VELIKI NOVGOROD, September 21. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that in the context of sanctions it is especially important for researchers to keep in touch with manufacturers to create advanced domestic products. He noted the importance of education, which Prince Yaroslav the Wise paid special attention to back in the 11th century. Putin expressed this opinion of his at a meeting with the leaders of advanced engineering schools on Wednesday.
Putin recalled how the idea to develop advanced engineering schools in the country emerged.
"I am very pleased that this idea has worked, that it is in great demand and especially relevant today," Putin said. "Our large companies are in the habit of buying. Now, that everybody refuses to sell, we have to invent everything on our own. The main thing is that we have a base on which to invent, above all, an intellectual base," Putin explained. In his opinion, "it is so important to pool in this program the intellectual capabilities, the advanced ideas and products accumulated before in practical terms, theory, applied science, the needs of leading companies, their financial capabilities and the market for the final product." Putin added that the idea of advanced engineering schools was precisely to combine all these factors in one place and to "achieve the success crucial in the country."
Putin believes it is symbolic that the idea of creating advanced engineering schools appeared in Veliki Novgorod, where the current meeting was taking place.
"In a certain sense, Novgorod was the cradle of initiatives of this kind - Yaroslav the Wise back in the 11th century organized the first school for 300 children here," Putin said. He noted that Prince Yaroslav earned his "noble nickname - the Wise - much later, but quite deservedly, because he not only created the first school, but really paid tremendous attention and attached great importance to the intellectual development of the nation and the training specialists in various fields."
"And then, when he became Grand Prince in Kiev, he continued doing the same. There he did it mainly for the elite, though, while here, for the general public," Putin recalled. "Then everything proceeded on a much wider scale throughout the country during the lifetime of the next generations.".