Dialogue "Questions of Generations": the Far East is the most attractive part of the country

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Rapid career growth, high scholarships, promising fields of study, and much more make the Russian Far East an appealing macroregion for study, work, and life. This conclusion was reached by experts during the dialogue "Questions of Generations", held as part of the Far Eastern Regions Days in Moscow at the National Centre RUSSIA on 21 November.

The dialogue between school students from the central regions of Russia and the first speaker, Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District Grigory Kuranov, took place in the format of an interactive quiz.

"The students were a very pleasant surprise. Despite our constant criticism that young people are supposedly not the same, what pleased me most was their attitude towards the country. To the questions ‘who would you like to become’ and ‘what is the main task of the state’, the main answers were development, service, self-fulfilment, and defence of the country. Not every audience reacts in such a way," said Grigory Kuranov following the meeting.

Elvira Nurgalieva, Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, presented a brief history of the discovery and development of the Far East and outlined the main priorities and vectors of its progress. She stressed that today the macroregion is a unique place where one can build a successful career very quickly.

"The Far East covers 40% of Russia’s territory, while only 5% of the population lives there. People who chose to live and work here have always been those who possess courage, know how to take risks and act while overcoming difficulties. The Far East concentrates a huge number of resources and opportunities. The special policy pursued by the state contributes to its accelerated development — improving the quality of life, opening new enterprises and transforming cities. This is why the region has an acute need for specialists," said Elvira Nurgalieva.

According to her, the Far East has seen the creation of unique infrastructure in recent years. Among them is the cross-border bridge across the Amur River "Blagoveshchensk — Heihe", which connects Russia and China and has no equivalents in the world; the Vostochny Cosmodrome; the Amur Gas Processing Plant; and many others. These major enterprises offer specialists the opportunity not only to earn but also to work for the benefit of the entire country, making a significant contribution to the economy.

Sofia Malyavina, Director General of the ANO "National Priorities", noted that the Russian Far East comprises 11 regions with around 40 universities and more than 300 colleges, where 25 clusters have been opened under the "Professionalitet" ("Profession Degree") Federal Project. Universities offer more than 20,000 state-funded study places, provide comfortable learning conditions and are developing world-class university campuses in the Primorye region, Yakutsk, and Magadan.

"One of the advantages of studying in the Far East is its proximity to Asia. Cooperation with these countries is actively growing, and many joint projects are being carried out. Universities of the Far East offer a wide range of unique study programmes. One can train to become an oceanographer, volcanologist, navigator or spacecraft engineer. What other advantages are there? Increased scholarships — since 2024, a scholarship of 30,000 roubles per month has been introduced for top students of the Far East, which is a strong start to an academic career. Direct links between universities and employers — all major companies operate in the regions of the Far East," said Sofia Malyavina.

According to her, students are better off learning Chinese, as only 7% of Chinese citizens speak English. Meanwhile, students from China, India and neighbouring regions are also enrolling in Far Eastern universities, creating opportunities to study in an international environment and take part in joint projects that will contribute to Russia’s development.

"The Far East is closer than it seems. It truly is. At least once a year it becomes very close — here, in Moscow. And, of course, one can visit the exposition ‘Far Eastern Regions Days’ at the National Centre RUSSIA. The simplest way to learn about the Far East is to speak with the people who work there today and contribute to its development in accordance with the objectives set by the country’s leadership. Let me remind you that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has repeatedly said: ‘the development of the Far East is Russia’s top national priority for the entire 21st century’," said the moderator, Deputy Director General of the Polylog Consulting Group Nikita Setov.

Nikolai Tabashnikov, member of the Russian Television Academy and member of the Russian Geographical Society, told the school students about the region’s tourism opportunities, rare and interesting professions found only in the Far East, and presented the contest for the best journey across the Far East and the Arctic, "The Far East — the Land of Adventures".

"Tourism in the Far East is now growing at an incredible pace, but it is not only the tourism industry that is growing. The Far East is a macroregion that will develop very actively in the coming years. Few regions in our country can boast such investments, such state programmes and such career development opportunities. Therefore, of course, the Far East is undoubtedly a symbol of uniqueness and a symbol of the most diverse opportunities for the younger generation!" he said.

Renowned writer, screenwriter, producer and public figure Oleg Roy spoke about his project "The Land of Happiness" and multimedia projects dedicated to the Far Eastern and Arctic regions, which allow children from an early age to discover the greatness and diversity of our Motherland.

"As soon as a child begins to hear anything, they should begin travelling across our great country — first through books, cartoons, theatre productions and films. The hall today, filled with children and teenagers, was deeply engaged with the videos, books and information we presented, and the students understood that this is exactly the toolkit they need right now," the writer noted.

In addition, the National Centre RUSSIA is hosting the exposition "Days of the Far Eastern Regions". A thematic exposition has been installed in the western entrance hall. Guests are introduced to the accelerated development of the Far Eastern regions, support programmes for young families and students, cultural legacy, the feats of heroes of the Far East, the implementation of national projects and the patriotic education of young people.