ITMO University
“Programming Technologies” Department

Conversation with Dmitry Medvedev, the President of Russia May 6, 2009

Vladimir Parfenov: Maxim, say how you work.

Maxim Buzdalov: I work as chief laboratory assistant in Information Systems Department. I am somewhat paid there. Some more money I get for conducting Internet Olympiads organized by our university. And there is yet another peculiar financial source. In our university we have a movement “Save the best for the universities!” Its purport is the following: if IT companies entice away the most talented students, there will be just no one left in the university to teach the next generation. Thus it is more effective to save the best ones in the university, so that they could teach the new employees for the industry. Basically, the universities are not the most attractive job opportunities as of now.

Dmitry Medvedev: Sure.

Maxim Buzdalov: So it seems rational that the IT companies should support such specialists in universities, who teach students and do research. And companies should fully support the gifted students and specialists.

Dmitry Medvedev: This is a good thing, actually. That is, the target is that IT companies should not employ the well-educated and most talented ones, but sponsor them, so that they can stay in the university and save the intellectual environment. It is a good idea. Above all, the companies should be ready for that, so the main question is in their financial abilities.

Maxim Buzdalov: Not all companies understand the advantages of this approach.

Dmitry Medvedev: You do the elucidative work, don’t you? This is fair.

Maxim Buzdalov: Yes, we do this work.

Vladimir Parfenov: Successfully.

Dmitry Medvedev: Right you are! In fact, not all Russian companies understand the advantages. They are a little bit out of line, frankly speaking.