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Putin to raise engineering education-related matters at Science Council session

MOSCOW, June 23. /ITAR-TASS/. Vladimir Putin is to hold a session of the Council to the President of the RF for Science and Education on Monday. The Kremlin press service reported that those present at the session would "discuss matters concerning engineering education, its qualifications, and the training of technical specialists".

The presidential Council for Science and Education, set up in 2001, comprises 38 persons: leading scientists, directors of institutions of higher learning, and other specialists. Vladimir Fortov, president of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), and Andrei Fursenko, Assistant to the RF President, are deputy chairmen of this deliberative body.

The main tasks of the Council are to work out proposals for the Head of State on priority aspects of a State policy in the fields of education, and a State science, technology, and innovations policy. The Council may also carry out, on the President's assignments, an expert examination of draft laws and other documents concerning science and education.

Putin convened the previous session of the Council in the Kremlin on December 20, last year. In many respects, it dealt with a reforming of the RAS and fundamental science priorities.

Those present at that session also formulated this Monday session's theme, which was pointed out by Yevgeny Velikhov, Head of the Kurchatov Institute.

Velikhov said then, "The engineer brings about a new reality. In general, we do not discuss engineering. Such a state of affairs is highly perilous because its sends a signal to the young people. The profession of the engineer becomes unpopular.... However, in actual fact, a new reality is being brought about by the engineer. This is why it seems to me that we must thoroughly think this matter out". Putin consented to the idea. "So, there is a proposal in connection with the remarks made by Yevgeny Pavlovich (Velikhov) to dedicate the Council's next session precisely to this problem. Agreed," the President said in conclusion.