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RR RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSL
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DE RUEHMO #2885/01 3310725
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270725Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5504
INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEHLN/AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 5518
RUEHYG/AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG 3742
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 3390
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCPDC/NOAA WASHDC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MOSCOW 002885 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR OES/OA, OES/STC, OES/PCI, OES/SAT, EUR/ACE, EUR/RUS, 
EUR/PGI, EUR/PRA, ISN/CTR 
OSTP FOR HOLDREN, ROLF 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO NASA, USAID, AND NSF 
HHS PLEASE PASS TO NIH and CDC 
DOC PLEASE PASS TO NOAA 
DOI PLEASE PASS TO USFWS AND NPS AND USGS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TSPL TNGD KPAO OEXC SCUL SOCI PGOV RS
 
SUBJECT: INTEGRATING RUSSIAN SCIENCE AND EDUCATION KEY TO INNOVATION 
AND SKILLED NANOTECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE 
 
REF:  A) Moscow 2782  B) Moscow 0333 
 
MOSCOW 00002885  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified, Not for Internet Distribution 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  At an October 8 panel during the Second 
International NanoForum, Russian policy makers, scientists, 
educators and entrepreneurs discussed how to develop Russia's high 
technology economy and its nanotechnology workforce.  President 
Medvedev told Forum participants on October 6 that Russia needs 
100,000-150,000 trained nanotechnology specialists to become a 
global nanotechnology leader, instructing the Ministry of Education 
and Science to make producing them one of its top priorities. 
Panelists proposed bringing PhD scientists back into high schools 
and universities to improve the quality of science education and to 
motivate students to pursue science careers and called for 
additional university-based nanotechnology educational and research 
centers.  They agreed that Russia will not be able to develop its 
nano-industry unless it adopts a more interdisciplinary approach to 
nano education, improves interaction between science and business, 
and expands inter-university and inter-institutional cooperation 
within Russia and with foreign universities and research centers. 
END SUMMARY 
 
Academicians -- Go Back to School! 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2.   (U) On October 8, the third and final day of the Russian 
Corporation for Nanotechnologies (Rusnano) Second International Nano 
Forum, Alexander Khlunov, Deputy Minister of the Russian Ministry of 
Education and Science (MES), chaired a well-attended "Science and 
Education" panel discussion.  In his opening remarks, he stressed 
the importance of improving the quality of high tech education in 
Russia.  He noted that Russian cosmonaut Yuriy Gagarin's successful 
flight resulted in a greater emphasis on math and science education 
in U.S. secondary schools, an investment that proved quite effective 
for the United States.  Khlunov stated that the overall trend in 
Russia over the last decade has been a reduction in the quality of 
high school science teachers.  Another presenter pointed out that 
the number of specialized science courses offered at gymnasiums, 
lyceums and secondary schools has actually risen, perhaps to 
compensate for lower quality teaching standards.  To improve science 
education, Khlunov and rectors and vice-rectors from leading Russian 
science universities emphasized that MES's main goal should be 
better integration of science and education, with PhD scientists 
(academicians) required to teach in both secondary and higher 
education institutions.  Some presenters suggested that the Russian 
Academy of Sciences (RAS) and its institutions be transformed into 
academic universities, with academicians required to teach daily. 
Khlunov said the only way to awaken curiosity in hard science is to 
bring academicians and scientists back into the classroom to 
interact with young students.  Panelists complained that Russian 
scientists have become overly focused on money, paying too much 
attention to getting awards and grants.  Curiosity, not profit, 
should be the driving force behind scientific research and 
development, declared Khlunov. 
 
¶4.  (U) To develop an innovative economy and a national 
nanotechnology network, Khlunov argued that Russia must get rid of 
the artificial separation between science and education.  Professors 
are needed to teach nanotechnologies and nanomaterials in order to 
bridge the gap between universities, research and development, and 
private business.  Aleksandr Gorbatsevich, RAS corresponding member 
and Vice President of Saint Petersburg's Physico-Technological 
Research and Education Center (REC), proposed that Russia increase 
 
MOSCOW 00002885  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
mandatory school attendance from 11 to 12 years and establish 
science-focused secondary schools, including boarding schools, 
attached to leading research institutes and universities in Russia. 
 
Needed: 100,000 - 150,000 Nano Specialists 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In his October 6 speech at the Forum's opening plenary 
session, President Medvedev called on MES to train 100,000-150,000 
nanotechnology specialists that Russia needs now, but did not offer 
any specific proposals on how this could be done.  Panel experts 
agreed that Russia's shortage of trained personnel remains a 
significant barrier to serious nanotechnology engagement.  Khlunov 
called MES's October 7 announcement of its selection of 12 new 
national research universities an important step in creating a 
trained nanotechnology workforce for Russia's fledgling 
nanotechnology industry.  (Note: A May 2008 presidential decree 
designated two prominent Moscow universities, National University of 
Science and Technology (MISIS) and Moscow Engineering and Physics 
Institute (MIFI) as national research universities.  The now 14 
national research universities will receive approximately $6 million 
of federal funding over 5-10 years, as long as they raise additional 
private source funding.  They are to train Ph.D. specialists, 
develop science research, and increase international high tech 
cooperation.  In addition, President Medvedev signed a law on 
November 11 granting Moscow State University and St. Petersburg 
State University special status as unique scientific and educational 
centers.  Their rectors will be appointed by either the President of 
Russia or other federal agencies and they can now develop and 
implement educational programs based on their own self-defined 
standards and requirements.  End Note.) 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Khlunov commented that the scientific community has 
favorably received the initiative to create national research 
universities, which should generate greater opportunities for 
partnership and exchanges between Russian and foreign universities. 
MISIS Rector Dmitriy Livanov told the audience that he hired a U.S. 
professor to be the first foreign vice-rector at a Russian 
university to help spearhead MISIS's efforts to become a world-class 
research institution, akin to  Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology. (Note:  The American Vice Rector of Academic Affairs 
told EST he was optimistic that MISIS' status as a national research 
university would help it to strengthen ties with the business 
community to secure GOR-mandated co-funding for high-tech research. 
He said that MISIS welcomed the law passed by the Federation Council 
on July 27 that allows universities and institutes to commercialize 
R&D results by establishing small innovative enterprises, because it 
provides a potential source of revenue.  End Note.) 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Representatives of Russian universities on the panel, 
including Yevgeniy Chuprunov, Rector of Nizhniy Novgorod University, 
and Aleksey Khokhlov, Vice-Rector of Moscow State University, 
suggested that one way to realize President Medvedev's goal of 
creating a large nano workforce was to establish additional 
university-based educational and research and development centers 
specialized on nanotechnology.  Certain Russian institutes of higher 
learning, including MISIS and St. Petersburg State University of 
Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO), have 
established centers to integrate education, R&D and business, but 
they are not dedicated to nanotechnology.  After a presentation by 
scientists from Penn State's Center for Nanotechnology Education and 
Utilization, rectors Khokhlov and Chuprunov boasted that Moscow 
State University has a comparable Research and Education 
Nano-Center, and that Nizniy Novgorod University established the 
 
MOSCOW 00002885  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
first of its two nano centers in 1998.  (Note:  The university 
rectors did not say how many specialists these centers are training. 
 End note.)  Viktor Avdeyev, Deputy General Director of Composite 
Company, proposed creating an international education and 
engineering center to train specialists who are able to synthesize 
knowledge and manage nanotechnology projects.  Panelists unanimously 
agreed with Khlunov's conclusion that in order to develop its 
nano-industry, Russia needs to adopt a more interdisciplinary 
approach to nano education, improve interaction between science and 
business, and expand inter-university and inter-institutional 
cooperation within Russia and with foreign universities and research 
centers.  (Note:  On October 22, Rusnano announced it will conduct 
open tenders in a new program to develop a network of up to 20 
nanotechnology centers.  It is planning to invest 19 billion rubles 
(approximately 640 million USD) in these centers in 2009 and 5.8 
billion rubles (approximately 200 million USD) in 2010.  In 
November, Rusnano issued a grant of 12 million rubles (approximately 
415,000 USD) to St. Petersburg's Institute of Chemistry and 
Silicates to train nanotechnology specialists for St. Petersburg 
enterprises.  End note.) 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment: In his November 12 state of the nation speech, 
President Medvedev reiterated his conviction that science and 
innovation can help Russia rid itself of its "humiliating raw 
materials dependence."  There have been a spate of initiatives in 
recent months to improve science education and innovation.  EST 
interlocutors agree that federal funding for the 14 new national 
research universities will help, but it is still unclear if 
universities will be able to raise matching funds from private 
sources and launch profitable innovative enterprises.  In order to 
achieve its lofty goal of a 20 billion euro (approximately 30 
billion US dollars) production volume for Russian nano-industry by 
2015, the Russian government still has a long way to go to bridge 
the gap between science and education, expand research cooperation 
with foreign partners in international projects, create a system of 
national standards and regulations for the nano field, and 
commercialize findings.  It will also have to address corruption and 
stop the flight of young Russian scientists to non-science positions 
in Russian business firms and overseas employment.  Our Rusnano 
contacts could not tell us how Medvedev derived the number of 
100,000-150,000 trained nano personnel that Russia supposedly needs. 
 Although Rusnano and some universities have begun to develop 
specialized nano educational and innovative centers, they are 
unlikely to be able to churn out even close to this figure.  But 
once they are "produced," new high-tech professionals are unlikely 
to stay in Russian science unless Rusnano and other innovative firms 
can create sufficiently high-paying positions with adequate 
laboratories for them to do so.  End Comment.