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Earlier that day, the President visited the Moscow State University’s Museum of History and presented the university staff with the Order For Valiant Labouг.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends, colleagues, Mr Sadovnichy.

This meeting of Moscow State University’s Board of Trustees is being held on the eve of a solemn and remarkable day: tomorrow Moscow University will celebrate its 270^th anniversary. Traditionally, the foundation date which fell on St Tatyana’s Day, January 25, became a holiday for all Russian students. We call it Tatyana’s Day.

I would like to extend my best wishes to students, postgraduate students, professors, teachers, and millions of Russian citizens who have studied at universities and now work in various fields, but without a doubt, have warm memories about their student youth, their faithful friends, and their mentors who helped them become highly skilled specialists.

Of course, special congratulations go to the members of the Board of Trustees, staff and students of Moscow State University, as well as to all graduates of the university, who have always been distinguished by high professionalism, a sense of brotherhood and pride for their alma mater, and for being part of the Moscow State University’s great legacy.

The Rector and I have just toured the University Museum and surveyed the exhibits that tell the glorious story of this university. I am convinced that at the new phase, in the 21^st century, Moscow State University should be among the world’s leading universities and at the forefront of national education and scientific research, make a significant and its own unique contribution to the strengthening of Russia’s sovereignty in the sphere of human resources, science, technology, values, and the world outlook.

In this regard, I would like to outline the key priorities which I believe the University staff and our Council should focus their attention on.

The work of Moscow State University, as well as all other higher education institutions of our country, the researchers, teachers, postgraduate students, and students should primarily focus on national development goals, of which the achievement of Russia’s technological leadership is, without a doubt, the most important goal.

Moscow State University boasts the most robust core of fundamental faculties, including chemistry, physics, biology, and, of course, mathematics. It is home to formidable intellectual potential, with unparalleled research and educational capabilities concentrated here. This resource must be consolidated at an advanced level to benefit the national economy and industry.

There is a necessity to devise innovative, forward-thinking solutions, develop critical and comprehensive technologies, and train specialists of the highest calibre. Furthermore, the entire system of undergraduate and postgraduate education should be structured so that graduates are equipped not only to address current issues but also to confront future challenges.

It is evident that the methodologies developed at MSU should serve as the foundation for training academic and pedagogical staff across all educational levels in the country. This entails that MSU assumes responsibility for the professional development of school teachers and university lecturers in the fields of mathematics and natural sciences.

Conversely, the humanities faculties are anticipated to play a pivotal role in reinforcing our sovereignty of values, aiding in the preservation of our national identity, safeguarding historical truths, and disseminating knowledge about our people’s accomplishments, diversity and the richness and profundity of our culture and literature, all grounded in solid scientific evidence. Establishing such a value base is crucial for nurturing the younger generation and for the overall advancement of our society. I rely on the practical contributions of historians, philologists, sociologists, and other humanities scholars in this regard.

Moreover, MSU has historically undertaken a unique mission to promote Russian education and culture internationally, fostering amicable and business relations with foreign scientific and educational partners. At this juncture, it is imperative to enhance these efforts, considering our aspirations to broaden international cooperation with numerous countries of the so-called global majority, including nations in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and our partners, naturally, from the CIS, EAEU, SCO, and BRICS.

We should persistently encourage foreign students and postgraduates to pursue their studies in Russia, offering them the finest of what our domestic classical education system has accrued in both the natural sciences and the humanities.

How many foreign students are currently enrolled – 10,000?

Moscow State University Rector Viktor Sadovnichy: 14,000.

Vladimir Putin: Quite a substantial number.

We must keep expanding opportunities for citizens of friendly states to study the Russian language and history. In order to do this, we need to improve the quality of work and educational programmes of Moscow State University’s foreign branches among other things. They are real outposts of Russian education in the world, and this high mission requires great responsibility.

Colleagues,

Remaining strong on the international stage requires being the best inside the country at the very least, and also winning competition for teachers and talented and ambitious students with other universities. This healthy competition in the Russian higher education is getting stronger every year. This is of paramount importance. This is also very good because the average level of education in the country is also growing, it becomes more modern, and better meets young people’s demands. The geography of education is also expanding and improving.

Let me note that our federal and national research universities are actively developing, new strong universities, including private ones, are emerging. And Moscow University needs to constantly build up, defend its leadership positions, be attractive in terms of conditions, quality of education, prove to applicants that a diploma from Moscow State University makes its graduates demanded and provides them with a wide range of opportunities

I would like to note that Moscow State University has always been famous for its strong faculty. Many members on the MSU academic staff are its alumni, carrying on its best research and teaching traditions. The salaries and working conditions, including for young specialists, absolutely must correspond to the status of the country’s leading university. I still think that it is a little behind the average in Moscow today. Mr Sobyanin, what is the average wage in Moscow?

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin: 140,000–160,000 rubles.

Vladimir Putin: No way. It’s higher.

Sergei Sobyanin: No, it isn’t.

Vladimir Putin: The average wage.

Sergei Sobyanin: The average wage is 160,000.

Viktor Sadovnichy: In MSU, it is 180,000.

Vladimir Putin: So you made it.

Nevertheless, I believe it is important to take care of it. Both the MSU management and senior Government officials must strictly adhere to all established indicators for the salaries of the teaching staff and members of research teams. This also applies to all universities in the country. Of course, this must also be taken care of.

The next point. Throughout its history, MSU has been deeply focused on expanding its educational and research space. During the Soviet times, a multi-profile campus with advanced laboratories and dormitories was established around the highrise main university building on Lenin Hills. MSU’s powerful infrastructure comprising unique research equipment is among its major strengths.

We need to enhance them, expand the university’s opportunities for cooperation with high-tech businesses, rapid implementation of research results and participation of undergraduate and graduate students in advanced research projects. That is why the last meeting of the Board of Trustees in December 2020 decided to finalise the formation of the innovation valley “Vorobyovy Gory” by the current anniversary of MSU. As I understand, not all of the plans have been accomplished, the same as the overhaul of the main building and a number of academic buildings and dormitories.

Only the Moscow City Government has fulfilled all of its commitments under the Innovation Valley project, having built the flagship cluster “Lomonosov,” the necessary road network and carried out comprehensive improvement of the territory around the cluster, as well as the main building of Moscow State University.

Meanwhile, another large-scale project to develop the new university campus has been proposed. This, of course, needs to be looked into carefully and worked out. We have allocated funds for 25 campuses, both big and small, but it is a total of 617 billion rubles. If we pursue the MSU campus project, it will take practically a third of the resources allocated. So we need to either increase the money for this project, or we need to cut back on other campuses. We have to take a closer look at that. Honestly, I don’t want to cut funding on the other campuses because this is about the geography of our major research centres, educational centres; they also matter and need to be developed.

This matter requires the most serious discussion and substantiation, first of all, with regard to the spatial development of the country I just mentioned. And it is precisely for these purposes that the federal project to create a network of university campuses in the regions of the Russian Federation is aimed at. We should discuss all these issues in detail at today’s meeting of the Board of Trustees. I do not rule it out. Let’s see how we stack up in terms of additional federal budget revenues. I hope there will be some this year, too. We’ll have to see. The development of MSU is certainly one of the priorities.

Please, go ahead. Mr Sadovnichy, you have the floor.

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