The Congress of the Russian Union of Rectors was held on 4 July in Lomonosov Moscow State University. On behalf of V.Y. Khanaliev, Rector of DGMU, Naida Mollaeva, Vice-Rector for Scientific Work, took part in the Congress.

The agenda of the Congress included discussion of the national education system and its role in the scientific and technological sovereignty of the country, RSR activities in the international scientific and educational space, university rankings, and the formation of a sovereign Russian worldview and education of a patriotic and socially responsible personality. The event was attended by: Andrey Fursenko, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education, and more than 600 university rectors.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants, organisers and guests of the Congress of the Russian Union of Rectors. Andrey Fursenko, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, read out the President’s greeting at the Congress.

«Dear friends!

I greet you on the occasion of the opening of the regular congress of the Russian Union of Rectors. The Russian Union of Rectors is rightly considered to be a large, authoritative public organisation uniting more than 700 heads of the leading higher education institutions of the country. Over the past years, it has made a significant contribution to the preservation and development of the best traditions of Russian higher education, and has done a lot for the effective implementation of the state scientific and educational policy.

It is gratifying that you pay priority attention to improving university education, increasing its accessibility and competitiveness, modernising the relevant legislation, promoting spiritual, moral and patriotic education of young people. And of course, one of the key areas of the Union’s activities is strengthening international humanitarian co-operation.

I emphasise that the higher education system is our powerful intellectual resource. That is why it is important that universities, academies and institutes build up their scientific potential, become a place for fundamental and applied research, development of breakthrough technologies, real intellectual engines for strategic sectors of the economy. And of course, we need to support talented and enterprising scientists, teachers and mentors, both Russian and foreign, and create such conditions so that they would seek to work in our universities.

I am confident that your congress will be held in a businesslike and constructive manner, and its decisions and recommendations will definitely be in demand».

In his speech Andrey Fursenko noted: «In accordance with the new Presidential Decree on national goals, higher education should be aimed at realising the potential for each person. And it is especially important to help young people build a career in science, technology and technological entrepreneurship. This task is enshrined in the updated strategy of scientific and technological development of Russia, which we all should be guided by…».