YUKOS program trains future political leaders

The philanthropic organization Open Russia conducted its first seminar on 'authority, business and society' in Zelenogorsk as part of the School of Public Politics program. Open Russia was created by Russian oil company YUKOS shareholders and a group of individuals to develop a liberally democratic society. The School of Public Politics is one of several projects sponsored by Open Russia to educate and train a new generation of politicians, public figures and also gradually introduce new and civilized rules for public life.

The school in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region has become the eighth school in the organization. This autumn the school began its work in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, Voronezh, Rostov, Astrakhan, Irkutsk and Altay. Approximately 60 such schools are planned to be built throughout the country.

Open Russia Seminar Director Alexander Osovtsov said 'the main goal of the schools is to bring together all social leaders around one table and give them the opportunity to state their opinions and converse with other leading experts and together find solutions to contemporary problems.