Sergei Tsivilev spoke about the advantages of engineering education at the Znanie.Science marathon

Family values, the traditions of the Russian engineering school, and the strengthening of technological sovereignty — these were among the key topics discussed by the Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, Sergei Tsivilev, with young people during his talk at the Znanie.Science marathon at the National Centre RUSSIA on 30 October. The event was organised by the Russian society "Znanie" and the Moscow Polytechnic University with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. It is dedicated to the Decade of Science and Technology.

During his lecture, Sergei Tsivilev actively engaged young people in discussion. The conversation began with reflections on family values.

"In every family, we must raise the level of education, nurture children in traditions, teach and pass on skills to the next generations. Then the family will live long, grow, and keep improving — this is the right way. And all of us together are one big family," said Sergei Tsivilev.

For the state, just as for a family, it is essential to develop human potential. This also applies to the fuel and energy sector, which accounts for 20 per cent of the country’s GDP and requires new specialists.

"Our goal is to train 300,000 people by 2030 in the traditions of the Russian engineering school — people with a high level of intellect, capable of dreaming, creating, implementing, and building," noted Sergei Tsivilev. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The Minister added that new technologies are developing very rapidly and require vast amounts of electricity. The country’s ability to meet this demand will determine its future growth — and Russia has all the necessary resources for this. Two more strategic objectives for the near future, he said, are technological sovereignty and technological leadership.

"The collective West cut us off from technologies in an instant because we were developing fast. Our engineers, scientists and industrial specialists faced the challenge of creating technological sovereignty — and they have almost succeeded. We now control over 70 per cent of our technologies. They have been significantly modernised — they no longer just match foreign ones, but surpass them. And we continue to move forward. Soon, we will have 100 per cent of the technologies that exist today. But focusing only on current technologies means falling behind. That’s why President Vladimir Putin has tasked us with achieving technological leadership — creating technologies that do not yet exist but will soon become as vital as the current ones," said Sergei Tsivilev.

In the near future, the Minister of Energy is confident, engineering training will be essential for professionals in almost every field. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

"When we encourage young people to enter engineering classes, it doesn’t mean they will only be able to become professional engineers. It means that studying in such classes will help them in the future. Whether you choose medicine, agriculture, or law — an engineering education will make it easier. The main thing is to choose a profession you love and enjoy. But engineering training will help you in any path you take and make your work easier," Sergei Tsivilev believes.

At the end of his talk, the statesman thanked the students for taking part in the marathon: "The greatest value in our lives is you. We want you to be successful and ready for life. We want our Russian traditions — and, of course, the traditions of the Russian engineering school — to never be broken. Then our state will live forever," concluded Sergei Tsivilev.

The Znanie.Science marathon takes place on 30–31 October 2025 in Moscow at the National Centre RUSSIA. The marathon brings together more than 5,000 schoolchildren, students and young scientists from 82 Russian regions and from Abkhazia. Its programme includes four tracks: "Science in Action: From Theory to Breakthrough", "Science and Technologies of the Future: Horizons of New Discoveries", "Heroes of Progress: Profession — Scientist", and "Science as Art: Popularising Scientific Knowledge". In addition to lectures and open dialogues, the marathon features scientific experiments, masterclasses and intellectual quizzes with prizes from the Russian society "Znanie". During the event, a new television channel, "Znanie", will also be launched — it will broadcast 24/7 via the Trikolor operator.