13 september 2012

Meeting with representatives of the Board of Trustees and the Coordinating Council of the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management

Transcript of the beginning of the meeting

Dmitry Medvedev: Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, and friends, first of all I would like to congratulate the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management on its anniversary! Six years is not a very long time, but still the time passed quickly. I remember discussing all the management-related decisions and operational models. In any event, the results that have been achieved over these years are generally quite impressive. The school has trained about 10,000 students. It has acquired a good reputation and has become an international centre for business education. Hopefully, in the not too distant future the school will break even financially.

There is no doubt that, as a whole, the Skolkovo business school project has been a success. As chairman of the Board of Trustees, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the 18 founders of the school, leading Russian and international business figures, who believed in this project, which has now become a reality. I say this with pleasure, because not all of the ideas have been realised in this sphere. Obviously, this project has been successfully implemented. The Skolkovo Moscow School of Management has to train managers who think and work in a modern fashion.

Today, students have a variety of cutting edge instruments at their disposal, as well as the educational resources of the world’s best universities, and the support of major companies, innovative opportunities of the fund and now the Skolkovo technology park. The Institute for Emerging Market Studies, the Energy Centre, the Educational Development Centre, and the Startup Academy that have been established at Skolkovo help broaden the school’s intellectual horizons and business opportunities. The project to prepare rectors for 100 state universities is extremely important, as it is impossible to modernise the higher education system without competent and forward-thinking executives. This is a task of primary importance for the country.

The Skolkovo business school should extend its influence to other human resources fields, in which we also need competent executives. I am referring to the social sphere, social services, sports, and other fields of social activity.

I would also like to note that studying at Skolkovo provides a new understanding of social responsibility. I know that a charity auction has been held at the graduates’ ball, the proceeds of which were used to fund three scholarships for full-time MBA students. The successful investment project created by the school’s first graduates, called the Life Button, combines modern technology and care for the elderly people, meaning that the school’s activities are quite multidimensional, which is very good.

I am confident that the school and its graduates will continue helping Russian business and the Russian state, and our society, and I believe that the school will continue to develop.

Once again I would like to warmly welcome everyone and thank you for the work that has been done over the past years. I have no doubt that the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management’s history is just beginning. 

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