On Thursday, December 1, the II Congress of Young Scientists starts in Sochi.

It will be held in the Sirius Science and Art Park. 

"There is something to be proud of"

In an interview with RT, Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov noted that last year's congress has become a symbol of mutual interest between government, science and business.

“The event is absolutely logically included in the list of key events of the Decade of Science and Technology, announced by our President Vladimir Putin.

Now such events as the Congress of Young Scientists are especially important for achieving the technological sovereignty of the country.

This year, representatives of science, education, the real sector and government will discuss the priorities of scientific and technological development, the possibilities of international cooperation, and researchers will present their developments and achievements.

I am sure that it is in this synergy that joint projects that are important for solving state problems are born,” the minister emphasized.

Falkov explained that among the most important tasks of the congress are attracting talented young people to the field of science and technology, involving the professional community in solving problems that are significant for the state, as well as popularizing research activities and its results among Russians.

“Participants of the congress will be able to tell and demonstrate as clearly as possible what Russian science is today.

We have something to be proud of, and we need to talk about it, ”the head of the department added.

According to the minister, thanks to such events, the prestige and popularity of science is growing.

He recalled that last year over 3,000 participants from 77 regions visited the congress during the three days of its work.

“It was covered by more than 100 mass media, which talked not just about the events of the congress, but about the achievements of our scientists and their developments.

This year, scientists from more than 40 countries of the world are participating in the events of the congress.

This once again illustrates the high interest of foreigners in cooperation with Russian scientists,” said Falkov.

  • Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Falkov

  • RIA News

  • © Vladimir Astapkovich

Also this year, President Vladimir Putin will visit the congress site again.

According to the Kremlin press service, on December 1, the head of state will meet with young researchers, students of the program for the development of a personnel management reserve in the field of science, technology and higher education, as well as winners of the Leaders of Russia competition. 

"An opportunity for discussion"

In April of this year, Vladimir Putin signed a decree announcing 2022-2031.

in Russia by the Decade of Science and Technology.

Its key tasks should be to popularize scientific activity among young people and to promote the involvement of existing developers in solving problems that are important for society.

The II Congress of Young Scientists will be the key event of the first year of the Decade of Science and Technology, the organizers say.

The Congress takes place on the federal territory "Sirius".

As the assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, co-chairman of the coordinating committee for the Decade of Science and Technology Andrey Fursenko explained earlier, the main audience of the congress is represented by engineers, young scientists, as well as businessmen involved in the innovation field.

  • The main media center of the park of science and arts "Sirius"

  • RIA News

  • © Vitaly Belousov

The event is organized by the Ministry of Education and Science, ANO National Priorities, the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in the Scientific and Educational Spheres of the Council for Science and Education under the President of the Russian Federation, and the Roscongress Foundation.

Not only Russian researchers will participate in the congress, but also foreign scientists and students from Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, India, Uzbekistan and other countries.

The total number of participants is about 3 thousand people, the average age of scientists does not exceed 30 years.

The discussion this year will focus on such topics as medicine, climate issues, the future of science and education, the development of artificial intelligence technologies, formats for supporting young scientists, and the development of the Arctic.

Within the framework of the congress, it is also planned to sum up the results of the All-Russian competition of student scientific and technological projects "Big Challenges".

The program includes many events: panel discussions, round tables, master classes and so on.

Thus, one of the topics of discussion will be a new system for evaluating scientific results - its concept will be presented within the framework of the congress of young scientists.

It should replace the scientometric approach, which involves evaluating the work of scientists by the number of articles published in scientific journals.

This approach has long been criticized by the expert community, and the new assessment system should more accurately reflect the achievements of each researcher.

This, in turn, will improve the efficiency of science funding.

“Congress participants will be involved in the direct formation of the tools and principles of the new assessment system during workshops and round tables,” the program of the event says.

The participants of the event will also discuss popular science tourism - the corresponding government program started in mid-November 2022.

  • RIA News

  • © Maxim Bogodvid

As Andrei Rudskoy, rector of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), noted in a RT commentary, the Congress of Young Scientists performs several important tasks.

It sums up the results of the year in the field of scientific achievements among young researchers, and scientists will be able to present their developments at this site.

“The Congress also opens up an opportunity for discussion, exchange of views on the ways of developing science, which is also very important.

Both the Ministry of Education and Science and the Russian Academy of Sciences will receive good recommendations for a wider and more effective involvement of young people in scientific and creative activities.

I think that this year the emphasis will also be placed on the geopolitical situation that has developed in the world.

In addition, we are talking about supporting the development of young scientists for the development of domestic industry and independence from imports, especially in such areas as microelectronics, information technology, materials science, transport, etc.”

Rudskoy emphasized.

According to the rector of SPbPU, although many young scientists would like to realize themselves in fundamental science, applied research still plays a special role.

“Today, the development of technologies and the production of science-intensive products are especially important for Russia.

We must not only replace imports, but also create advanced and fundamentally new technological solutions ourselves.

Not only to catch up, but also to make a leap, transition to advanced technologies.

And in this regard, the role of young scientists is decisive, they think in a completely different way, outside the box.

Therefore, formats that could involve young researchers in real, industry-demanded developments and in solving practical problems are very important.

We need to involve people in science through practical projects that are important for the economy and the entire state.

And the results of such work can already be submitted for discussion within the framework of the Congress of Young Scientists, ”added Rudskoy.