1 september 2012

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev meets with students and young researchers

Upon opening the meeting, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev wished the students a happy Knowledge Day. The Prime Minister noted that engineering and technology education is currently getting more and more attention in Russia. "Despite considerable problems that we have had in the country, we have fortunately been paying more and more attention to technological and engineering education," Mr. Medvedev noted. "And my presence here is not merely a symbol of respect to the institution, as my life had been closely connected with this university, but also a sign of respect to those who will pursue the modernisation of our economy."

The first question that the students asked the prime minister was whether engineering staff should be familiar with legal issues, and if the humanities, such as philosophy, should be taught at an institute of technology. "Everyone should pursue his own work, but this does not mean that technical universities should exclude the humanities from their curricula, of course not. They should be in the curricula but in reasonable proportions," the prime minister replied. In responding to the question about cuts in the number of universities in Russia, the prime minister objected to the radical decrease in the number of universities, but he stressed that the higher education system should be upgraded, because education requirements are becoming higher and higher. According to Mr Medvedev, universities that confer diplomas that are not highly valued could be reshaped into secondary specialised schools, or they could be incorporated into larger universities. "We should never allow the students enrolled in those universities to be kicked out. This will never happen," the prime minister stressed. One of the students asked if income tax on material support to the students should be waived. He said that the tax "eats up" a considerable part of the lump sum that students receive. "I shall give an instruction to consider the issue of student material support, the income tax will be much smaller," Dmitry Medvedev promised.

The students were also concerned about the possibility of cutting the number students that receive budget funding. The prime minister assured them that this was not on the agenda. "The issue will be considered later on. We shall see. But we will definitely take into account people's financial capabilities," he added.

While responding to the question about military schools, Dmitry Medvedev noted that their "reorganisation is finished: we have ten large centres in place of a multitude of small military schools, and the conditions there are not as poor as they used to be in the small schools, the level is totally different."

During the meeting the prime minister recalled his own school years. "It would be untrue to say that they were all fun, Mr Medvedev remarked. "I remember not just spoofs, but also taking exams." According to him, exams get stuck in your memory as firmly as the fun times.

In conclusion, a decision of the Leaned Council of St Petersburg State Institute of Technology was announced on awarding Dmitry Medvedev the title of Honorary Professor. The president of the Institute of Technology presented the prime minister with a diploma as well as a robe and a professor's cap.