In a week, the election campaign will start in the republic, and the Rector of M. K. Ammosov NEFU Evgenia Mikhailova will run for deputy of the State Assembly of Yakutia. We asked Evgenia Isaevna what purposes does she pursue in the parliament and is she going to leave the University if elected.
To the Parliament for the Good of the University
- Evgenia Isaevna, did you decide to change the rectorship of NEFU for the deputy's seat?
- No, not at all. I must confess that I value my work at the University, and I have some big plans linked to NEFU. Moreover, I am going to Il Tumen exactly as the Rector, I see that now there was a lack of me in the State Assembly as to supporting of NEFU and higher education in general.
- In other words, you have lobbying purposes, do you?
- Yes, and I do not see anything wrong. For example, in 2006, YSU was the only university that adopted a development program by the President of the Republic and the Minister of Education. In the State Assembly, the program became a national law, and now NEFU need such laws. There are issues of the Republican state order for specialists training, and in this field today, there are no deputies to defend the interests of the university at the parliament. However, beyond that, an outlook, an education, a work experience in the executive branch will allow me to work actively as a deputy in other questions of legislation.
- Nevertheless, your decision surprised many people…
- Honestly, for the first time I received an offer to run back in 2011 and then I immediately refused it, the University took away all my time. Then I realized that I needed to go to Il Tumen exactly for the tasks facing the University.
- And one more question on this topic. Are you ready that your opponents are sure to accuse you of bringing the university resources, putting pressure on students that they will be literally forced to vote for you?
- It is impossible to avoid such charges. Let us just count - on September 8, many students still will have a practice, will be in the regions, and will vote at the place of their practice. The first-year students just have entered, they are under 18 years old, they will not vote. Therefore, about three thousands students will be at this time in the hostels and will vote in the University district. There are 18,000 voters in the district, 14,000 people voted in the last election in 2012, so students do not give any priority.
Besides that, I have been working as a rector for three years, and before that I was a vice-president and Minister of Education, and head of the Education Department, so parents of pupils from the 14th, 17th, 20th and 31st schools are much larger resource than students are.
To Cultivate a Personality
- You have mentioned the state order. In addition to professional training, is there order from the State to Federal University on the ideological education of citizens, shall we say, loyal to their state?
- We do not have specifically formulated order by the government, but there is a stated mission by the decision of the staff of the University, according to which, we should not just prepare professional staff, but also to cultivate a personality. It is a person who will not only learn, but also understand and uphold the cultural values and political interests of his/her country.
- How is it accomplished?
- Today, we are proud that every fifth student is actively engaged in student self-government bodies. Now there are 20 such organizations in NEFU and the Council of Intellectual Development, whereas before there was only the trade Union of Students. Largely because of this, we have received status of the university friendly to their students. In addition, participation in scientific conferences is more active now; for the second year running, we take the Grand Prix in the main conference for us in M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University.
- In other words, the training level of our students complies with a standard of MSU, one of the central universities.
- I would say more, in January, our students went to the winter examination period in Moscow State University on a completely new program "Mathematics +" and made a good impression. Moreover, Moscow professors and lecturers expressed a desire to become tutors for our students. In addition, in spring, a group of our students went to France, and the French are considered the world's best mathematicians.
- But is this some kind of one-time actions?
- No, that is just the beginning. Generally, NEFU has two ways to go. We can have only Bachelor’s programme, and then our bachelors will study in some venerable rated universities. On the other hand, which is more preferable, we will have Master's programme and the system of dual certification. This is when, for example, a student studies in Yakutsk for six of eight semesters and in Cambridge for two other semesters, as a result he has a double diploma, of NEFU and Cambridge. By the way, next year we will have the first students, who received double diplomas.
- Of course, the idea is good, but is there any reason for planning such close contact with Cambridge, for example?
- It is already becoming a reality. We have, in terms of international relations, about ten big joint projects in the work. These are with Cambridge, Universities of France, South Korea, Japan, and Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany. By the way, we have a project to study ecosystem of water bodies with this institution, the first significant result is that scientists from Germany recognized Big Lake Tocco in Yakutia as the world's only unique relic lake. In addition, a number of projects have a specific applied character, for example, our scientists develop low-temperature lubricants with Korean colleagues, oil companies are interested in this project, etc.
We do not need translators
- Continuing the theme of scientific work at the university, is there a creation of a research center in your plans that will not only prepare specialists, but also will become a source of new technologies and innovation in the republic?
- It is exactly what we plan - leading scientific centers of the Far East in six areas. Most probably, we seriously advanced in medicine. In summer, all the laboratories have to start working, among which there will be the only genomic laboratory in the Far East, the center will provide medical services and introduce new medical technologies.
- May it be assumed that the equipment at the center is more serious and modern than even in the leading medical institutions of the republic?
- Yes, of course. We were preparing our specialists to work on this equipment; they were trained abroad and received international certificates. In addition, even Sergey Kravtsov, Head of Projects and Programs Department of Ministry of Education visited the University. All documentation of the equipment and all programs were in English, and Sergey asked about a translation. Our teachers proudly answered that they easily can read and understand a text in English. Now 71 % of our teachers are fluent in foreign languages, it is so-called academic mobility when there is no language barriers to participate in international scientific activities. In general, Sergey Kravtsov said he had not seen such medical research centers in any other University in the country.
Half of budget for communal services
- Does the University earn money this way, as far as I understand?
- Yes, of course. We, as an autonomous institution, should earn money for competitions, grants, some developments for the economy.
- By the way, what budget does the University have?
- We earned about 6 billion rubles. But we, as an autonomous institution, unlike the budget organizations do not have to spend all received funds in the same year, something can be postponed for next year, so the word "budget" is not quite right.
- But do you still largely depend on state funding?
- Not exactly as many people think. For example, the state order for training of about 3 thousand people each year is a subsidy that we receive on a competitive basis. This year the order by the Republic is for 300 specialists, each will be paid for training from the republic budget, it is about 200 thousand rubles per student a year.
- So, is it the cost of student training?
- Yes. By the way, when some people talk about how the University “fleece” poor students for the commercial places, they forget that two-thirds of the amount needed for training on a commercial basis is still covered by the state, in this case, by the Government of the Russian Federation.
Nevertheless, once again, in the course of the reorganization, there was a commercialization of the university, and in this direction, we focus on science and on small innovative enterprises, there are 19 of them already and 8 more on the way. Now the University is a full-fledged autonomous institution with its income items.
- What about the expenses? On what does the University spend most in addition to salaries and other things?
- There is one number for the current year - about 300 million rubles will be spent on communal services, electricity, heating, etc. Before, a subsidy calculated about 90 % of the expenses, that is, 10% were short-changed. Now 50 % are not taken into account. Last year we spent 23 million rubles for the Internet only, also, we have free wi-fi for students and teachers. Therefore, we have to tackle economic issues seriously.
Two more times again
- And finally, in theory, if you go to parliament and leave the University, will you be able to say that everything planned is achieved within three years?
- We have a development program up to 2020, so you need two more times for three years to sum up the results. In general, the program is divided into three phases and the first phase we completed even with some advance. We did the reorganization, merged YSU, Yakutsk State Institute of Engineering & Technology, Teacher Training Academy, and four research institutes. It went organically, and the volume of scientific papers actually has increased, funding has increased, as I have said already, serious international contacts are established. NEFU is built and repaired, modern science equipment is created. We had a review of the financial and economic activity, which was good, but some of the "tails" of old economy remain. Expert Commission of Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation checked the progress of the University development program and gave us high marks, so, we can say that the objectives of the first phase are achieved. However, it is still only the initial part, and it cannot be compared to the tasks that lie ahead in 2020. It would be desirable to take the process faster, more active, maybe I am idealizing something, but I think the goals are quite achievable. NEFU indeed is going to be a scientific and educational center at the federal level for the whole of the Far East.
"Yakutia"
AUTHOR: Vitaly Andrianov
Posted in № 96 of 31 May 2013.
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