Skolkovo Open University

Ekaterina Morozova: IC "Skolkovo" is a unique place in Russia where a scientist of any age, aimed at commercializing his research, will be able to find everything necessary for this: laboratory facilities (at the end of the year it is planned to hand over the main buildings of the Skolkovo Technopark and Skoltech), leading professors–colleagues with a worldwide reputation, investors interested in in support of high-tech projects, as well as professional support from the Intellectual Property Center and the Skolkovo Open University.

– What opportunities do young scientists at OtUS have to implement their ideas and projects?

Elena Diryugina: The Open University conducts seasonal schools, programs and individual events. All of them are dedicated to entrepreneurship, project development from idea to business, foresight and systems thinking, global technological trends. Programs can be intensive - from one to six days, and there are long-lasting - from two to four months. In the second case, classes are held up to three times a week.

We conduct a competitive selection for each program, in which everyone can take part, if specific categories are not initially specified (for example, only young scientists). And at our events we are always waiting for everyone.

– Do OtUS programs and schools have their own specialized areas?

E.D.: Last semester we had a program "Transport of the Future" to work on projects based on the use of energy-efficient, information and space technologies in the field of transport and transport infrastructure.

This semester we had the Pharma's cool program – it was dedicated to the development of medicines and their introduction to the market.

Sometimes we have programs outside the technological direction – for example, seasonal schools that form a view of science as a business, science as a system, or an understanding of the global challenges facing humanity. Or programs on the basics of working on an entrepreneurial project: after all, regardless of what you are interested in – biology or IT, space or nuclear technologies – the very concept of a business model, for example, is similar.

– The OtUS Summer School starts on June 28. How many participants are you going to accept at the school, what was the competition this semester? 

E. M.: Seasonal schools of the Skolkovo Open University are designed for 100-120 people. It is with this number of participants that we can work effectively, instilling in them not only new knowledge and skills, but also changing their scale of thinking and horizon of opportunities. Since our throughput capacity is small, we strive to attract not just ordinary researchers to schools, but future opinion leaders and heads of scientific organizations. This year we had a fairly high competition among academic youth – four people per place. We did not plan that so many young people would dare to solve competitive tasks, write a non–trivial essay, knowing that the prize is just participation in an educational program.

– What criteria were used to select young researchers this year?

E.M.: It was important for us to select three main types of leaders from scientific organizations for the school: organizers, technological visionaries and communicators. That is why the competition included an assessment of a resume, a profile in social networks, the quality of problem solving, as well as the ability to think and express your position on complex topics in the format of a short essay.

– That is, the priority was rather young entrepreneurs, not scientists?

E.D.: We call them "infrastructuralists" - these are scientists with organizational skills, strategic and business thinking from research institutes. It is important to us that they not only create and implement their own projects, but to a greater extent form the environment and infrastructure for commercialization, the growth of the number of entrepreneurs and projects in their research institute.

– What results do you expect from this school?

E.D.: This time the participants of the school face a very specific task: they will be divided into 10 teams on a geographical basis (depending on their federal district), each of which should develop an educational program, a conference on the topic of commercialization of research activities. According to the results of the school, the best program will be selected, which will be held in the relevant region.

– Has the school program changed?

E.D.: Everything is as usual: on the first day – acquaintance, welcoming speeches, setting for school. From the second to the fifth day – work in teams on the draft educational program, on the last day – defense.

– Do all OtUS events have a common goal or do they all solve different tasks?

E. M.: This year, for the second time, we are holding a specialized Summer School for young scientists and specialists together with the Federal Agency of Scientific Organizations and Rossotrudnichestvo in order to attract talented young people from scientific centers of Russia and the CIS to innovative activities. And also in order to ensure the possibility of interaction of the academic environment with industrial leaders not only from Russia, but also from abroad. This is very important right now, when Russian science is going through difficult times and it is still very difficult to talk about a significant pipeline of projects or ideas that could seriously interest major players in the domestic or foreign market. Therefore, at this stage, we see our mission in stirring up the academic environment (in terms of its young stratum) and drawing their attention to working with an industrial customer.

– Can young scientists come to the IC "Skolkovo" and OtUS in particular without a team and look for their like-minded people there?

E.M.: One of the most valuable qualities of the Skolkovo ecosystem is the ability to "finish" and "finish" your project at any stage at the expense of the resources of the team, residents and partners of Skolkovo. The Skolkovo Technopark and the Open University with its job fairs and recruitment of young specialists for our residents, acceleration programs for projects of different stages, including development not only in Russia, but also abroad, act as assistants for this. As a rule, students and young scientists who are not familiar with each other come to the OtUS programs and schools, who are already teaming up in the process of working on projects.

– The agro-industrial cluster (currently part of the Biomedical Technologies Cluster) will join the Skolkovo clusters from this year. Are residents of the Foundation or participants of OtUS programs engaged in developments in this direction?

E.M.: The opening of the agrotechnical direction has become one of the key events of this year. It is important that the leadership in this direction was immediately intercepted by young scientists from the leading research institutes of Russia, with whom OtUS is actively working. Several Moscow and regional conferences and round tables have already been held, initiated and organized by talented and purposeful candidates of sciences working in Moscow, Krasnodar and Stavropol. The Agroleaders Group network community has taken shape and launched an active work: a group of young guys and girls involved in the development and implementation of the foresight for the development of agrotechnologies in Skolkovo with the support of OtUS and the BMT cluster. It is this team that is ready to offer not only projects and solutions for CI, but also to become a kind of pilots of a new approach in the development and implementation of innovations in the agricultural complex. 

– Where can young scientists and participants of OtUS programs demonstrate innovations?

E.M.: It is very important that the opportunities to join the Skolkovo ecosystem are not limited by any territorial or time frames. Our portal for accepting applications for resident status is open 24 hours a day. In addition, we hold many meetings and events with new teams and project leaders both in Moscow (Startup Village, open events like Skolkovo Day) and in the regions (StartupTour, participation in regional conferences and forums).

– How many of the participants of the OtUS programs are moving on in the Skolkovo ecosystem?

E.D.: 12 companies founded in OtUS applied to the Skolkovo Foundation, became residents and received grants. Many win on the Russian Startup Tour, Startup Village or in competitions of other development institutes. More than 180 OtUS participants became interns and employees of partner companies and Skolkovo participants, as well as the Skolkovo Foundation. We expect that this figure will only grow.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru

25.06.2015