Day 3 of SPIEF-2021: Plenary session with the Russian President, agreements, discussions, and meetings

Today the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum held a key event — a plenary session with the participation of Russian President Vladimir PUTIN. The event was attended by the Rector of SPbPU, RAS Academician Andrei RUDSKOI, representatives of global news agencies, scientific and educational organizations, businessmen and investors. The Rector of SPbPU also signed cooperation agreements with the NPO «Russia — Land of Opportunities» and the Russian Znanie Society (Knowledge Society) and held several business meetings.

Traditionally, SPIEF 2021 is the venue for signing the most important cooperation agreements for Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. Today, RAS Academician Andrei Rudskoi, Rector of SPbPU, signed agreements with Alexei KOMISSAROV, Director General of the NPO «Russia — Land of Opportunities» and Maxim DREVAL’, Director General of the Russian Znanie Society.

In his address to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir PUTIN called for a restart of Znanie’s work on a modern digital platform.

The purpose of the agreement signed with SPbPU is all-around cooperation aimed at increasing the scientific, educational, and cultural level of the Russian population; formation and improvement of the regulatory and legal framework for the system of continuing education and outreach activities; and joint dissemination of Znanie. The interaction involves the integration of the educational and methodological base of Polytechnic University into the digital platform of the Russian Znanie Society, and the lecturers of the university will be included in its lecturing staff. There will also be opportunities to create authoring multimedia courses and organize joint events devoted to current issues of education, science, and technology.

Polytechnic University is connected with the Znanie Society not only through its current projects and prospects for future cooperation. The famous Polytechnic employee and professor of our university, Nobel laureate Nikolai N. SEMENOV, in 1960-1963 headed the society and made a significant contribution to its development. I am sure that the signed agreement will become a pledge of new bright joint projects for the benefit of science, education, and Znanie in the broadest sense of the word, said Rector of SPbPU Andrei Rudskoi.

One of the recent examples of interaction is the participation of the Polytechnic in the «New Znanie» marathon organized by the Znanie society. In a live broadcast, our students posed questions to presidential press secretary Dmitry PESKOV and Ilon MASK.

Through simple and easy communication tools on the digital platform of the Znanie Society will open the doors to the best educational institutions of the country to all who seek Znanie and realization of their talents. I am glad that SPbPU is joining us on this path, and I look forward to working together, commented Maxim DREVAL, Director General of the Russian Znanie Society.

Rector of SPbPU also signed a cooperation agreement with Alexey KOMISSAROV, Director General of NPO «Russia — Land of Opportunities», under which joint work will be carried out to solve problems in developing social elevators, identifying and supporting projects and initiatives that help create opportunities for personal and professional fulfillment of citizens, developing practice-oriented education, training qualified personnel, building and supporting citizens in educational, career and social Joint press conferences, roundtables, public discussions with experts, thematic educational events (webinars, courses), events related to solving partner cases, developing leadership competencies, actions, special projects, etc. are planned.

Polytechnic University has been cooperating with the «Russia — Land of Opportunities» platform for a long time, participating in the projects. For example, for the fourth year, Polytechnic University has been a participant and co-organizer of the All-Russian Student Olympiad ‘I am a Professional’ in the fields of mechanical engineering, management in technical systems, trade and hotel business. In May, the educational forum Phygital Universe was held at the university for the participants in these areas. The signed agreement is very important as it will result in the expansion of our cooperation with the «Russia — Land of Opportunities» platform in solving the most important tasks — training of young people and supporting youth initiatives, said Rector Andrei Rudskoi of SPbPU.

The list of RSV ANO projects in which Polytechnic students actively participate are the Leaders of Russia competition (SPbPU graduate Natalia Isaeva won it) and CASE-IN engineering championship for young people (last March, Polytechnic University students — winners of the qualifying stage of the 9th International Engineering Championship CASE-IN were awarded).

We are looking for talent, and they are easiest to find at universities like Polytechnic University. We know that SPbPU has excellent students who are very successful, including in our programs and competitions. Your university has famous alumni and an excellent teaching and research team. It is a great honor for us to cooperate with you, and I am sure that it will benefit, most importantly, young students, who are the future said Alexey KOMISSAROV, Director General of NPO «Russia — Land of Opportunities», Vice-Rector of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

Cooperation between NPO «Russia — Land of Opportunities» and universities is also planned in such spheres as «Competence Centers» and the development track on the «Russia — Land of Opportunities» digital platform.

Afterwards, Rector of SPbPU Andrey Rudskoy was the central figure of an open conversation with Evgeny SZHENOV, scientific director of the Expert Analytical Center «Science and Education Policy» and leading expert of the Institute of Education of the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

The Rector of SPbPU shared his vision of how the world has changed in the face of the pandemic and emphasized the critical role of science and higher education in addressing the new challenges and that they are meant to improve the quality of life for all of humankind. According to Andrei, the mission of today’s universities is the socio-economic and humanistic influence of the modern university on the world around it. The Rector of SPbPU spoke in detail about Polytechnic University’s interaction with the regional government and industry. For example, to support the city in implementing the National Project «Labor Productivity and Employment Support,» as part of the Economic Growth area, SPbPU created Russia’s first training center in cooperation with Toyota, the general partner of the National Project. There are only five such centers in the world. He also spoke about the agreements signed during SPIEF-2021 and the prospects for cooperation.

Then Rector Andrey Rudskoy took part in the plenary session of SPIEF-2021, where Russian President Vladimir PUTIN traditionally evaluated economic development. The Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Federal Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz, President of Argentina Alberto FERNANDEZ, President of Brazil Jair Messias BOLSON also presented their views on the world economy.

Vladimir PUTIN devoted his speech to the issues of socio-economic development of the country and its investment attractiveness.

The very fact that such a representative forum is held is certainly a positive sign, another evidence that partnership relations, contacts between entrepreneurs, investors, and experts are gradually regaining their usual, normal form. We observe the same positive trends in the global economy. Despite the depth of last year’s recession, which, according to experts, was the largest since World War II, we can already say with confidence that the global economy is returning to normal. This year’s global GDP growth is also expected to be unusually large, to be the highest since the 1970s: experts are talking about six percent growth, the Russian president said.

The head of state also recalled the events of last year, when the world was confronted with a new and extremely dangerous infection, and again urged citizens to be vaccinated: Unless we provide wide, universal access to vaccines against coronavirus, and on all continents, the danger of the epidemic and its new outbreaks will not go anywhere. There may still be pockets of infection that pose a threat to the entire planet. Today every adult citizen of Russia has an opportunity to be vaccinated. As comfortably as possible, voluntarily and free of charge. And once again I would like to ask our citizens to use this opportunity to protect themselves and their loved ones.

According to Vladimir PUTIN, now, at the stage of post-crisis recovery, it is important not only to achieve a sustainable trajectory of quality growth but also to use the emerging opportunities and effectively develop their competitive advantages, scientific and technological potential: It is extremely important to maintain and strengthen business and investment ties between countries. It is the multilateral projects that can become a significant factor for the revival and development of the global economy, and we are grateful to all our partners for this joint work that continues — continues in the epidemic conditions and against the background of a difficult situation in international relations.

The Russian President spoke in detail about employment problems: The government should strengthen programs to promote employment in those constituent entities of the Federation where unemployment is still high... I order to launch a permanently operating program to support youth employment, including measures to promote youth entrepreneurship, nationwide in the near future.

Also on the sidelines of SPIEF-2021, Rector of SPbPU Andrei Rudskoi held a series of business meetings. For example, with Albert KARIMOV, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan, Andrei Rudskoi discussed the prospects of cooperation and joint projects underway; with Natalia POCHINOK, Rector of the Russian State Social University, he talked about current issues in science and education.

Prepared by the SPbPU Public Relations Office