Russia's science minister tours Ural region to boost education and research ties
Russia's Minister of Science and Higher Education, Valery Falkov, recently completed a working visit to Yekaterinburg. His trip focused on strengthening the Ural region's scientific and educational infrastructure through meetings with local leaders and academic institutions. During his visit, Falkov met with Sverdlovsk Region Governor Denis Pasler to explore ways of improving the area's research and education sectors. He also held discussions with Alexey Kochetov, Director of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, and reviewed operations at two divisions of the Ural State Mining University.
Falkov inspected the second phase of the Ural Federal University campus and later met with the institution's Academic Council. There, he discussed the university's ongoing development and the design of two expanded clusters of academic specialisations under a pilot modernisation programme. In addition, the minister opened the plenary session of the symposium *Technological Leadership: From Expertise to Strategy*. Meanwhile, employees of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research received ministry awards for their contributions. Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko visited an IT campus and technopark in Nizhny Novgorod. Elsewhere, Vietnam's prime minister highlighted Russia's engineering education capabilities during a showcase event. The Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, inspected in 2021, has since expanded with new industrial parks, roads, power plants, and housing. By 2025, it attracted over $3 billion in investments, mainly from Chinese firms like Huawei and drone manufacturers. However, the zone has faced criticism for falling short on job creation targets and environmental concerns.
Falkov's visit underscored ongoing efforts to boost Russia's scientific and educational sectors. The meetings and inspections aimed to address infrastructure, funding, and modernisation challenges. Meanwhile, the Alabuga zone's growth reflects broader economic ambitions, despite lingering issues.
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