Yesterday, at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), a regular meeting of the institute Board of Trustees was held, under the chairmanship of Arkady Dvorkovich, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. At the meeting Edward Crawley, Skoltech President, delivered a report about the development of the Institute and work of the Centers for Research, Education and Innovation (CREIs), the Skoltech operating plan and budget for 2016 were approved.
Pekka Viljakainen, Co-Chairman of the International Advisory Committee of the Institute, delivered a report to Board members on the recent independent evaluation of Skoltech. Viljakainen noted a significant progress in the integration of research, education and innovation components of Skoltech since the previous independent evaluation in 2014. The report of the International Committee provides recommendations to optimize the work of Skoltech, CREI development and expansion of collaboration of the Institute with leading international and Russian research & educational centers.
The Board discussed the results of collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and decided to extend the collaboration with MIT for the next period. Participation of MIT in the establishment of Skoltech led to the creation of all the main elements of a modern innovative university at Skoltech. Board members highly assessed the MIT report, delivered by Richard Lester, MIT Associate Provost for international activities.
Within expansion of collaboration with Russian universities, the Board members endorsed Skoltech management’s proposals to partner with Innopolis University, a new educational center of international level, developing in Tatarstan.
Professor Arden L. Bement, Chairman of the Committee on Projects and Plans, delivered a report on the work of certain research centers and gave recommendations on the support of their activities in 2016. Thus, centers for Information Technology, quantum materials and space technology were endorsed.
Significant changes occurred in the body of the Skoltech Board of Trustees. Mr. Herman Gref, President and Chairman of the Board of Sberbank of Russia gave his place to Mr. Valery Katkalo, Dean of Sberbank Corporate University. This appointment is to support cooperation between the two universities. Prof. Tony F. Chan, President of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, was also introduced into the Board. Professor Chan replaced Professor Pan Yunhe, former president of Zhejiang University (China). MIT Professor Richard Lester, MIT Associate Provost for international activities, joined the Board in order to further support the implementation of collaboration with MIT. Professor Lester replaced Professor John Mark Deutch, who represented MIT in the Skoltech Board on the first phase of collaboration. A new member of the Board of Trustees is Professor Stanislav Smirnov, the well-known mathematician, winner of the Fields Medal.
The next meeting of the Skoltech Board is scheduled for March 2016.
Media contacts – Alexander Zolotarev, +7 916 686 73 34, , https://www.skoltech.ru
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The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) is a private graduate research university in Skolkovo, Russia, a suburb of Moscow. Established in 2011 in collaboration with MIT, Skoltech educates global leaders in innovation, advances scientific knowledge, and fosters new technologies to address critical issues facing Russia and the world. Applying international research and educational models, the university integrates the best Russian scientific traditions with twenty-first century entrepreneurship and innovation.
Contact information:
Skoltech Communications
+7 (495) 280 14 81
