How Love for Science Is Being Revived

What is a modern university? This is a place where students do not just attend lectures and take notes but create breakthrough developments that can be used by residents of the country and leading enterprises. And for this it is not necessary to go to large cities, for example, to Moscow or St. Petersburg. The national project "Science and Universities" is designed to create conditions for intellectual, human and material resources in universities throughout Russia. How it helps young people to come to the world of innovation and discovery and bring real benefits to society and the economy, we will tell in our article.


The national project "Science and Universities" works for the future of Russian science and higher education. It provides all the resources to make a scientific career in demand among young people, and universities - attractive for admission and creation of innovative developments. The national project offers a fan of opportunities for young scientists: grant competitions, research initiatives, development of scientific infrastructure in universities.

Students literally from the first days of study "light up" with science. They work side by side with experienced scientists, intern at other universities and contribute to the development of the industry, even if this contribution is not yet so significant.

Trends in the field of education and science suggest that Russians trust domestic scientists. A survey conducted by VTsIOM specialists showed that two-thirds of our country's residents are interested in technological developments and follow the news of science, and 78% of Russians would like their children to link the future with innovations.

The vector of development of science and higher education in the country was set by President Vladimir Putin.

"Science should always be done. But we need to organize the work in such a way that it is exciting, that it is interesting, that young people are drawn. In principle, we succeed in this, I have already shown the number of young researchers in our country. This number will grow, and the future of Russian science will certainly be ensured if we consistently implement all the tasks that we have formulated," the head of state said.

One of the tasks that the President spoke about is to create progressive universities in Russia – centers of scientific, technical and economic development of the country. In order for universities to produce specialists of the highest level, and the scientific base is constantly developing, the country has launched the "Priority 2030" program.

"This is a new stage in the development of programs that have worked in the Russian system of higher education for the previous 15 years. The difference is that "Priority 2030" has accumulated the best practices and will serve not only the development of universities, but also make them points of socio-economic development of the regions. The implementation of the program will increase the share of domestic science and higher education in the global market and will allow us to proudly declare our best practices to the whole world," said Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

"Universities will meet annually with the council and present the results of their work. The Council will decide whether a particular university participating in the grant is worthy. We have provided for the creation of a competitive environment, so both parts of the grant, basic and special, will depend on the success of each individual university. "

Valery Falkov also noted that the Program "Priority 2030" is open and allows for rotation, that is, to exclude those participating universities that do not achieve the planned results. In this regard, according to the head of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, the program "Priority 2030" opens up the widest possible opportunities for the participation of Russian universities, regardless of the territorial position and form of ownership.

"We proceed from the fact that the program will develop the scientific potential of our universities and research institutes. More laboratories, equipment, more new projects will be envisaged. Postgraduate and master's degrees will become stronger, a large number of researchers from different regions of Russia and from abroad will be attracted. This will become the general idea of popularizing science in the project."

Valery Falkov also pointed out that "Priority 2030" provides for the cooperation of participating universities with regional business: "Such cooperation is the most important part of the program, a condition for participation in it. One of the tracks is called industry and/or territorial leadership. These are large socio-economic projects that the university implements in the region, or technological projects that are significant for the country. Already today, universities are engaged in project activities together with the largest enterprises of the country."

Unlike other programs, "Priority 2030" covers the whole country and allows you to bring sectoral and subordinate universities to a new level. In addition, it is constantly open to new participants.

Under the program, universities receive grants for the development of higher education and science. 106 Russian universities will annually send 100 million rubles. And 45 universities from this list additionally receive special grants for the development of scientific research and the creation of new technologies. In total, the amount of grants for them can reach up to 1 billion rubles a year.

Such support has never been provided to Russian universities. Most often, the main "brake" of domestic science was precisely the lack of funding. No money – no equipped laboratories, no real research and innovative developments.

Among the universities that received a grant for strategic development was Tomsk Polytechnic University. To be among the best, the university team had to seriously prepare. For about a year, employees created their own development program for the next decade. But young scientists already have something to be proud of. "Smart" glass, a 3D printer for working in space, nanocomposite fertilizers, little finger prostheses are only part of the breakthrough inventions of Siberian innovators.

"Thanks to participation in The Priority 2030, we will be able to conduct a full range of technological, preclinical and clinical studies for each created product together with partners. After that, we will be ready to transfer the technology along with a package of data and results to industrial partners for mass production," summed up TPU Professor, Head of the Strategic Rate "Health Engineering" Mehman Yusubov.

With the support of the state, scientists will be able not only to create unique developments, but also to bring them to a new level to improve medicine and the economy.

Far Eastern Track

"Priority 2030" will become a powerful engine for the development of Far Eastern universities. In October of this year, the selection of universities for inclusion in the program was completed. Eight of the best educational institutions of the Far East will receive a grant of 50 million rubles for the development of science. Among the winners: Admiral G.I. Nevel sky Maritime State University, Pacific State Medical University, Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts and others.

"The Far Eastern Track is an unprecedented direction of support for universities not only within the framework of the Priority 2030 program, but also throughout the entire system of higher education and science in our country. It takes into account the specifics of the Far East and such important aspects as the economic needs of the macro-region in personnel and technology. Today, a number of companies in the Far East are already working on the global technological frontier, for example, this applies to biotech. And the task of these universities is to provide them with highly qualified specialists and developments, so that in the future such companies can compete at the world level, "said Valery Falkov, head of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.

The programs of the winning universities cover almost all sectors of the economy - from agriculture to engineering and medicine. All of them are aimed at ensuring the economic well-being of the country. Thanks to the support of the state in the Far East, the outflow of applicants will stop. On the contrary, yesterday's schoolchildren will come to the district to receive high-quality and popular education.