Russia to train experts in innovation projects

Russia will now on be training experts in working out and implementing innovation projects, i.e. in reducing scientific inventions to practice.

Russian Deputy Education Minister Yury Shlenov said this at the Novosti agency Friday as addressing a presentation of the magazine V Mire Nauki (In the World of Science), which is the Russian edition of America's popular Scientific American magazine.

Mr Shlenov admitted that the education ministry was facing a lot of problems related to the updating of the education system. One of these problems is poor connection between education and science and industry.

The ministry has therefore to draw up a programme of what is known as innovation education. "The programme will be part and parcel of the emerging national innovation system-the core of Russia's economic development," said the deputy minister.

The ministry has already set up 14 research support centres, each of which receives $7 million (Russia and the US on a par). 300 young postgraduates have received research grants.

Besides, the education ministry has started drawing up the list of the country's leading universities taking into account their contribution to the development of innovation programmes. These universities will be entitled to extra funding, emphasised Mr Shlenov.