OREANDA-NEWS. September 13, 2011. Dmitry Medvedev and university rectors, representatives of student organisations and heads of several Russian regions discussed the issues of increasing scholarships, improving students’ living conditions, developing campuses and students’ healthcare.

During the meeting Dmitry Medvedev announced that he had signed an Executive Order establishing scholarships for students enrolled in university programmes in five areas essential for economic modernisation, as well as scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students for achievements in science and education. The scholarships will be paid out from 2012.

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PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Good afternoon,

I said recently that I was planning to devote some time to meetings on students’ problems. The new academic year has started, which in itself is a good reason to review a wide range of issues, from education to students’ daily routines, their leisure activities – in short, everything that is related to student life.

Today we are joined at this meeting by representatives of student organisations and rectors of some universities. I hope that today's meeting – it is our first on this subject – will be devoted to the most essential problems of student life and various proposals to address these problems.

Russia has more than nine million students, which is 6% of the population. I think this is a very substantial figure if we compare Russia with other countries. It is vitally important for the country that young people receive the kind of education that is most in demand and later take up competitive positions in the economy and social sphere, that they become modern, thinking and creative people who have the opportunity for self-realisation. These words may sound commonplace but they are absolutely accurate nonetheless.

As you know, the draft law on education being currently debated sets out new approaches to quality education, and that is very important. But, as I said, student life is equally important because ultimately it affects their studies. Everyone who has ever been a university student understands that. Therefore, a great deal depends on the living conditions in student accommodation, on the sports facilities at the university and on the state of the canteen.

Therefore I propose that we focus on several issues.

The first thing that is of great concern to students is the financial aspect and their scholarships. The scholarships students receive today are not very big, 1,200 rubles. Scholarships were always modest, also at the time when I was a student, but in comparison with the purchasing power today, in real terms scholarships have become smaller than they were in Soviet times. Nevertheless, in September, scholarships were raised by 9%. The scholarship fund for the most successful students has increased by 20%. Scholarships will be paid out in accordance with the criteria set out by the Russian Union of Student Organisations: for academic and other achievements, including sports.

I would also like to announce that 10 minutes ago I signed an Executive Order on awarding scholarships to students enrolled in higher education institutions which train personnel for the five priority areas for the modernisation of our economy. These scholarships will be paid out from 2012 and the students at these schools will receive 7,000 rubles, while graduate students will get 14,000 rubles. Also, on my instructions government scholarships will be paid to undergraduate and graduate students in the amount of 5,000 and 10,000 rubles, respectively. Considering the size of the academic community, these figures may not be very big, but I emphasise that these scholarships will be paid for outstanding achievements in science and education.

In addition to state scholarships there may be other ways of encouraging students. We all realise that the majority of countries don’t have big scholarships either, and some countries don’t have them at all. In order to improve the situation, I think business could play a more active role because ultimately, it has great demand for university graduates. The business community is interested in student training – in quality personnel, of course, not just any kind.

I would also like to hear from you about the situation at your universities, the role of student organisations in addressing these problems, and your views on other issues.

Another long-standing and very complex matter is student accommodation. It's no secret that many student halls were built decades ago, some even hundreds of years ago, and they are morally and physically obsolete. I remember my own student years. The dormitories at Leningrad State University were appalling. I am from St Petersburg so I lived at home, but when I went to the dorm to visit my friends I couldn’t believe that people not only slept there but they also studied and managed to learn something and get good marks. That is how it was then and unfortunately, the situation has not changed much. This does not mean that there are no new dormitories. New universities have new student accommodation and some universities have renovated old facilities but the situation still remains difficult. Therefore, we must not only renovate the existing buildings, but also to build new dormitories, which meet the current sanitary standards and safety requirements.

Student accommodation must be comfortable. There is no need for luxury – just look at dormitories in other countries - but they must have the infrastructure that today's students need to be able to study. There must be a gym, a medical facility, study rooms, Internet connection (that is not even being discussed) and a kitchen for cooking healthy food.

However, our ultimate goal should be to create what top universities in developed countries have: university campuses. New universities and their campuses are being built in line with this principle. I am referring to the Far Eastern Federal University campus on Russky Island: in addition to comfortable rooms it has a swimming pool and a stadium, and a medical centre. Naturally, this is a completely new facility and no expense was spared in building it so that when it is completed, I’m certain that it will be a very popular and exclusive academic institution in the best sense of the word.

There are plans to build campuses at other universities as well, in particular at the National University of Science and Technology MISIS, and at other universities, not only in Moscow or the Far East. However, I reiterate that the situation with student accommodation and campuses is still very complicated.

A very important topic is monitoring students’ health because, obviously, the students who work hard put a lot of energy and health into their studies. We must also look at the way medical services are provided, how students feel and the state of their health when they graduate. We must expand the network of student health resorts and prevention clinics where possible. There is a great deal to talk about regarding this matter.

I would like to emphasise once again that the solution to this problem is not entirely up to the federal government, especially since not all universities are financed by the federal centre; a great deal depends on the regional authorities. I hope that the governors present here today will say a few words about their plans to address these problems.

That is all I wanted to say to begin with. I would like us to discuss the advisability of using different loan mechanisms and subsidies to address the problems with housing, food, transportation costs and education services, and which mechanisms can be used to make tuition-based education more affordable. I invite all of you to join in the discussion.

I am not going to call the speakers from the list. Let’s have a free discussion, so please raise your hands, and I mean both the rectors and representatives of the student community. Go ahead, please.