Serious questions: Putin visited NSU and met with young scientists

MOSCOW: Serious questions: Putin visited NSU and met with young scientists: The president also held a meeting of the Council on Science and Education.

Vladimir Putin is currently on a working visit to Novosibirsk. The president's focus is on the development of science and the country's technological sovereignty.

The head of state began the day with a visit to the SKIF Center for Collective Use, a unique scientific complex for research in physics, chemistry, and biology, as well as the creation of fundamentally new materials. This center will help implement innovative solutions for industrial enterprises. Today, the president signed a commemorative plaque.

And now, Vladimir Putin is holding a meeting of the Council on Science and Education. The discussion turned to import substitution for equipment that was previously supplied from the West. The Siberian Ring Photon Source is an excellent example of how this is being accomplished.

"It is currently one of the most powerful particle accelerators in the world, and in some respects, unparalleled. It allows us to peer into the world of atoms and molecules. We expect that its first research stations will be operational by the end of this year, including the approximately 30 critical equipment Russia has independently created for their construction. How many are currently operational? Seven? Yes, Boris Ivanovich said so, but it will be. 30 were planned, but perhaps even more will be built. Russia has also independently created approximately 35 critical equipment for their construction, as I already mentioned, which our partners in some countries refused to supply us with," the president noted.

Izvestia correspondent Anton Zolotnitsky is currently in the capital of Siberia, following the president's visit.

Students at the specialized scientific and educational center of Novosibirsk State University greeted the president in a sporty manner. Modern scientists must be in shape—in every sense of the word.

—We're all 'red-blooded,' we just graduated.

—This school?

—Yes, of course.

—Where are you applying?

—Mostly to NSU, the president and the students exchanged words.

The path here is well-defined. A training center for talented schoolchildren, then university, candidate's and doctoral degrees. And then work at Novosibirsk's leading scientific institutes. All the necessary conditions are created to ensure a seamless career.

The campus of Novosibirsk State University is gradually being renovated. It is no longer just a focal point of the local Akademgorodok (Academic City) but rather a world-class educational center. Modern buildings, compact layout—the philosophy here is simple: the environment should nurture a desire to learn.

Novosibirsk is truly a city of science. The concentration of scientific personnel here is one and a half times higher than the national average. Today, a group of young and bright people gathered in the reading room of Novosibirsk State University. They were expecting Vladimir Putin, and they were nervous, but in vain.

The meeting was informal from the very beginning. Putin asked the young scientists many questions.

— What threats does AI pose?

— You have nothing to fear.

— I've never been afraid of anything, the president replied with a smile.

But this is no joke. And Putin makes that clear right away.

= Is there a threat that an intellectual elite will emerge, while those who simply push buttons will see their gray matter shrink like shagreen?

— This is precisely the question about the role of teachers and the importance of education.

The young scientists participating in the meeting are certainly not in danger of their gray matter shrinking. They chose their path long ago and are confidently pursuing it. Svetlana Sharaya, for example, studies materials science and is preparing to conduct experiments on the new SKIF facility. This is a synchrotron radiation source that will soon open near Novosibirsk.

"I'm motivated by several considerations. First, it's a labor of love; I genuinely enjoy it. Second, the state supports us, including financially, and we also don't forget that we're all human," said Svetlana Sharaya, a junior researcher at the SKIF Center for Collective Use.

The President emphasized: no one forgets. This is precisely why a network of 25 world-class campuses is currently being created in the country. Large-scale scientific projects are underway.

Vladimir Putin was shown how Novosibirsk University itself will expand. Two more phases of facilities are still to come. The president's scientific program in the capital of Western Siberia is also far from complete.

Among them were future physicists and mathematicians from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities. Most of the meeting's participants were Novosibirsk residents who plan to continue their studies in the city.

In Novosibirsk, Putin also toured the SKIF mega-science facility. It is scheduled to launch at the end of the summer.