Science

 St. Petersburg is a largest scientific centre of Russia, 11% of the country's scientific potential is concentrated here. Today about 14% of all Russian researchers work at scientific and educational institutions. Over 8% of all Russian students, 13% of postgraduate students and 15% of doctoral students study in St. Petersburg.

Today in St. Petersburg are around 600 research institutions, among them:

• about 200 federal research institutions, including 12 federal research centres;
• 73 academic research institutions;
• over 70 research and higher education institutions;
• about 250 research institutions of the entrepreneurial sector.

The total number of employees engaged in the scientific sphere of the city is more than 184 thousand people, among them about 40 thousand people have Doctor of science and PhD degrees, including person working for doctorate and postgraduates. The amount of financial support to research carried out by the institutions of the St. Petersburg is over 20 billion roubles.

9 innovation and technology centres, established under the auspices of higher education institutions and research institutes. These centres housing 160 small innovations companies have a total amount of science-intensive production exceeding 2,2 billion roubles per year. The total number of employees in these companies is more than 4,5 thousand people, the output per employee is about 490 thousand roubles per year.

4 University Engineering Pools, which implement research and innovation projects developed by scientists of the higher school. 5 Centres for ensure increasing the efficiency of utilization of expensive engineering equipment at institutions of the higher school.

In St. Petersburg there are 52 state-run higher educational establishments, 20 military higher educational institutions, 47 non-governmental higher educational establishments, 78 institutions of secondary vocational education. About 100 institutions of subsidiary professional education are under the authority of Committee on Science and Higher Education. The number of students exceeds 520 thousand.

The teaching staff of universities, technical schools and colleges counts about 30 thousand lecturers, among them 3,7 thousand doctors of science and over 12 thousand PhD's. Within the past four years the increase in the number of young researchers and university teachers is observed in St. Petersburg (the average annual growth is 4%).

In 2004 a number of research projects were undertaken within the framework of the competition "The university science works for the benefit of the city" covering the most topical problems of the city: ecological monitoring of environmental pollution, waste recycling at city dumps, soil decontamination, modernization of standard heat supply systems.

With a view to ensure transfer of technologies from high schools to the industry of the city, to achieve increased competitiveness of the city's economy, research work is carried out within the framework of the competition "Elaboration of a system of development of domestic firms and territories in terms of innovations and investments on the basis of infrastructure of higher educational establishments of St. Petersburg".

In 2004 a grants competition for undergraduate and postgraduate students engaged in research in humanities, natural and technical sciences was held within the framework of the Program of support of young people's creative work in science. By results of this competition 590 persons won the grants.

Development of science in St. Petersburg

The Committee on Science and Higher Education takes part in preparation and organization of specialized congresses, conferences, symposia and seminars aimed at formation of the image of St. Petersburg as a leading centre of science.

They include: XI International Conference of Phonon Scattering in Condensed Matter held on the basis of Institute of Physics and Technology named after A.F. Ioffe under Russian Academy of Science; XI St. Petersburg International Conference "Integrated Navigating Systems"; International symposium dedicated to 100th anniversary of awarding the Nobel Prise to I.P. Pavlov and others.

Within the framework of the Neighbourliness Program developed by the European Commission, TACIS and INTERREG, the representatives of the Committee and of higher educational establishments of St. Petersburg participated in sessions of coordination workgroups. The research project "Ecotech-2" executed within the framework of the frontier cooperation program has been completed. The Committee representatives took part in organization and work in the sphere of science and innovations, for example, Russian-Finnish project "Technologies, goods and services of universities".

The Committee on Science and Higher Education, jointly with the Council of Rectors of St. Petersburg Universities, issues annually, since 2002 an official edition - reference book for individuals willing to enter St. Petersburg universities.

Every year a competition "Teacher of the Year" is held at the institutions of secondary vocational education and state higher educational establishments of technical, natural-science, medical and economic profile. At the same time a competition "Student of the Year" is held. The principal purpose of the competitions is raising the prestige of teaching and excellent studies.

St. Petersburg leaves the other regions behind in the preparation of construction of IT-parks which can secure the advanced position of Russia in the market of information technologies. The techno-park projects were developed by St. Petersburg State University, Institute of Fine Mechanics and Optics named after S.I. Vavilov, State University of Telecommunications named after M.A. Bonch-Bruevich.

The status of "the city of science" was granted to Peterhof complex of St. Petersburg State University, while the University of Telecommunications got federal support.

The Administration took a decision to hold a competition of creative ideas with respect to construction of Petersburg techno-park. The winners were awarded prizes in the amount 5, 10 and 15 thousand USD. The urban - and architectural construction competition was held between November 1, 2005 and February 28, 2006. The construction work was started in spring 2006.

According to the estimate of City Administration the techno-park will be completed by 2009. The amount of nearly half a billion dollars is allocated to fund this project: the Federation and the city will contribute fifty million USD each, while 400 million USD will be raised for account of private investments. The World Bank's participation as investor will prove to be a symbol of reliability and quality of the project.

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Saint-Petersburg today

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