An open dialogue with Dmitry Chernyshenko took place at the National Centre RUSSIA

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On December 26, the National Centre RUSSIA hosted an open dialogue "100 Questions About the Future of Russia" with Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation who oversees the achievement of national goals aimed at realizing the potential of every citizen and fostering patriotic and socially responsible individuals.

The main topic of today’s meeting was opportunities for self-fulfillment.

Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that this year marks the conclusion of the national projects "Education" and "Science and Universities." These initiatives have laid a solid foundation for the new national project "Youth and Children," focused on unlocking talents and creating opportunities for the children and youth of our country.

"In 2025, we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. President Vladimir Putin has declared the upcoming year as the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland. It is important to understand that Defenders of the Fatherland have always existed in our country. Russia has always protected its sovereignty and values and has never betrayed them. Today, we must honor and thank the heroes of the Special Military Operation, who ensure our sovereignty and defend our values. We will also discuss this topic, as the theme of the meeting is 'Self-Fulfillment,' which, without exaggeration, is the meaning of life for every individual. I am confident that you understand your task correctly, and together we approach our contribution to the country's development with responsibility to make it as significant as possible," the Deputy Prime Minister addressed the participants.

This year, more than 60% of 9th-grade graduates chose to enroll in college as the starting point of their career paths. Thanks to the "Professionality" project, 370 modernized colleges have been launched over the past two years.

One of the effective tools is the annual professional skills championships for individuals with disabilities and limited health capabilities (LHC), "Abilympics." 

The rights of students with disabilities and LHC to preferential admission to state-funded spots in colleges and universities are legally secured. Special attention is given to Heroes — participants in the Special Military Operation. All participants in the SMO also have the right to free education at universities and colleges across the country.

Among the demanded professions, there will be both technical and humanitarian fields.

The "Rural Teacher" program assists in addressing staffing issues for educators. Teachers are provided with one-time financial support: 1 million rubles for those relocating to work in rural schools, and 2 million rubles for those moving to the Far Eastern Federal District. Starting in 2025, the payment will increase to 2 million rubles for educators moving to work in the new regions. By the President's directive, a pilot project will be launched next year in certain regions to implement new wage systems for education workers.

Answering a question from Chinese citizen Kan Wanfeng about international youth cooperation, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized our country's view of China as a long-term strategic partner.

"Our economic cooperation is advancing by leaps and bounds, with an annual trade turnover exceeding $240 billion. Humanitarian cooperation is also crucial. Cross-years of Russia and China are being announced. A significant number of young people from China participated in the World Festival of Youth held at 'Sirius.' Over 20,000 young people from more than 180 countries attended, and it was evident that they share common values with Russia," Dmitry Chernyshenko noted.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, volunteering is a serious and challenging endeavor. For example, volunteers assist during the SMO and in addressing the aftermath of emergencies, such as tanker accidents in the Kerch Strait. 

Discussing the development of gifted children, Dmitry Chernyshenko highlighted the important work carried out by the 'Talent and Success' Educational Foundation and its 'Sirius' Educational Centre. Additionally, by Vladimir Putin's directive, 12 'Flagship Schools' will be established in each federal district of the country by 2030."

Children from all over Russia can visit the International Children's Centre 'Artek.' On average, around 5.5 million children spend their summer in recreational and wellness camps across the country. This year, funding for the children's recreation program amounted to 83 billion rubles — 15 billion more than the previous year. A program for modernizing children's camps is being implemented.

Currently, following the President's directive, active work is underway on the project for the Strategy for the Development of Education until 2036, with a prospective horizon extending to 2040. It is expected to help harmonize educational programs with curricula and create an institute for free additional development options for schoolchildren.

Artificial intelligence should be viewed as an assistant, and learning to use it effectively is essential. International analysts report that the majority of students and teachers are already using AI. However, only 20% of them possess strong user skills.

It is critically important for our large language models to be trained on our own data. This work is underway.

"Russia is one of the global leaders in developing artificial intelligence technologies. We have exceptionally strong mathematics, unique models, and our own neuroprocessors, which operate on entirely different principles. These technologies are truly designed to ensure our technological leadership and sovereignty in all senses — financial, economic," noted Dmitry Chernyshenko. 

At the beginning of next year, a special agency called SAPFIR will be established under the Skolkovo Foundation.

President Vladimir Putin has gifted the world the concept of phygital — a format now supported in 106 countries. The baton for our Games of the Future tournament has already been taken up by other countries: in 2025, the Games will be held in the UAE, and in 2026 in Kazakhstan. Nizhny Novgorod has been chosen as the capital of the Phygital Games in 2025. Additionally, infrastructure is being developed nationwide, with the opening of phygital centers.

In conclusion of the open dialogue "100 Questions About the Future of Russia. Self-Realization," Dmitry Chernyshenko discussed values with participants, emphasizing the importance of family.

The series of open dialogues "100 Questions About the Future of Russia" at the National Centre RUSSIA focuses on the national development goals of the country for the period up to 2030 and beyond to 2036. Participants include representatives of federal executive bodies of the Russian Federation, regional speakers, members of the business community, public organizations and associations, and experts in various fields.

The National Centre RUSSIA was established by order of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to preserve the legacy of the International RUSSIA EXPO and to showcase the achievements of the country and its citizens on a permanent basis. Federal government agencies, state companies, corporations, and regions take part in the Centre’s work.

The National Centre RUSSIA is located at 14 Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment, Moscow. The Centre is open from 10:00 to 20:00 every day except Monday.