Mikhail Kotyukov: Project 5-100 Sets New Standards for Higher Education in Russia

Over two days, leading Russian and international speakers will take part in discussions on the university`s activities in the fields of natural sciences and its transformation into the home of world-class research centers, as well as promising areas where scientific breakthroughs are possible in the near future.

“It is very important that such prominent events for the world`s scientific and educational space are held in our country, together with Russia`s leading universities. This proves the recognition of Russian education and Russian scientific and educational centers at the international level”, declared Mikhail Kotyukov, the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, during his welcoming speech at the World Research Excellence Summit.

This has become possible thanks to, among other things, the implementation of Project 5-100 and using its resources to give leading universities new opportunities to promote themselves in the global academic space while simultaneously becoming benchmarks for other Russian universities.

“The results of the implementation of Project 5-100`s next stage, which was recently summarized, shows that the university-participants demonstrate positive dynamics. And the most important fact is that the Project sets new standards and rules for the entire system of Russian higher education, which all universities should follow”, noted Mikhail Kotyukov.

At least 15 research centers with the aim to strengthen strategic partnership between universities, research centers, industry, and regional authorities to promote research and innovation, develop international partnerships, and support and strengthen the socio-economic development of regions will be created in the near 6 years in accordance with the decree of the Russian President. Andrei Volkov, Deputy Chairman of the Project 5-100 Council, noted that it is necessary to create a network between the clusters engaged in innovative developments. In the past 30 years, such clusters abroad have been the main source of new developments and publications. And here, in Russia, we also need a concentration and interconnection of these clusters.

“National projects in the field of science and higher education are aimed at improving the global competitiveness of Russian universities. In this regard, we must ensure a significant increase in the publication and patent activities of leading universities, as well as an increase in the financing of innovative developments of Russian industry, which in the coming years should grow at a higher rate. The solution of complex problems requires the cooperation of many participants, and universities should become a platform for joint efforts. We expect a serious flow of the next generation of researchers into all the key sectors of the Russian economy from universities”, Kotyukov said.

After 2020, Project 5-100 will be extended for another six years, Andrei Volkov noted in his speech. The project will likely be expanded to include new universities, and some of the universities currently participating may leave it.

“NUST MISIS has been actively participating in Project 5-100 since 2013. Moreover, as you know, there are three groups in the project: the first, second and third. Sometimes universities move from one group to another, but NUST MISIS entered the first group a few years ago, and has firmly established its place there. NUST MISIS is one of Russia`s five or six most dynamically developing universities. That is why it has been chosen for the Times Higher Education summit”, said Andrei Volkov.

“It is a great honor for NUST MISIS to become a co-organizer of Russia`s first research excellence summit on ‘Transformation towards world-class research in the natural sciences’, which attracted representatives of leading international and Russian scientific and educational centers, ministries and departments, and experts in the academic industry”, noted Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of NUST MISIS.