladimir Putin: What about the institute? There is an institute of the Academy of Sciences there. Are you out of contact with him?

Tatyana Polivanova: No, they didn't work.

Vladimir Putin: I'm sorry. And why? Set up direct contacts. It's one of our leading centers.

Tatyana Polivanova: All right, thank you.

Regarding the Arctic: at the moment, all the processes that occur in the Arctic are very important for understanding the climate of our planet. Especially considering that most of the Arctic and offshore seas belong to Russia, it is very important to monitor and conduct global research on climate processes in this region. This is our direct task and a very important responsibility.

One of the projects that our research center is working on is dedicated to the study of so-called gas seeps in the Arctic seas. Gas seeps are the release of methane to the surface from the bottom, that is, first into the water column, and then into the atmosphere.

This year I personally took part in an expedition for a month and a half to the Arctic seas, specifically the East Siberian and Laptev Seas.

Why is there such an interest in the seas of the eastern Arctic? To date, it is known that the Arctic is warming many times faster than any other region in the world. This is due to the fact that the shelf of the seas of the eastern Arctic contains 80 percent of underwater permafrost, which has been actively degraded over the past 30 years. Therefore, the study of this area is a very important task.

During the expedition, we conducted a full range of oceanological research. We saw with our own eyes the seething blue seeps of methane on the surface. And our research team's assessment was that the shelf of the eastern Arctic seas is the main source of natural methane in the atmosphere in the entire Northern Hemisphere.

In my dissertation work, I plan to continue my research.

Vladimir Putin: It's all because the ice is melting, isn't it?

Tatyana Polivanova: The underwater permafrost that is located on the shelf is melting.

Vladimir Putin: Can you, together with your mathematical colleagues, calculate how fast this will happen and what will happen to the atmosphere, given that the largest methane emissions are there?

Tatyana Polivanova: Yes, this is a wonderful offer.

In fact, in my dissertation work, I also plan to apply machine learning methods of artificial intelligence in order to build a model and evaluate how this really happens.

I will use the data obtained in this expedition for the areas of active gas occurrences, and also move a little closer to the Black Sea. We will also conduct such studies.

The expedition that just took place really continued the series of measurements that we have on the Arctic seas. And we still have relatively little data on the Black Sea. Therefore, in 2025, I very much hope that together with my colleagues, we will also conduct an expedition in the Black Sea and collect new interesting data.

Vladimir Putin: Well, they say that there is already solid hydrogen sulfide at some depth.

Tatyana Polivanova: There is hydrogen sulfide, but this does not interfere with the release of methane, yes.

In the end, I just want to say that the activities of our research center are actively developing. Many young professionals come to us who are very interested in climate change issues and, of course, the Arctic. Therefore, I think it is very important to note that we need to create and continue all projects dedicated to environmental monitoring and developments in the field of climate processes. Because Russia, which has such a wealth of research and collaboration, can become a world leader in studying permafrost degradation and how it will affect climate change.

Vladimir Putin: You said: it can become a world leader. And who is the current leader? Are there any of these?

Tatyana Polivanova: Well, not yet, so we have to take this place.

Vladimir Putin: This is understandable. So this niche is free? Vacant position.

Tatyana Polivanova: There is a vacant position, we will take it.

Vladimir Putin: No, I asked you without joking. Just in different countries, in many countries, more precisely, interest in studying the Arctic is growing, it is large and constantly growing. But there's no such thing as someone taking the lead yet, is there?

Tatyana Polivanova: This is not the case yet. Well, rather, it's us, because the Arctic is mostly ours.

Vladimir Putin: Well, yes, yes, yes. And you know that it is quite possible to establish such substantive cooperation, your cooperation with our large companies that work or plan to work in the Arctic. There are those that are already working, and there are those who plan to start working on the development of mineral resources there, and they will be interested in this. Well, your purely scientific interest can be supported financially, organizationally, and so on.

Tatyana Polivanova: Yes, of course. Thank you so much for your interest.

Vladimir Putin: Elena Vladimirovna said that your funding was cut there, right? She says: girls are too shy to say. Don't hesitate to tell us what you were promised for this year.

T. Polivanova: This concerns the issue of the draft unified environmental monitoring system. Now the project is suspended, and there is no data on the continuation of the second stage yet. I really wanted this to continue, because, of course, our research that we are conducting will fit very well within the framework of this project, so we just hope that it will continue to be sponsored.

Vladimir Putin: Let's go scrape through the ginsengs, find something.

Tatyana Polivanova: Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Good luck to you.

Mikhail Patrushev: Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich!

My name is Maxim Patrushev, I'm from the Kurchatov Institute.

Actually, I would like to immerse you in one of the most discussed topics at the Congress, which was really heard almost everywhere – this is genetic technologies, which I actually do. And as a continuation, bioeconomics is currently being discussed.

Of course, I personally and all my colleagues would like to thank you for launching a program for the development of genetic technologies five years ago by your decree. Why is this important? Because up to this point, Gentech was fragmentary in Russia. Of course, there was one, there were some bright scientists, there were some bright groups, but there was no such cohesive scientific direction that the industry could rely on.

And now only five years have passed, only five years, but today we are already showing such results, even now I'm not talking about fundamental ones, which really have become more, they have become brighter. We have initiated a huge number of, you know, such complex projects related to the human genome, with reading the genomes of bioresources, but I will tell you about this later. Rather, I'm talking about results that are already being applied in industries.

For example, we have reduced several times the time of plant breeding, that is, the development of new varieties, bringing them to, say, the fields, to farmers, almost two or three times.

Vladimir Putin: It is better to reach consumers. Fields are intermediate.

Mikhail Patrushev: Yes, I agree with you. You know, farmers bring it to consumers, but we still bring it to them. That is, they are consumers for us. And several times, that is, if earlier it took 15, sometimes 20 years to develop a new variety, today it is five to six years. And this is important, because the climate is changing, and the market is changing demand for certain products faster. In animal husbandry, we have practically got rid of import dependence.

Vladimir Putin: But these are no longer nature-like technologies.

M. Patrushev: These are already nature-like technologies, but not yet completely nature-like.

Vladimir Putin: Wow! In nature, it happens in five to ten years, but in your country, it happens in three days.

Mikhail Patrushev: No, this has actually been happening in nature for centuries, that is, natural selection.

Vladimir Putin: Even more so. And you have it in ten minutes.

Mikhail Patrushev: We don't use anything of the sort here, Mr Putin. If you're hinting at GMOs-no, no,no. We do everything honestly.

Vladimir Putin: I'm giving you a hint.

Mikhail Patrushev: No, no, no, it's not these technologies. We also develop such technologies, but we know that the main thing here is to observe, you know, the technological level. In the meantime, it's really Russia…

Vladimir Putin: What is the difference, then? I'm not kidding you right now.

Mikhail Patrushev: What is the difference?

Vladimir Putin: What is the difference between these technologies? And what do you do? This is a serious question.

Mikhail Patrushev: The difference is, look. We don't change anything in the genome, we just choose the conditions for plants. You know, there are a lot of stages in breeding, and each stage lasts for a year, because in a year, for example, wheat produces one generation. And with the help of special climate settings, we can get six generations per year for some species. In other words, we have already saved six years just because of this.

Vladimir Putin: Understood. And you don't get into the genome, don't change it?

M. Patrushev: We don't fit into the genome. We use genetic markers simply as an analysis. We look at who is better not to cross with whom, and who can be crossed with whom, but we do not interfere. More precisely, how: we interfere, but we do not bring these lines to the market. We are waiting for the legislation to change, and we are honest, Mr Putin.

Vladimir Putin: Those who do not want to use genetically modified products and are against these laws, what will they adopt?

M. Patrushev: I understand that. But I will tell you frankly that all the scientists are in favor of making these changes sooner, because we have a very serious technological reserve. Today we are hardly even in the interspecific transfer of genes, as GMOs are usually perceived, and in gene editing we are already leading the way.

Vladimir Putin: Then go to the Duma.

M. Patrushev: We go there periodically, yes.

Vladimir Putin: And what is the result?

Mikhail Patrushev: You know, it's not as fast as we would like, but that's how they should work, correctly. That is, don't push it too hard.… Otherwise, if everything was changing like this, it wouldn't be good for us.

You know, the object of application of genetic technologies is bioresources. You recently, just a few days ago, signed the law on biological collections.

Vladimir Putin: Not yesterday, it was a long time ago.

Mikhail Patrushev: It is dated November 30.

Vladimir Putin: Yes? Maybe.

It's just that we've been discussing this for a long time.

Mikhail Patrushev: Yes, yes, there were quite a lot of discussions. And even earlier, by your decrees, four national bioresource centers were created. Why? Because Russia is the richest, the richest country indeed. In this case, I am talking about bioresources, and these are the most valuable bioresources. The value, for example, is indicated by the fact that the Vavilov collection of seeds was not touched during the siege of Leningrad, although, in fact, bread was contained there.

Vladimir Putin: People died on their own, but this was preserved.

Mikhail Patrushev: Yes, but the collection has been preserved because it is the most important gene pool.

You know, our collections were brought to the legal field, in fact. These seeds, in fact, did not exist in the legal field, someone collected something. And today it is a security certificate for these collections.

And in the process, we are creating a national database of genetic information at the Kurchatov Institute, again on your instructions.

Vladimir Putin: This is not at my direction, but at the suggestion of Mikhail Valentinovich.

Mikhail Patrushev: Yes, probably at his suggestion, but at your order. I read it myself, under your signature, Mr Putin.

Vladimir Putin: It's all right.

Mikhail Patrushev: Yes. It is important to understand that the national database of genetic information and bioresources are a single organism, because the national database is a tool for managing bioresources.

And today it is very important for us, we also discussed this at the Congress, so that there is no atomization, otherwise, you know, a good example, it is contagious, and atomization and fragmentation are taking place, they look: oh, these people are creating a base, but we also want to, and they start creating different, different bases.

I was thinking about what I should really ask you, but you prompted me, and I'll ask you for a signalman.

Vladimir Putin: About what?

M. Patrushev: About the alarm system. You said you could send a signal.

The signal is very simple, that we should have a single database of genetic information. Why? Because only then will we be able to fully, that is, all our bioresources will be transparent and in one place.

Vladimir Putin: This is a huge job.

Mikhail Patrushev: Huge, huge.

Vladimir Putin: This is already being created in segments.

Mikhail Patrushev: No, it is currently being created as a single system, but some individual elements are being segmented. There are some micro-organisms, thermophilic micro-organisms, for example-once, a segment was created.

Therefore, if there is such a signal, then indeed, we will simply reach the technological level that we have designated for ourselves faster. And today, after completing the first stage of the program, we understand that we have created a base, and at the second stage we are already aiming, for example, to dominate in certain areas in the global technology market.

Vladimir Putin: Is this A Chicken Farm?

M. Patrushev: I'm talking about the genome program in general, but the Kurchatov Institute in particular, because we are responsible for agriculture and industrial biotechnologies.

And the second point. I am also a member of the presidential talent pool in the field of science and education. We discussed some breakthrough projects that can be implemented, and one of the projects is related to the development of scientific journals in Russia. For a very long time, during almost a year of the entire reserve, we discussed how to develop them. As a result, we came up with the answer: nothing. We need to take a step forward and create a single publishing service based on modern IT technologies, taking into account platforms such as Gostech, for example, which we are actively developing. Russia has a unique opportunity to do this, because there our friends are not allowed to do this by rich publishing houses, in fact. In other words, they block creation and continue to use the archaic tool.

What is the magazine used for? This is an exchange of scientific information. And the second, probably the most important factor of scientific journals today, is scientometry, that is, scientists are judged by scientists, by institutes, by everything. Scientometrics. And if we make such a single electronic publishing service, then it will be much more transparent, much more efficient, and most importantly, you can, you know, stick machine tools for analyzing everything there.

Vladimir Putin: Andrey Alexandrovich, have we already discussed this with someone?

Absolutely true. I totally agree. And, of course, you need to do it.

Mikhail Patrushev: Thank you, Mr Putin. I have all.

Vladimir Putin: Just now, your colleague, a mathematician, was talking about how smart children are in the 8th grade – he writes such programs, the colleague himself says: it was hard to imagine. Perhaps it is the accumulation of knowledge and experience of previous generations in our genes, and therefore we are more and more surprised when we say about children:"They are completely different."

Mikhail Patrushev: They are different, they are smarter, they are more efficient, in fact, the main thing here is for us to really give them an incentive. And I join my colleague, and I am happy to join you, Mr Putin.

The fact is that today, as the head of the direction, I seem to be interested in biology, but today I need mathematics. This was also one of the topics of the Congress – problems of the development of mathematical education. Why do children stop choosing math? We had this suggestion: mathematics, like probably everything else, needs marketing. You need to be able to sell it too.

Vladimir Putin: You are absolutely right. Exactly, exactly. You need to promote it and show its significance.

Mikhail Patrushev: There is more activity like this.

Yes, thanks. Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

About these scientific and informational spaces, materials in electronic form, in electronic publications-this is very correct.

You are welcome.

Dmitry Kuzmin: Good afternoon, Mr Putin.

My name is Denis Kuzmin, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, where I do biomedicine. I, like my colleagues, am a graduate of the personnel reserve program.

I was lucky – I was at the Congress for the first time, I have a lot of impressions. My colleagues and I held several sessions on bioeconomics, a new national project, and providing bioeconomics with human resources.

It is interesting that bioeconomics is actually an integral project, because there is not only biotech, but also pharma, chemistry, agriculture, and so on.

We looked at what successful integration project we have that is similar. And we came to the conclusion that this figure is IT, because our banks, our telecom, our IT companies, which are united by this figure, are certainly world-class companies now. We looked at what best practices can be translated from IT to biotech.

We recorded several initiatives for ourselves. This is definitely interaction with higher educational institutions, closer cooperation. In other words, Yandex alone has [launched] about several dozen educational programs with leading universities – both faculties, schools, and departments.

Vladimir Putin: Alexey Leonidovich Kudrin, I think I will have just the right time tomorrow. We will talk about this with him – about Yandex and its participation in this work.

Dmitry Kuzmin:You know, they are so integrated that we expect them to come to the hospital soon. That is, they are already in universities and schools – we expect that they will also select super-specialists at this stage. Here biotech has exactly what to learn. This includes investments, of course, from the point of view of biotechnological companies, respectively, in research and development. And, of course, popularization, because there is an image of an IT specialist and a slightly losing image of a biotechnologist.

Vladimir Putin: It's just that less people know about it, that's all.

Dmitry Kuzmin: Yes, and this also encourages the question of education, because even in the relevant community, unfortunately, not everyone has an understanding of what bioeconomics is.

And speaking of a key technology for bioeconomics, I will return, excuse me, to genomic editing only for scientific purposes.

But on the sidelines of the forum, we came to the conclusion that this is the most important technology, key for the bioeconomy. In this sense, we now have several competence centers where relevant research is conducted for scientific purposes: These are Moscow State University, Novosibirsk, and the Kurchatov Institute Research Center. And it seems that it is important that, on the one hand, there are more such centers, and on the other hand, that they are included in educational activities in terms of transferring this key practical skill to new students, postgraduates, and, accordingly, researchers.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: What should be done for this purpose? In general, I agree with you, but what is your recommendation, request to us, to me, to my colleagues?

Dmitry Kuzmin: It is necessary that they transfer this competence to other groups, that is, they are interested in it. And the second thing is that they provide modular pieces of the educational program, that is, they are engaged not only in science, but also broadcast this knowledge in educational science.

Vladimir Putin: We just need to set up these communications channels, right?

Dmitry Kuzmin: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: Valery Nikolaevich, yes?

Vladimir Falkov: Mr President, we have a very good experience. MIPT has been working on popularizing physics for two years now, and the guys have put together a good program on their own initiative, and we have funded it. In accordance with your instructions, we are currently putting together a national project on bioeconomics with the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Until April 1, we will do this and include as one of the events within the framework of the Decade of Science and Technology a block of events to promote biotechnologists and popularize relevant professions and programs.

Vladimir Putin: This is not just about popularization. Here it is necessary that they establish practical work among themselves.

Vladimir Falkov: We will also provide for this.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, yes. It is absolutely necessary to do this so that they practically work with each other.

Vladimir Falkov: All right.

Vladimir Putin: I take it that's the main point, too?

Dmitry Kuzmin: Yes, unfortunately, even if we are talking about agriculture. After all, now agriculture is, excuse me, drones, this is big data, this is genetics. And what is the average student's idea of what agriculture is anyway? And this, of course, must be reversed. A lot is being done in practice for this purpose, but nevertheless, it is probably possible to do more.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Thank you.

Dmitry Vishnevsky: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

Dmitry Vishnevsky-Rector of the Donbass State Technical University, Luhansk People's Republic, Alchevsk.

I would like to share with you what global changes are taking place in new subjects, especially in higher education.

As you know, our students have received state-of-the-art laboratories in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. This gives a significant interest to engineering education, namely to basic education.

Significant changes are also taking place in the infrastructure. If we take the example of the Donbass State Technical University, we have repaired and restored four dormitories that were damaged by shelling. And the infrastructure change fits well into the educational history. You know, the student will no longer think about any of their everyday problems, but will think about how to learn and how to get involved in science.

Another good point. We have received buses from the Ministry, from the Government, and now our students are moving freely around Russia. This is also important for sports: we have a student football team that is part of the national student football league, and now they move freely and participate in competitions.

Technical documentation for the creation of a swimming pool, stadium, and sports complex is also being designed. This is all important for sports. Students can enjoy their favorite sport in their free time.

You know, all these steps that are taking place, they are happening right before our eyes and all this is changing in a very short period of time. A very important and competent decision was made regarding partner universities, which were appointed by the order of the Ministry of Education. In this case, if we take the Donbass State Technical University, this is the St. Petersburg Mining University.

Vladimir Putin: Did Vladimir Stefanovich [Litvinenko, Rector of St. Petersburg State University] visit you?

Dmitry Vishnevsky: Vladimir Stefanovich did not visit, but he is very clear about what is happening here.

Vladimir Putin: Controls from afar?

D. Vishnevsky: We often visit him.

At the moment, two of our employees–-one of the vice–rectors and one dean--are on a six-month internship with Vladimir Stefanovich. Now we will change the structure of education: we have already created a basic faculty, and we also want to switch to engineering education in the project that the Mining University is participating in.

I would like to mention the transition process, which was: on the one hand, a powerful partner, on the other hand, the Ministry of Education and Science conducted us like this, and in a year we went through the difficult history that Russian universities have been going through for 10 years. We can do many things now, and the integration process has already taken place.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, on behalf of the universities of new subjects and the Donbass State Technical University, I would like to thank you and your team for the things that are happening in our regions and in higher education.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Just a second. How many students do you have?

Dmitry Vishnevsky: Currently, there are 5,5 thousand students.

Vladimir Putin: How many faculty members are there?

D. Vishnevsky: 284 people.

Vladimir Putin: What is the salary level?

D. Vishnevsky: From 50 [thousand rubles]: if you take candidates and associate professors, the salary starts from 50 thousand rubles.

Vladimir Putin: If you'll excuse me, of course, how much do you have? You're the rector, right?

Dmitry Vishnevsky: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: How much do you have?

D. Vishnevsky: 176 [thousand rubles].

Vladimir Putin: 176.

(To A. Gasnikov.) and you?

A. Gasnikov: Should I answer honestly?

Vladimir Putin: Honestly. Sirius gets more money than other places, it's just a comparison. In "Sirius" – more than in other universities even.

A. Gasnikov: I was offered a million, but I refused, and now I have 490.

Vladimir Putin: So there is much to strive for.

Dmitry Vishnevsky: But the salary is not the main thing.

Vladimir Putin: Salaries are one of the most important components for encouraging young people to enter science and education. But this is not the main thing, of course. The main thing is the base. What matters is laboratories, equipment, and prestige in society. That's the main thing for people who live with their brains, not their stomachs—that's the main thing.

But the material component is a very important thing, as we all understand. And housing, and the level of wages. So, of course, we need to work on this, and we will definitely do it. What is happening now is only the first steps towards the revival of science and education in these historical territories of ours. These are just the first steps.

We will do everything possible to ensure that everything you do, and you are engaged in one of the most important areas for the future of the country—for education, for science, for the economy, for industry, agriculture–-training specialists. We will make sure that it not only reaches the average Russian level, but that it is also higher in certain areas. Because the traditions of education in the Donbass are very good, large and with deep roots. So we will definitely do this and will strive to ensure that everything is up to par with you.

Dmitry Vishnevsky: Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you for your work.

A. Gasnikov: I have 400 actually, I'm sending 90 to the Donbass, to be honest.

Vladimir Putin: It's getting smaller and smaller. By the end of our meeting, he will say that there is nothing to buy pants for already.

Dmitry Vishnevsky: Mr President, no,no, it's true.

Vladimir Putin: All right, all right. (Laughter.)

Dmitry Vishnevsky: But I don't send them to universities.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

L. Krasnov: Good afternoon. Vladimir Vladimirovich!

My name is Lev V. Krasnov, a post-graduate student at the Kurnyakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry and part-time co-founder and head of the digital platform for scientists "KoLab".

This is my third time at the congress, the third year in a row. I want to share my impression that this year was so large-scale that I think I saw almost everyone, both young scientists and masters of Russian science. In general, the scale was simply amazing.

Together with my colleagues, I also managed to take part in the plenary session moderated by Dmitry Nikolaevich. In general, this is very surprising, because 8 years ago, when you came to open Sirius, I was there as a schoolboy, at this event. And after 8 years, I managed to take part in such a meeting with very big scientists and leaders. In general, I would like to thank you very much for "Sirius" as such a springboard in life, because for me it is a very valuable and personal story.

At the congress, I spoke and participated in sessions with my digital platform for scientists "KoLab". This platform allows you to find out information about scientists, laboratories, scientific publications, and scientific organizations from all over the world. In fact, it is a professional social network for scientists. It allows us to partially replace the digital products that left us after the introduction of sanctions, and we are working on this with our colleagues. I would also like to note that the platform is used not only in Russia. Now about 300 thousand people a month already visit, but also in several dozen countries.

We also aim to create a single window service for scientists. Together with the Nasha Lab project, you may remember that it was shown to you at the Congress last year, it is a catalog of domestic scientific equipment. We have developed a "single window" service that allows scientists to access services using virtually a single window. Also, about a month ago, we recently launched a new digital platform based on our platform, for the journal "Uspekhi Khimii". This is the most cited Russian journal published by the Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry. This platform is very convenient for Russian scientists to publish their wonderful scientific works on chemistry there. I would like to emphasize that the appearance of the platform for journals is, as it seems to us, also how the scientific community of Russia sees itself, as it is seen by colleagues from friendly countries, scientists.

On the sidelines of the Congress, we managed to communicate with a large number of editorial offices of scientific journals, with which I hope we will begin to cooperate in some way. We also talked live with scientists who use our platform and received a large amount of feedback. This feedback has already been put into operation, and we will continue to improve the platform so that Russian science can flourish. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Because last year the issue was discussed with domestic laboratory equipment. And this platform that you launched, right?

L. Krasnov: Our Lab was launched by our colleagues.

Vladimir Putin: Colleagues. Everyone who works in this area has achieved good results. Today, 1,800 of our enterprises offer, in my opinion, almost 12 thousand domestic products, reagents, and so on. And in percentage terms, the ratio between foreign manufacturers and products, so to speak, for scientific tools and domestic ones, has changed dramatically.

What time is it now, Andrey Alexandrovich, do you remember? Somewhere by 2030, what parameter should we reach for the use of domestic equipment and reagents?

Alexey Fursenko: We had a big program from 2018 to 2024, where we planned to upgrade all the equipment of leading scientific organizations by 50 percent, while 25 percent should have been domestic. We have reached 40% by this year, by 2030, Mr President, as you say, new parameters have already been set.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, there are two times. Well, it is clear that we will not produce everything, and everything should not be produced, but the main equipment must be domestic, that's for sure. Well, we need to provide our own market for manufacturers, both in any field, and we will do it here.

And thank you very much.

L. Krasnov: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Yes, in general, even as a schoolboy, do you know how all this was created there? Here at the main sites of today, where laboratories are located, research centers and so on, I'm not even talking about the school, some colleagues suggested creating a market there. Yes, honestly, they said: here will be a very good shopping center, large and convenient, and on one side to open a casino. I'm not joking, it's not a joke, I say it like it is. But then I decided: no, I don't need a casino. And the shopping center, which is necessary, of course, but in a different place.

Yes, please.

Alexander Bobryshev: Mr President, hello.

My name is Alexander Bobryshev, CEO and co-founder of Bivertech. And we are just manufacturers of domestic equipment, we produce compact CNC machining centers using modern design and production technologies. In other words, we were probably one of the first to design a machine with an artificial stone bed using artificial intelligence. Here I say this not as a reason for pride, but as an illustrative example of the fact that the most modern scientific technologies and scientific achievements can be used, including in machine tool construction.

Over the past couple of years, we have probably gone through the most difficult path–-from an idea, prototype to mass production. And this year we have already implemented a large amount of organizational and technical measures in order to multiply next year.

This is our first time at the Congress, and we participated in the plenary session. My personal impression is that we have found a lot in common with our colleagues present here, and literally several projects are already being formed. We met with representatives of education, universities, heads of laboratories, and exchanged views on all these issues. Even Kirill Alexandrovich from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) received an offer to help promote it to international markets.

From what I would like to point out. To our machines, they are quite beautiful, that is, we are nominees for the "Best Industrial Design" award.

Vladimir Putin: This is also important. Aviators, one of the largest, said that in order for the plane to fly well, it must also be beautiful.

Alexander Bobryshev: Yes, we fully agree on this. We saw a large number of young people and students who were interested in machine tools and how to learn how to work on them.

Even, I don't know, some colleagues from neighboring fields, from biotechnology, from sports, want to join us already.

And I thought that if all the equipment in our educational institutions was made convenient for work, so that students would be proud that they work on such equipment, then we would probably have fewer problems with engineering personnel.

That's all.

Vladimir Putin: You know, I have a question. After all, we create entire programs to support industries that produce means of production. Do you feel this support?

Alexander Bobryshev: Yes, I feel this support.

In fact, we are in touch with our colleagues, and in general, it is surprising that we feel the support of not only colleagues from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, but even banks, such a large bank as VTB, they meet us halfway. Our company has a very small history, we are only a year and a half old, but at the same time they go to great support in their products. We cooperate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and we have won one grant. And are basically in touch with colleagues. So I think this is a very good start.

We also exchanged views on the sidelines. In principle, I personally have a very positive attitude towards this program. I think that nothing should prevent all this from happening. Probably, over time, it should be slightly simplified.

So what are we facing? For example, we won a grant, but we estimated that approximately 15 percent of this grant should be spent on its maintenance. That is, things related to the treasury. This is not easy, especially for small companies.

But probably some work will be done on this. This will all be simplified.

The second point. Some of the documentation that is needed for the production to be recognized as Russian is required in the form of hard copies, that is, drawings, and not digital models. But, as far as I know, work is also underway. It's just hard for us so far. That is, we produce in Russia and it is difficult for us to get a certificate that we are Russian production.

Vladimir Putin: All right, I'll talk to my colleagues.

First of all, thank you for this assessment, it is important. This is exactly what is called feedback, you say how it works.

Secondly, we will also think about the high cost of maintenance. I will definitely talk to my colleagues (both Kostin and Manturov) about this topic.

Well, as for determining how much it is a domestic production. You know it's important, right? Because this is a large-scale assembly or it is actually produced at your enterprises and by your own hands, and the state pays for it. But how to find the best solution? Come to think of it, I agree with you.

A. Bobryshev: There are, for example, such things, the accepted practice, that some control measures are implemented, for example, in the form of audits. In other words, it doesn't have to be 100% verified.

Vladimir Putin: OK, I get it.

A. Bobryshev: Because the machine, imagine, 4000 parts. That is, if we lay out the drawings, it will be approximately up to the ceiling. But as if a digital model, everything is always clear from it. There are so many ways you can make a digital footprint.

Vladimir Putin: What is important is not bureaucracy, but clarification of the circumstances of the case, in fact. I understand, yes, it is necessary to simplify the technology of identifying the percentage of domestic parts there, I understand. We will definitely think about it. In any case, I will tell my colleagues about it.

Alexander Bobryshev: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much, thank you.

I beg.

A. Lebedeva: Good evening, Vladimir Vladimirovich!

Alexandra Lebedeva, Kamchatka Krai, I work in the Government, supervising science, education, culture and sports. And recently I have also joined the "scientific special forces", as Dmitry Nikolaevich calls us, and now I am studying at the third stream of the personnel reserve of the Ministry of Education and Science.

I represent the Kamchatka delegation here, and this is the third year they have been participating in the Congress of Young Scientists. We share our experience of holding our "Satellite Event" of the Congress.

The fact is that when this new format was first launched, the Kamchatka Territory and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug became pilot regions for implementing this format. There were a lot of doubts then, because Sputnik is a format where you don't just gather scientists to talk about science in general, but this is such a big challenge for us, as for the authorities, for our colleagues in municipalities. I remember coming to everyone and saying, " What is our request for science?" I was told by everyone: "Go, we have errands, we need to write documents, references." And yet, when we did it, and we took a fairly broad format back then: how to remove snow in one of the snowiest regions of the country, we talked about potato growing, about balneology – and we realized that for Kamchatka, where there are only seven scientific institutes and scientists are also not so many, this is an excellent mechanism attract scientific personnel and the experience of researchers from all over the country, when Russian science is already working for the interests of Kamchatka.

And since then, every year in September we meet with scientists in Kamchatka. Sputnik is now focused on volcanology and seismology. This year we held an international track for the first time. Scientists from the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Syria, and Armenia also came to us. We had a geophysical school, and students from leading universities of the country came to us: MSU, MIPT, MAI, MISIS. And when the final reports were made, both experienced scientists and young people who are just taking their first steps in science participated. And we say for them that there is always an opportunity to make their first discovery in Kamchatka, because nature is so rich and diverse that the material for a PhD thesis can be collected very quickly.

And here at the Congress, Andrey already spoke about the evening program, business meetings are also very valuable for me, we met together with colleagues from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, who are also engaged in the development of science. They confirmed that if we talk about natural hazards, then fires and floods are already such well-studied events, but monitoring and predicting eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis requires a lot of focus and attention on the part of scientists.

You gave instructions at previous Congresses, and this year, together with the Ministry of Education and Science, we launched a comprehensive program of scientific research in the Kamchatka Territory and coastal waters. The program is unique, no other region has such a program, and for us it is an opportunity to launch systematic work again with scientists from the Kamchatka Territory and with scientists from all over Russia at a much more fundamental level.

But I want to say that volcanoes also have another, more peaceful side, and there is a huge scientific potential for the development of technologies – this is geothermal energy, and Kamchatka can become such a testing ground for the development of domestic geothermal technologies. This is the cleanest energy sector, "green" energy. We have already done a lot of work here, and with our colleagues from all over Russia, including the Novosibirsk Institute of Thermal Physics, colleagues from Skoltech, MIPT, Zarubezhneft helps us here, and together with Bauman Moscow State Technical University, we are also planning an educational program just to train these very engineers. Well, I hope that on the next "satellites" we will be able to tell you more about this in more detail.

And I would also like to say a special thank you, Mr Putin, for your assignment at the EEF regarding the campus. We were really looking forward to it. thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: I hope this will help and support your work. The campus is always important, and children will have a place to live, study, and learn under normal conditions.

As for geothermal energy, which you mentioned, we know that in some countries it is very, very well developed for Kamchatka. Of course, it can be promising, it is obvious, it can be very promising.

A. Lebedeva: It's true.

Vladimir Putin: I wish you every success.

A. Lebedeva: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

I ask you to.

Maria Trusova: Good evening!

My name is Marina Trusova. I am the head of the Research School of Chemical and Biomedical Technologies at Tomsk Polytechnic University.

Vladimir Putin: Chemical and?

M. Trusova: And biomedical technologies, together, at the junction. Colleagues can immediately check what they are doing in the field of biomedicine and understand whether this development is necessary and then move on with it.

But the mission of our school is also to train highly qualified personnel, first of all candidates and doctors of science.

I was lucky enough to attend all four congresses, and, of course, the scale of this event is impressive from year to year. This year, the Congress broke all records for the number of participants and events. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend many discussions and round tables, so I chose as my priority those discussions where the issue of training engineering personnel was raised. This is a very important question for me. Including in the region, we are working on it and finding some new mechanisms for training more engineering personnel.

Today we have already discussed examples of interaction with schoolchildren, motivating them when it is necessary to provide career guidance. This was also discussed at the congress, and every year there are more and more such panel discussions within the congress.

I am also a graduate of the second stream of the personnel reserve.

Vladimir Putin: The second stream of this year, yes?

Maria Trusova: We graduated in the summer and received our diplomas.

Vladimir Putin: In my opinion, 15 out of 57 people were promoted last year. This year, 83 people are also participating, there will be 17 people. And in the second stream, there are 150 people who have taken another step up the career ladder.

M. Trusova: This is a great program that allows you not only to make some kind of career growth, but also to have new colleagues, make acquaintances and understand what they are doing in other activities, create cross-disciplinary projects, and so on.

I will then return to my topic related to the training of engineering personnel. Indeed, many mechanisms have been launched to motivate schoolchildren, including understanding who trains these schoolchildren, and questions from teachers, and their consolidation in small towns and villages.

But in my opinion, and just within the framework of the congress, I do not hear this a little bit, perhaps it is our flaw that we did not initiate such round tables related to who trains engineering personnel at the university. That is, we talk a lot about schools and about teachers, but who trains within the university, then the question becomes. Today, too, they have already been raised, and some modules were proposed to be implemented as part of the educational process.

Why am I asking this question? Because when we look at regional universities, we see the aging of the faculty, namely professors, and, unfortunately, the natural departure of many professors from organizations, from this world. And this will eventually lead to the fact that we have a layer of professors will end. And such a tool as doctoral studies has always contributed to the revival of the addition of this composition. Now, of course, there is a doctoral program, but it is targeted when there is a customer, and the customer, in fact, pays a scholarship in the amount of the minimum wage to the applicant. For example, Tomsk Polytechnic University currently does not have any doctoral students, but nevertheless doctoral students are defended. And within the framework of our research school, we annually defend our doctoral dissertations.

Vladimir Putin: I don't understand what the problem is.

M. Trusova: The problem is that the applicant should be enrolled in the doctoral program together with the client. Either the institute or university is the customer and pays this scholarship, or there should be some additional funding.

Vladimir Putin: Isn't that right now?

M. Trusova: Just now so. It's just like that now. That is, relatively speaking, to put it bluntly, there is no budget doctoral program. Like that. Yes, if you just say: there is no budget doctoral program. And, in my opinion, it is worth reviewing this. Why? Because, again, with the passage of time, 10-15 years will pass, we will run out of professors.

Vladimir Putin: I understand, I understand.

Maria Trusova: And for a university, this is, of course, the backbone that supports scientific schools and research areas. Including young doctors can be, and examples are also present here. But it is important to mobilize young candidates to defend their doctorates and continue to get a degree, the title of professor.

Vladimir Putin: I agree. We don't have a budget doctoral program?

Vladimir Falkov: We have only traditionally allocated places for postgraduate studies. The doctoral program was abandoned at the time. But this is a general, systemic problem due to the fact that today many who are successful candidates of sciences do not seek to defend their doctorates.

Vladimir Putin: Don't they want to?

Vladimir Falkov: They don't do it for a number of reasons, because they are engaged in science. The PhD degree is more than enough, and the doctoral degree requires an appropriate concentration to go to the defense. But we are introducing it now, because we are running out of a national project, for the next 6 years as part of a new national project.

Vladimir Putin: Do you think that what your colleague says is fair, right?

Vladimir Falkov: In fact, it is correct, but we believe that we will work together, and through the introduction of additional criteria in the program, it will be possible to encourage and support.

Vladimir Putin: Please explain what "introduction" means.

Vladimir Falkov: We have a big Priority 2030 program, as you know. We will now introduce special criteria, not just " young scientists "(until this year, "young scientists under the age of 39"), but there will be a separate criterion "young scientists, candidates and doctors of sciences". And this immediately encourages us to defend ourselves, because this is the support of universities.

Vladimir Putin: No? Isn't that right?

V. Falkov: This example is simple.

M. Trusova: It's a mechanism, it's a tool. The main thing is that the young doctor was not up to 39, but a little older.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, I agree. Yes, yes, yes, it's true. If 39 is a doctor, then you can move the age. Of course, I agree.

Maria Trusova: Yes, thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Andrey Alexandrovich, please.

Alexey Fursenko: Mr President, I just want to get back to the history of doctoral studies. After all, what was it created for in its time? For training personnel for national republics. Because it was believed that in general, in Russia, in the center of Russia, the very defense of a doctoral dissertation gives prospects. This was not only due to the fact that there were some surcharges for a doctoral degree. There were certain restrictions related to the fact that, for example, doctors, in order to take certain positions, the same rector or director of the Institute, you need to be a doctor of science.

Today, the motivation is gone. One of the reasons why people don't defend their doctorates is because of their motivation. Because as it was said, as Valery Nikolaevich said, Candidate of Sciences, if he works, he is too lazy to waste time, he does not want to waste time, not that laziness, but it's just a pity to spend time defending a doctoral dissertation. And there is no special motivation.

And here, perhaps, it is necessary to simply change certain requirements for taking certain positions regarding the fact that only a doctor can, for example, be the director of an institute there or only a doctor can be the rector. This is quite a tough step, because it changes the current situation a little bit.

But I think it's not about doctoral studies, because a real scientist, a candidate of sciences – in general, the scholarship that is paid in doctoral studies, will not attract him if he is really a working person. Here we have here among the participants people who defended their doctorate, as I understand it, right after 30. Yes?

Maria Trusova: Yes, including me.

Andrey Fursenko: You are one of them. And they defended it not because there was a doctorate or no doctorate, but because there was some motivation, or it was a challenge, or there was a motivation to take a position of some kind. Therefore, it seems to me that doctoral studies will not solve this issue, but a more serious restructuring of the entire system of holding certain positions and getting some possible jobs will solve the issue. But in part, perhaps, this was due to the fact that when we left, we began to measure our system in a certain sense with the system in other countries – there, as a rule, there is no doctor, there is a PhD. There is a doctor of science in Germany, for example, but this is more of an honorary position, it does not solve anything.

In this regard, if we talk about the proposal, then the main thing here is not to introduce the institute of doctoral studies, but to propose some fundamental changes, qualitative to what a doctoral degree is necessary for.

Vladimir Putin: Not exactly. We need some kind of incentive for people to engage in science, create conditions, go on vacation, something else, and provide this time for studying science in such a way that people do not lose anything, but take some step in their own development and in promoting the ideas that they have. I would like to study and systematize this knowledge.

M. Trusova: Just why do we have an annual defense in the framework of a research school? Because we have a reduced academic load, such people who are engaged in science. They can afford, conditionally, to set aside time for writing.

Vladimir Putin: The state should create conditions for people to afford to do this.

Maria Trusova: Yes. It doesn't have to be a doctoral program, but it's just what we call it, and we understand what we're talking about.

Vladimir Putin: Just as an artist must find time to devote himself to painting, so a person who has a penchant for this type of activity should be able to engage in it.

Maria Trusova: And universities should have professors.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, we need to think together.

Maria Trusova: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Please.

<…>

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Thank you for remembering Rasul Gamzatov, who was loved throughout the Soviet Union, is reverently loved and has great respect for the culture of Dagestan and in Russia today.

As for the "grinding of human souls" ... if we all work together in the cause that you serve, we will not allow it in any way.

I want to wish you all the best and thank you for this conversation. I, like some colleagues, once doubted. I think: well, what kind of congress will gather there for a party of some kind. Then I think: okay, let them gather, it's better than not gathering. But in the end, judging by what you've just said, it's a very useful event overall, and I'm very happy about it.

Everything you said, we will try not to forget, we will try to implement.

Thank you very much and all the best, success! [My Emphasis]

Wow! What a marathon. The long conversation with Rector Gasnikov showcases why Russians are tops in math. The device that was never really explained during the original Star Trek, the Universal Translator, appears very close to becoming a reality. The diversity of topics was amazing, yet Putin was well versed with most. And as I opined in my preamble, I’ll wager he was very happy to talk extensively, deeply on Russia’s educational progress as he’s very aware that’s one area of national strength that relies on Russia and Russia alone.

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