Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the concept of the “Network University of Fundamental Technologies” project, developed with the participation of the MEPhI. The future network university will allow students from anywhere in the world to have access to the knowledge, experience, technologies of Russian science cities and will help solve the problem of retaining qualified personnel in the regions of Russia.

The concept of the project was presented to the President at a meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) by Dmitry Peskov, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Digital and Technological Development, Director of the Young Professionals Department of ASI.

“We consider it necessary to unpack the potential of still Soviet science cities and nuclear cities through the project “Network University of Fundamental Technologies”. And we ask you to support the initiative to work in the next six months with the Ministry of Education and Science and to create just such a network form together with ROSATOM. It would have been expensive in the past, but today the number and networks make it cheaper. And of course, there will be a huge social effect, because young people will want to stay in science cities, in nuclear cities. This will be a great incentive for their development there,” – he said.

According to Vladimir Putin, the information provided on the project of the University of Science Cities was very interesting.

"We will definitely support it!" – he noted.

Preliminary discussions of the concept of the network university project took place on the educational track "High-tech territories" as part of the project and educational intensive "Archipelago 2121" in July 2021. They were attended by both MEPhI employees and a number of invited experts. The discussion continued at a special panel session at the Congress of Young Scientists, which took place in Sochi on December 8-10, 2021.

“We support the project of the network university of fundamental science and technology and are ready to participate in its further development and implementation. For MEPhI, as an educational institution focused on STEM education of the highest quality, it is valuable not only to participate in the preparation of the concept, but also to donate competencies, technologies and methods of transferring fundamental and engineering knowledge and skills. We regard this project as an interesting tool for the development of our branch network in the cities where ROSATOM is present. It is symbolic that we are starting the creation of such a network university in the Year of Science and Technology and will continue this work in the next year, declared by the UN as the International Year of Basic Sciences,” said Rector of MEPhI Vladimir Shevchenko.

In the next six months, MEPhI will take part in a detailed study of the "Network University of Fundamental Technologies" project.