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The programme has been carried out since 2017 in accordance with the presidential instruction to train specialists for potential promotion to regional and federal government jobs. In three years, 224 students in three groups received training, including regional governors, mayors of million-strong cities, federal ministers, senators and State Duma deputies.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, my friends.

Can you see and hear me?

Remark: Yes, Mr President.

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon. I am very happy to see you and would like to sincerely congratulate you on graduating from the Graduate School of Public Administration, which in three years has become a real alma mater for managerial personnel.

I would like to note that the participants of the programme are in demand practically at all levels of government. Its alumni include 29 regional governors, five federal ministers, deputy speakers of the Federation Council and the State Duma and mayors of large cities.

Indicatively, quite frequently appointments to such high, responsible positions are or have been made during the education process. Some of your colleagues have already headed federal ministries, for instance the Minister of Healthcare, Mr Murashko, and the Minister of Transport. Three participants of the current programme have become acting regional governors. Very soon, probably in early September, they will have to win the support of the residents of the regions where they work.

It is very important to make a principled decision from the very start: this educational programme is not for those who used some pull or so-called telephone justice. It is for real professionals who have already proved their ability to work on real projects, take responsibility, respond to the challenges facing the country and its regions, make changes not only at the level of separate municipalities but also whole regions, in government service and business, and, of course this programme is for those who have shown their worth in the Leaders of Russia open contest.

Dear friends, I am hoping that you are already forming and will form your future teams also along understandable, transparent and clear-cut principles, make broad use of the mechanisms for open personnel selection, and when you head your structures, or, I hope, even the whole region or a ministry, you will involve young, talented and enthusiastic people in the efforts to develop our cities and regions, as I have already said.

I know that you worked on your diplomas and graduate projects “on the ground”: you worked in territories at the invitation of the programme’s alumni that became regional governors, and went on location and figured out what to do in different situations, some of which were fairly complex. I am sure your proposals and ideas will be implemented.

I would like to repeat again that the educational programme you have gone through is unique. It does not really have a counterpart. The country’s best managers were your teachers. We have been doing this in each course, every year during the past three years. I hope you have managed to receive the most advanced knowledge, the best competences. Importantly, the training continues even now, in the summer during vacation time.

I am sure you will continue to learn constantly and will develop your best professional qualities and skills and, of course, human qualities. It is impossible to work without the required character traits, at least in government service.

I would like to emphasise that most important for any manager is certainly the ability to listen to people, to feel and understand the country's problems. Public service is called ”service“ because you serve the people of Russia.

I would also like to thank many of you for your active participation in the We Are Together campaign. In this difficult period, this was a very important event, and I would like to thank you very much for continuing this volunteer effort. For you this is an experience of genuine civil service, because no matter what position a person occupies, the most important thing is to remain human. Only in this way will your advanced knowledge and competences support the achievement of the main goal – to improve public wellbeing and wealth. I am convinced you will do everything you can for this, use all your knowledge, talents and life experience, and many of you have serious life experience.

I sincerely wish you success and all the best.

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