About science, ratings and startups: an interview with the rector of NSU. Interview with the rector Interview with the rector




Rector of the Moscow Pedagogical State University Alexei Lubkov to Kazan University, he not only got acquainted with the experience of developing the education system and teacher training at KFU and appreciated the undertakings of Kazan colleagues, but also, being a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education, spoke about the pressing problems of modern education.

And we started our conversation with Alexei Vladimirovich by discussing his participation in the recently held round table in the format of a Moscow-Kazan video bridge on the topic: “The model of the National system of teacher growth and the draft level professional standard for a teacher: questions for discussion.” Then its participants talked about what the National System of Teacher Growth should include and what the draft level professional standard of a teacher should be.

- In Russia, there has long been an urgent need for continuous improvement in the training and retraining of teachers and the organization of a national system of teacher growth. A number of problems of the regional system of advanced training are quite obvious, requiring their resolution. The main one is that the responsibility for the system of advanced training of teachers has been closed and is closed on the regional authorities. And this leads to the fact that often both the content of the courses and organizational aspects are transferred to educational organizations that are not sufficiently interested in improving the system.

The main task today is to ensure that federal universities become centers of continuous pedagogical education. It is here that the creation of a unified educational space in Russia with a systematically built relationship between the higher pedagogical school and additional professional education should take place.

And we see such opportunities in the largest federal university, which is KFU.

According to Aleksey Lubkov, the relationship and continuity of training and advanced training of teachers allows KFU to create a sustainable system of continuous teacher education with a functioning feedback mechanism.

- Due to the high concentration of scientific and educational resources, the polymodel nature of pedagogical education, new approaches to the content of training and advanced training, a wide network of basic educational institutions, the Institute of Psychology and Education can be represented both for the region, and for the republic, and for the country in order to make real continuous model of teacher education.

The educational environment cannot do without a qualified, trained teacher, the rector of the Moscow State Pedagogical University believes. And here, in addition to creating conditions for professional and creative growth, the implementation of innovative pedagogical approaches and initiatives, the intangible side of a teacher's life is important.

- A key indicator of creative growth, social guarantees of work, rest, and health of a teacher is salary. Today, in most regions of the country, it either corresponds to or approaches the average indicators for the economy - which means that teachers have an incentive to work honestly, with full dedication, and not to hack, sometimes forgetting about their students, their self-education and self-development.

Alexey Lubkov also noted the growth of the prestige of the teaching profession.

- Thanks to the efforts of the country's leadership to increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession in the form of a set of measures, such as monthly payments, grants for young teachers, young people began to return to pedagogy. In some regions of the country, there has been a significant influx of young teachers into schools - from 5 to 10%.

By the way, in our republic (the only region of the Russian Federation today) voluntary certification of graduates of pedagogical universities and faculties is organized. In 2016, 140 people took part in it. Slightly more than half of the participants (55%) passed the certification, having received the corresponding document. The methodology and materials of the procedure have been improved, this year the number of participants has grown to 240 (this is 95% of those who will come to work at the school for the first time), and 77% have already received certificates.

- Thanks to this project, reliable information was obtained for pedagogical universities (what should be paid attention to in the training of future teachers) and for mentors of young specialists. Now we need to understand how to build a system for a comprehensive assessment of the quality of teaching work in general and how and, most importantly, who can assess the professional qualifications of a teacher.

The recruitment campaign is over. According to the rector of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, in 2017, there is an increase in the competition for pedagogical universities throughout Russia.

- Here is a fact - this year we have applicants who have no problems with professional orientation. Almost a third of applicants immediately brought the original certificates, before this figure was much lower.

According to Alexei Vladimirovich, a teacher is not a profession in the usual sense of the word, but a mission.

- Olga Vasilyeva, from the first days of her tenure as Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, declared the priority of pedagogical education and the teaching profession. How else can it be? After all, a teacher is an eternal profession, always in demand in society. And the state, and power, and society must turn their faces to the teacher.

The guest did not rule out that some of the "know-how" seen at KFU would be adopted at the Moscow university.

Our meeting is fruitful not so much for Kazan University, but first of all for our Moscow State Pedagogical University, to which I, as rector, want to return the status of the flagship of pedagogical education in the country.

Together we will be able to decide what modern Russian education is, what its promising models should be, and we will harmonize the unity of the general cultural, psychological, pedagogical and other components in the process of preparing a future teacher.

Alexey Vladimirovich Lubkov - Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Education.

On November 18, 2016, he was appointed acting Rector of the Moscow State Pedagogical University (since November 22, 2016). On May 23, 2017, at a conference of employees and students of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, he was elected rector of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Moscow State Pedagogical University". In accordance with the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated June 08, 2017 No. 12-07-03 / 79 Lubkov Alexey Vladimirovich was approved as the rector of the federal state budgetary educational institution of higher education "Moscow Pedagogical State University" from June 15, 2017.

In the Intellectual Center - the Fundamental Library of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, as part of a series of events aimed at developing and strengthening university and academic interaction between the leading educational and scientific centers of Russia and Belarus, the First Forum of the Association of Universities of Russia and Belarus "Science and Education" started today in the face of the great challenges of our time.

There are a few days left until the end of the main period of the unified state exam, the admission campaign will soon begin. The rector of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Academician Viktor Sadovnichy. Interviewed by Ekaterina Kalyapina.

The rector of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Viktor Sadovnichy, invited the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to give a lecture to students in Moscow. The head of the university spoke about this in an interview at the Sputnik Kazakhstan multimedia press center.

Mathematician, professor, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, rector of Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy celebrates his 80th birthday. He has come a long way from a mine worker to one of the most respected scientists in Russia and has been heading one of the most prestigious universities for 27 years.

The name of Viktor Antonovich Sadovnichy has been forever inscribed in golden letters in the history of Moscow University. At one time, an ordinary student of a rural school from a small village near Kharkov managed to overcome the path from an applicant to the permanent rector of the country's leading university. Over the years, more than one generation of students has passed through the walls of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, and for each of them the personality of Sadovnichy is inextricably linked with his native alma mater.

The main university of the country is Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov - will soon celebrate its 265th anniversary, and on April 3, its rector Viktor Sadovnichy, who has been in office since 1992, celebrates his 80th anniversary. He spoke about the past and present of the university, students of the future and new areas of training in an interview with TASS.

For several decades now, he has headed the legendary Lomonosov Moscow State University and has been surprisingly popular with students. Partly because, despite the high position, he himself continues to study and study. On his birthday, one of the country's most famous and respected rectors recalls his student years and tells how his mathematical mindset helps him.

Rector of Moscow State University Lomonosov, academician Viktor Sadovnichy, who turns 80 on Wednesday, said that the most important dream of his life had come true - he became a scientist, and he advised those who also want to devote themselves to science not to give up and "the wings will definitely grow."

On April 3, MSU Rector Viktor Sadovnichy turns 80 years old. Viktor Antonovich is one of the wisest people I have ever met in my life. Leading such a giant ship as Moscow State University for almost 30 years, he managed to lead it through all the crises and difficulties. But in the 1990s, there were even voices that Moscow State University should be privatized. But in this case, this could happen in general with all universities in the country. Sadovnichiy managed to defend and save Moscow State University, and in fact saved the state system of higher education. This is his great merit.

Headed the Russian School of Economics since 2015. Which of his accomplishments do you find most important?

- Professor Shlomo Weber headed the school at a time of crisis, when the school had very serious problems, both financial and organizational. His main merit can be called the fact that under him the situation at NES stabilized and the university returned to the correct development trajectory.

The school has resumed its normal academic activities, including scientific seminars and conferences, as well as the hiring of new professors. The role of the renewed International Committee of Advisers, which included a number of our most successful graduates working in foreign universities, has grown significantly. Cooperation with other universities, including foreign ones, has intensified. And most importantly, the atmosphere in the team has noticeably improved. Many thanks to him for this. My task now is to continue this development.

— From September 1, Shlomo Weber will become NES President, and Valery Makarov, who previously held this position, will become Honorary President. How will the roles be distributed between the president and the rector?

- The management of the school will remain in the hands of the rector and the board of directors. The main focus of the new president's work will be the establishment and development of partnerships, both with our colleagues at the Skolkovo hub and with regional and foreign universities.

— Please tell us about your key tasks as rector. What are the first three tactical and strategic steps you are planning?

— It is difficult to separate tactical steps from strategic ones. The most important global goal is keep the NES focus on the academic component. I am sure that now we are the best economic university in Russia, but the competition is growing. This in itself is very good, as it stimulates us to work even better. Moreover, we ourselves have put a lot of effort into helping our Russian colleagues. In our business, to stay in first place, you need to run forward at a wild speed. And if you look not only at the Russian, but also at the world market, then you need to run twice as fast.

Another major goal is ensure the financial stability of the school. The concrete steps are as follows: we need to strengthen the fundraising direction, as well as ensure the transparency of everything we do, build a more understandable reporting system. Including in matters relating to the management of the Endowment Fund (endowment), which was created to ensure the financial stability and independence of the school.

And the third important goal is increasing the role of graduates in school management and fundraising. Of course, God Himself ordered me to do this, since I am the first rector who graduated from NES. I would like to make the most of the knowledge, skills and experience of graduates in the management of the school, and, if possible, to attract their funds. In Western universities, graduates are often key donors. Although it is clear that in our case their smaller financial contribution is largely due to the youth of the School and, accordingly, the graduates. But I think there is room for improvement here.

— If everything planned is realized, what kind of NES do you see in a few years?

— For me, the most important value is the independence of NES. Therefore, the main thing we would like is that in a few years our university would be in a stable position, its professors and staff would be calm about the future and could concentrate on solving long-term problems. At the same time, the School still remained a leader in Russian economic education and science.

- Let's not hide the fact that the current situation is not the most favorable either in the economy or in international relations. Does this affect NES in any way?

“The current situation is indeed difficult. We exist in the legal field of Russia, but it is not very favorable for such small innovative universities as we are. We have to direct a significant part of the resources (which we could, in our opinion, spend on something more important) to stay in this legal field. This situation imposes some restrictions, but we have to live with it.

The international situation also narrows our possibilities. And the point is not only that we cannot attract funds from abroad (including the money of graduates) without the risk of being among foreign agents, but also that there are difficulties with the development of cooperation with foreign universities. This would be a big step forward for the school, but, unfortunately, at the moment, even in the east direction (in China), there are restrictions. All of these are technical things that show that we need to work harder.

— In February 2017 Skolkovo Educational Hub (aka Skolkovo Educational Center). It included NES, Skoltech, and the Skolkovo Business School. Do you plan to develop cooperation more actively?

— All participants of the hub consider cooperation very promising for themselves. For example, the Skolkovo Business School has accumulated good knowledge, skills and experience in soft skills, while we have in hard skills. Cooperation with Skoltech is possible on working with data - data science. Both we and they work with big data from different sides, they are more likely from the technical side, we are from the point of view of analytics. Here, too, the potential of this cooperation is obvious.

However, it is very important for us to establish relations with partners while maintaining full independence. In addition, since all three members of the hub are large and diverse organizations, there are many different legal issues that need to be addressed, so the process is moving slowly. Although the results are already there: for example, we recently reached an agreement with Skoltech that our students will be able to take courses from each other for free.

— How do you see the future of NES research centers? Will you actively open new ones?

- We do not plan to open new centers yet, but the current ones already play a big role. Thus, the Laboratory for the Study of Social Relations and Diversity of Society (LISOMO) not only conducts scientific research, but also develops our relations with universities in the regions, which is part of the mission of NES.

Of course, we would like to intensify the development of applied research. This is a very important direction for us (for various reasons), but here the efforts of our professors alone are clearly not enough for us.

— What research areas do you think are especially important to develop at NES now?

- In principle, the rector should not set the scientific direction, our professors are given complete academic freedom. My personal opinion is that now everything related to working with big data is developing very actively in economics. The concept itself is so popular that it can be called a hype - with the only difference being that there are real scientific prospects behind the big words. While theoretical research is still very important.

Increasingly, economists, like their counterparts in the natural sciences, are starting to work in laboratories. This is due to the fact that very technical requirements are growing very much, and economists often can no longer process information without the help of machine learning and big data specialists. For example, a project on health economics might involve economists, medical professionals, and IT professionals working together.

NES is also starting to move in this direction, and the example - a project with Interfax-Lab. Our colleagues have a large amount of data and qualified specialists who can process it, we have students and professors who ask meaningful questions about this data. The result is good interdisciplinary research. These are just the first steps, but this is a very promising model of cooperation.

— And the question that has been worrying all students, professors and staff for a long time: is NES planning to move to a new building?

“The only thing that can be definitely said here is that we will not move in the near future. To do this even in two years, you need to make a decision and start preparing now.

But the issue is obviously on the agenda. There are different options for where we can move, and one of them is the Skoltech building. But there is still construction going on, a change in the transport infrastructure is being prepared, and we have no idea what will eventually happen there. It is difficult to make a decision when the alternatives are not clear.

In addition, the question of where the school is located depends very much on various factors: on fundraising opportunities, on the opinion of students, professors, employees, and, finally, we are limited in choosing a building, because strict requirements are put forward for it when passing the state accreditation. In general, the decision to move affects all aspects of the life of the school, so this is one of the most complex and complex issues that have to be considered.

About personal plans

- For the last five years you have lived in Barcelona, ​​where you and your wife Maria Petrova hold professorial positions. You work at Pompeu Fabra University, which is ranked 11th in the world in the prestigious international ranking of "young" universities in the world . What made you return to Moscow?

“The desire to do something, to change the world. Leading an alma mater is, of course, an offer that cannot be refused.

— You graduated from School No. 57 in Moscow, the Faculty of Physics of Moscow State University and a master's degree in economics from NES. What did each of these formations give you?

— By the way, simultaneously with my studies at the Faculty of Physics, I attended classes at the evening department of the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University for two more years. Such an unusual educational combination helped me a lot in life, because, in my opinion, all the most interesting things in science are located at the junction of different areas.

The 57th school is very strong mathematically, it teaches to think clearly and formally. At the Faculty of Physics of Moscow State University, they showed me how to apply this clarity and formality to the real world. At the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University, I understood very well that people are more interesting to me than things - but in this area of ​​​​science, everything is much worse with the formality of knowledge.

Economics, from my point of view, turned out to be the perfect combination: it has strict analytical methods, but at the same time it analyzes the behavior of people. I am an empiricist, I am interested in data, and for me this combination does not happen better.

— After graduating from NES, you first entered the University of Michigan and then transferred to Harvard for a PhD program. Was the transition to American universities difficult?

— It was not difficult for me, because at NES the entire education system is built according to the Western model. We literally studied from the same textbooks. I could not take some courses in the PhD program, because I already knew them. In this regard, it was easy… In addition, the general approach, the relationship between students and professors at NES is much closer to what you see at universities like Harvard.

Subsequently, of course, I had to experience a very interesting transition from studying and endlessly taking courses to independent research work. This is a completely different kind of activity, and you suddenly get so much freedom that at first it is difficult to digest. But this is a specific feature of this particular educational level - PhD, and not a university.

— With such an education and specialty, you could make a career in business or civil service, like most NES graduates. But you chose the path to the academy. Why did you make this choice, and did you ever regret it?

- Each person should do what he is interested in. Although I rushed about in search of the “correct” science, I never doubted that my main interest was scientific research.

Part of my choice is due to the fact that I really value freedom, and in the academic environment, I managed to never have a boss. It's worth the difference in money between me and my fellow students who went the other way. So no, I never regretted it, but who knows, maybe I will. (laughs).

— The scope of your scientific interests is quite wide — political economy, media economics and the economy of developing countries. What determined this choice?

— Interest in political economy and media economics is naturally connected with the fact that I am from Russia. Personal experience is really important in the formation of scientific interests: what problems you see around you, that's what you do. For example, quite often Italians, Russians, Brazilians work in political economy, who have experienced major political changes in their countries and know how important this is. And Americans, for example, are more involved in taxes. Well, when you start working with different topics, you understand that, in general, the economic development of countries is, in the end, the most interesting thing.

— Do you plan to continue your active scientific activity, combining it with the administrative burden? Or take a little break?

- Of course, I will have to slow down the pace of scientific work. I will have much less time, but I think it is very important for me to continue in order to understand what is happening in my field. Well, in part this, of course, will be the problem of my co-authors (laughs). Apparently, I will do science at night. Luckily, at NES, I learned in practice to understand that time limits are flexible, and there are a lot of hours in a day.

- Will you continue teaching in the new academic year, will you conduct student research work?

— This year, I will teach a course in political economics in the Master of Economics program, and together with Olga Kuzmina I will teach applied microeconometrics at the NES and HSE Joint Bachelor’s programs. I will also have graduate students, but, of course, I will be able to take a limited number of students. Nevertheless, it seems to me important not to abandon both educational and research projects, because the rector needs to feel the main nerve, to understand what is happening at the school from the inside.

- You have a large family and recently had a fourth child. How do you hope to combine the success of all your work tasks with taking care of your family?

- It is clear that I will have to sacrifice the time that I spend with my family. From my point of view, this is the main price that will have to be paid for the rectorship. But there is a good saying that time is like a spring, if you press it, it compresses. And you will have to appreciate those moments with the family that will remain much more.

In addition, as I noticed, most of the time for me (and for many colleagues) is spent thinking about what needs to be done, worrying about what has not been done. The less time left for these reflections, the more you just do.

Biography

In 2001 he graduated with honors from the Faculty of Physics of Moscow State University. Lomonosov, and in 2002 - a master's degree from the Russian School of Economics. In 2008, he received a PhD in economics from Harvard University.

She has been working at NES since 2008, and since 2013 she has been a professor at Pompeu Fabra University (Spain). In 2012-2013 He worked at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University.

Rector of Moscow State University Academician V.A.Sadovnichiy
Interview to the correspondent of the magazine "Itogi"

We are tougher!

“Foreign experts call Moscow State University the leader among world universities in terms of the level of fundamental education. Almost all of our promising senior students receive a specific job offer from abroad while still studying,” says MSU Rector Viktor Sadovnichy.


There are three years left until the 250th anniversary of Moscow State University. By this date, the rector of the university Viktor Sadovnichy dreams of building a library for eight million volumes and purchasing new equipment for scientific experiments.

You may not be a student, but Tatyana's Day, celebrated on January 25, must be felt as your holiday. This is the opinion of Victor Sadovnichy, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, President of the Union of Rectors of Russia, Rector of Lomonosov Moscow State University, who does not forget about the problems of education in Russia even on holidays.

- Tatyana's day will pass, Viktor Antonovich, and what will remain of him tomorrow, except for the memory of the taste of your branded mead?

Yes, our mead is special, we brew it from natural honey, which Yuri Luzhkov gives us from his personal apiary ... And what will be left? A holiday is an occasion to look back, evaluate what has been done, and make new plans. We invite academicians working and teaching at Moscow State University to the celebration. There are 250 such people, a quarter of the payroll of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Gathered together, pundits not only exchange toasts, but talk about the problems of science and education. On January 25, we present the annual Lomonosov and Shuvalov Prizes, we name one hundred young scientists who will receive five thousand rubles monthly scholarships during the year, provided that they remain working in Russia.

- Remain?

We established the scholarships two years ago, and the form proved to be effective. Although, of course, the brain drain from the country continues. I don't have precise statistics, but I believe that 15 percent of those graduates whom we would like to keep, leave for the West. Some for a year, others forever. The most talented often emigrate. It is sad.

- So you meet Tatyana's day with tears in your eyes?

True, there is nothing to rejoice here, because, speaking of 15 percent, I name a certain average figure for Moscow State University, among graduates of the leading faculties - Mechanics and Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and a number of others - the number of those leaving is even higher. Almost all promising undergraduates receive a specific offer from abroad during their studies. The rest find themselves a job there - just look on the Internet.

- And what to do? Again with an iron curtain to fence off from the world?

It won't help. And exhortations will not save either. Many times I tried to explain to the guys that a heavenly life awaits them in the West, that their young brains, strength, ideas are needed there: they will squeeze it out like a lemon and throw it away. They're still going! America has now opened its doors to another 300 thousand emigrants, it needs mathematicians, programmers, physicists. Recently, I came across a report prepared by a specially created commission to President Bush on education reform in the United States with the very eloquent title "Before it's too late." One conclusion is drawn: the future of the States depends on the quality of mathematical and natural science education. And the quota of 300,000 "green cards" fits perfectly into the proposed scheme: they say, while we grow our own personnel, we can borrow ready-made specialists from our neighbors on the planet. In the United States, they realized that a sharp breakthrough is needed, otherwise there is a chance to fall behind.

- America understood it, and we?




- We continue empty debates, proving that higher education can be obtained in four years, and in three. In Russia today there are 3,200 universities and their branches, of which about three thousand - the vast majority! - just give the so-called easy education. Many stubbornly do not want to understand: you cannot call yourself an educated person in the 21st century if you cannot understand the Dow Jones index or work on a computer ...

By the way, the Americans are starting a second education reform. The first one was provoked by our satellite, which was ahead of the US satellite in the competition for entering the near-Earth orbit. Then they also focused on strengthening the fundamental sciences. And now it is planned to allocate billions of dollars to the education sector. The retraining of school teachers is coming, the writing of new curricula. Colossal work!

- And you say five thousand rubles a month ...

For us, this is an event. Anything is better than the fifteen hundred that a young specialist earns after graduating from Moscow State University. By the way, five thousand rubles is more than an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences receives. And the rector's salary is less than a hundred dollars. To be more precise - 2791 rubles 40 kopecks. Without academic scholarships and scientific grants, I probably would not have survived.

- Isn't the paid system of education in universities introduced so that teachers get more?

This is far from the main goal. The university is the most complicated economy, and we are forced to earn money on our own in order to pay utility bills and maintain the material base. Can you imagine how much the so-called heavy equipment for research in fundamental areas of science costs? A million dollars or more. From a million! No one gives us that kind of money for beautiful eyes. But, by the way, this is a common misconception that there are a lot of contractors at Moscow State University. We accept 4,000 applicants for the first year for free. Plus, we take about 500 on a contract basis - about ten percent of the total number of applicants. And this proportion is preserved in all faculties, except for the law, where the contract form is used only for obtaining a second education.

- And how much do you have to pay to be hired as a contractor?

From one and a half to three and a half thousand dollars a year. The amount depends on the faculty. But keep in mind: the contract form is offered only to those who passed the entrance exams on a general basis and lost a few points. We have the same requirements for contract students as for state students.

- Can you take it out?

Easy! If it doesn't make it, we dismiss it without hesitation. As they say, money is money, but the honor of Moscow State University is more precious.

- That's how it is, but, you must admit, Viktor Antonovich, the prestige of Russian education has fallen catastrophically in recent years.

Yes, we have lost a lot, but I am convinced that the worst is over. The situation is leveling out. If stability is maintained in society, we will return to the lost positions. And now everything is not so tragic. I have traveled all over the world, visited most of the leading universities, and I can firmly say that MSU still has no competitors in fundamental education. And this is not bragging.

- We "make" all their Harvards with Cambridges and Oxfords?

We are tougher! Absolutely right!

- Can you document this? Say, a reference to international ratings?

So I refer to them! According to the results of independent research by the American Gourmet Institute, Moscow State University is the world's leading university in terms of the level of fundamental education. There are also subjective assessments. The world-famous, one of the greatest mathematicians of our time, who emigrated with his family from the USSR to the USA twenty years ago and is now working in America on the organization of university education, asked me last year to follow up his grandson's admission to the Mechanics and Mathematics Department of Moscow State University. I could not resist asking: "Why are you tearing the boy away from his family, sending him from America to Moscow?" The answer was laconic: "The school is better here." The guy is capable, he studies in the first year.

- I don’t understand how we manage to keep the bar? I remember being in Berkeley, because there are more Nobel laureates than in the Soviet Union and independent Russia combined.

I know Berkeley. True, the university is strong, but the number of Nobel laureates is not everything. I do not want to delve into this topic, I can only say that the Iron Curtain also played a role, when our scientists were not seen at close range, and much more. In the end, you need to be able to receive an award. The Americans have mastered this art, we have not. However, I repeat, we are talking about something else. And with Berkeley I am ready to talk about fundamental education. I'm sure we won't give up. We lose in something else: in the equipment of natural science education, in equipment and devices, in materials for experiments, in the results of experiments, in communication lines. And most importantly - in money, in investments. We often boil in our own juice, reinvent the wheel, and the whole world feeds Americans with ideas.

- So, all the same capitulation?

In no case! The Russians don't give up. Let me give you one more figure: out of a hundred priorities in the fundamental areas identified by the scientific world, seventeen remain with Russia. On our side - traditions, school. And in terms of the number of gifted youth, we can still give odds. Another thing is that nuggets must be sought, grown. The true abilities of a person, his talent at the beginning of his life path are often hidden. Parents of applicants, young people constantly turn to me for advice. Ask for help in choosing a profession. I try to avoid giving hints. How can one give advice from the outside, if the person himself has not decided what his soul is for?

At Moscow State University there is a boarding school N 18, created more than a quarter of a century ago by Andrei Nikolaevich Kolmogorov. All expenses for training, meals, and accommodation for nonresident children in Moscow are covered by the university. Our professors give lectures to high school students, teachers regularly travel around the country, looking for young talents. And as a young assistant professor, I went on such business trips dozens of times. But finding talent, a nugget is not everything. It takes three or four years of communication with a person to understand what he is capable of. Sometimes you select a kid as a promising mathematician, and after a couple of years he has a craving for chemistry or physics. You can't guess here.

- It seems, Viktor Antonovich, it's time to talk about the role of the logarithm in the fate of an individual.

Are you hinting at my case? Alas, as a child, I was deprived of the opportunity to go to mathematical circles, and even more so to enter a boarding school at Moscow State University. I grew up in a small village in the Kharkiv region, and although the teachers tried to give us the maximum of what they themselves knew, the level of my preparation was not comparable to that in the capital. For example, I hardly taught chemistry - we didn't have a teacher. And in mathematics, I simply did not know about some sections. Let's say, only when I came to enter Moscow State University, I heard from the guys in the hostel about the existence of the logarithm ...

- And it was this question that, according to the law of meanness, caught you in the exam?

Of course. I told the truth: "I can't answer." The examiner spread his hands: what, they say, to talk about with an applicant of a mekhmat who hears about the logarithm for the first time? Then the teacher, apparently, took pity on the provincial and asked if I knew that this was the inverse function of the exponential. And I studied exponential at school, so I independently deduced the logarithmic function. For the exam, I was given a five, accepted to the faculty. And so it went: he graduated with honors from the Mekhmat, entered graduate school, defended his candidate's thesis ahead of schedule, wrote his doctoral thesis, became a professor, deputy dean for science, vice-rector...

- I understand correctly that you have only one entry in your work book?

Yes. Lomonosov Moscow State University. As he came here as an applicant in 1958, he never left. Even part-time never worked anywhere.

- I heard that you found a wife among classmates?

Moreover, we sat at the same desk! Ada Petrovna is also a mathematician, and the children followed in our footsteps - all three of them. Even our son-in-law and daughter-in-law are also professional mathematicians from Moscow State University!

- Do you live here, in a skyscraper on Sparrow Hills?

For twenty years now.

- Is the apartment prestigious?

By today's standards, no. Without a balcony, with a seven-meter kitchen and a small entrance hall... All the prestige is in the place, after all, you live at Moscow State University. By the way, about apartments. A few years ago, the topic of their privatization arose. I came out sharply against it, which made a lot of enemies. There were even appeals of residents to the court. I managed to prove that these apartments cannot be privatized, since Moscow State University is a single complex. Nothing is bought or sold here. If you want to exchange living space - please, but this is also with the consent of the rector. True, I cannot say that my own family is grateful to me for such a decision ...

I don’t pay attention to everyday inconveniences, I’m used to it, I like it here. At home, we are always full of people - students, graduate students, teachers. I like to receive guests, treat them, give gifts. January 25 will be a good occasion to accept, treat, and give ...


"In terms of the number of gifted young people, we can still give odds to the West," Viktor Sadovnichy is convinced. Students feel quite comfortable in the office of the rector of Moscow State University


Posted by Andrey Vandenko
Photo by Alexander Ivanishin

Interview with the Rector of the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosova V.A. Sadovnichim

It's no secret that the emergence of a new university is always an important event in the scientific and educational sphere of any country. And even more significant is the appearance of a branch of Moscow State University. This year, the branch of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov opened its doors for Yerevan listeners. On the 18th of September the Rector of the University Victor Antonovich Sadovnichy met with the first-year students. He addressed the students with a speech, wished them success in their studies and answered their questions. We also managed to ask Viktor Antonovich a few questions.

— You arrived in Yerevan last night.
What impression did the evening city make on you?

— I have not been to Yerevan for a long time, many years have passed. It was a very difficult time then: Armenia was under blockade, there were problems with electricity. And yet Yerevan seemed to be a very beautiful city. This time I didn't see much. We drove through the center, looked at the main square of the republic, saw some buildings. And here is the branch campus, so beautiful. It seemed to me that this is a different Yerevan. Another face of the city.
I'm glad things are changing for the better.

— Viktor Antonovich, how did you react to the proposal to open a branch in Yerevan?


- Of course, I immediately supported. But we must imagine that the creation of a branch in another country is a long process. The most important thing is responsibility. For example, we announced to everyone that the branch is open, students are recruited. What's next? It is no longer possible to close the branch, the guys will already consider themselves insulted. It was necessary to think over the trajectory so that the branch was opened, they could teach, they could live indefinitely. This required some interstate decisions, we have been doing this for quite a long time. Not everything is so simple, because it is associated with large financial investments. The main issue for us was to find a financial opportunity for the life of the branch. Now she has been found. We have agreed with private companies to make the branch full-fledged.

— What impressions did the students of our branch make on you?

- These are probably my grandchildren by age. Here you are, beautiful, look at me with smart little eyes. It pleases that in Armenia young people tend to think. The students are always wonderful. I love students.

So you think that we are not very different from our predecessors?

“Absolutely, exactly the same photos with the first course we had a month ago, all the same mischievous, young, ambitious, energetic.

— What are your plans for the further development of the university? Will there be more branches?

— We have six branches, five of them abroad, one in Sevastopol. More MSU does not intend to create branches in the near future. We do not set the task of the commercial component, we set the task of training, therefore, before creating a branch, we calculate how it will live in the future, because creating a branch and thinking that it will live on tuition fees is only a commercial basis . MSU doesn't do that. We always hope that the guys could study for the country, at the expense of the country's budget, or at least that Moscow State University would not have any profit from this. We do not have a penny of profit, we only deposit our funds into the branch. This is a very responsible decision. Moscow State University, in my opinion, is the only university in Russia that does not create branches in order to get something, to earn money. And he creates only in order to give knowledge, skills, programs.