A Meeting of the Global Strategic Forum “Innovations and Education Strategies” in RosNOU

A plenary meeting “Innovations and Education Strategies” was held in RosNOU. The meeting was arranged within the framework of the Moscow session of IX Global Strategic Forum.

The meeting was devoted to innovative methods of Russian education development in the post-crisis period.

According to Ekaterina Popova, Head of Interagency Innovative Law Group at the Presidential Executive Office, the top-priority goal is for the Innovative Activity Act to be passed. With the Act approved, there may be essential progress achieved in developing education, scientific and innovative activity in Russia.

Acts of such kind were adopted in the economically developed countries decades ago. And they are working now quite effectively. As far as Russia is concerned there are still many hindrances blocking the way towards improving the process of innovative technologies implementation. The Russian government faces major impediments in pursuing an innovative policy in general. Unfortunately, the problem exerts detrimental influence on many spheres of life in Russia.

Vladimir A. Zernov, rector of RosNOU, considers innovation managers training to be the most important prerequisite for innovative activities to yield fruit.

- As far back as in the middle of 1980s we realized that we needed to improve university education in Russia. But at first there were few productive ideas: we did not know how to do it. The idea of training innovation managers was not estimated at its true worth then. Today there is a special presidential program of innovation managers training in Russia. It is generously funded. But there is still a long way to go before it results in actual economy improvements.

- At the moment there exists an effective technology which makes it possible to help companies on the verge of bankruptcy out of their difficulties. Thanks to that technology they can not only come back to the domestic market, but also enter foreign markets. Examples of this abound in Russia. This is the basis of the national innovations system.

Georgy Malinetsky, Vice-director for scientific research at the M. V. Keldysh Applied Mathematics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), vice-president of the Innovative Development Club of the RAS Investment Fund, says the top-priority task is to work out the right strategy.

- Currently our technological priorities are energy efficiency and energy- saving, nuclear and space technologies, Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), medical technologies and diagnostic equipment, strategic information technology and supercomputers. None of these belongs to the sixth technological mode. We are now actually trying to create the fifth mode. I consider it a strategic mistake.

Alexander Ageev, executive director of the Economic Strategy Institute, president of the International Academy of Future Research, is sure, that it is not the lack of laws that matters, but the values of our society.

- The new values should be adopted not only by chief executive officers, but the whole society should adopt a new system of values. It is then that we shall achieve a success. I am sure of it, because the country and the people managed to survive much harder times. To build an innovative society we must believe in a better “tomorrow”.

RosNOU Service Support Centre broadcasted the meeting through the Internet. A video-report on the meeting is to be issued later.